"A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be." - Rosalyn Carter
*********
I've been around far too many shoulder injuries over the past two years. I've seen athletes of mine have their dreams dashed because of torn rotator cuffs, separated a-c joints, etc. So, as I was discussing recovery options with one of my athletes yesterday, I became curious of where we're going with all of this stuff. What I mean is, does someone, somewhere have a method to the madness that is high school wrestling?
This particular athlete that I was talking to does everything right. He works hard, works smart, is a good student and a great kid. He's in great cardiovascular shape and is on a reliable strength training program. Athletes like him shouldn't get hurt, right? Obviously, "freak" accidents happen, but are we wearing our athletes out? Think about it.
I went through rigorous training in high school and college. I beat my body like a slave. A few surgeries later, the neck of a 70 year old, and early signs of arthritis in my fingers and knees (and maybe right hip), I can't fathom how I'd feel if I competed more than I did. However, high school athletes are competing almost twice as much as me. This scares me and I think it's time that leaders step-up to do what's best for these athletes and compete less.
An area high school team hosted an annual "quad" dual meet on Tuesday. This means that athletes wrestled three times that evening. They spent a full day in school, traveled to a different community and competed three times. That's a full day. I'm not surprised that one of my top athletes (great kid who does everything right) suffered an injury. Another one of my athletes only competed once because of a sore back. To me, the sad part of all of this is it's not the fault of these young athletes, it's the adults who make the schedules. High school athletes are not built to endure 60 wrestling matches in a season and shouldn't compete more than they practice.
I've instructed one of my athletes to take some time away from Victory because of his demanding upcoming schedule. After the new year, he'll compete on Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday. He'll have 12+ matches in 14 days. When does he get a chance to recover? Is training or learning skills even important to the individual who made this schedule?
How will an athlete become better at his/her sport if they don't have the opportunity to learn skills and strategy, recover from competition, take a break from the pressure of competing (pressure to win) or spend an evening/weekend with their family? It concerns me.
Obviously, I'm a wrestling coach and concerned most with the development and health of my athletes, but let's look at it from a different perspective, too. Aren't we faced with budget cuts and constantly seeing wrestling on the "chopping block?" More competition means more expenses, right? If we're trying to save our sport, let's compete less. Seems simple.
At a simple dual meet, consider the costs of the official, ticket takers, school officials, building operation cost, traveling costs for the visiting team, etc., etc. If 200 spectators attend the meet(don't we all wish), the admissions costs won't cover the expenses. As wrestling leaders, we can be proactive to help our districts be financially responsible.
I'm also noticing a lack of interest from spectators. To support your local team, you need to use valuable vacation time to travel across the state, not to mention keeping track of the local competitions. Not only are we wearing out the athletes, we're wearing out the parents and fans. Remember, they're not just interested in wrestling (like I might be). This happens all year in other sports, too. Spectators don't even get the opportunity to watch CSI: Miami or college football?
Everyone's worn-out. I wish every coach communicated well with their athletes and treated them all kindly, but that's not the case. I see a lot of negative coaching, yelling and over-correcting because coaches are at their wits end. Imagine a 15 year old kid being yelled at and corrected over 50 times in a year. There are a million reasons retention is a problem in wrestling, but this contributes more than anything, in my opinion. It's all part of the equation with too many competitions. Athletes, coaches and parents are too tired.
I'd love to see a few prominent coaches lead by example to the less-educated coaches and begin steering the ship back on course. Wrestling can do many great things for individuals, but it has the potential to do harm as well. We might be the reason for the demise, too. I always say wrestling people are wrestling's worst enemy, not administrators, budget cuts or hockey/basketball.
We need to be forward thinking and visionaries. Please, no more short-sighted decisions that undermine the development of men (and women). Seriously, what's our plan? What's the method to the madness? Where are we going?
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
What I learned at Steamboat Springs
During my weekend getaway, I'll be skiing at three major resorts in three days before returning to the real world in Wisconsin. Yesterday, I skied Steamboat Springs in Colorado. It was a two hour drive from the condo. Steamboat Springs is one of the oldest resorts in the United States in an old mining town. The scenery was spectacular. Here's what I learned:
I learned how to ski
I joined ski club in fourth grade and skied Afton Alps all winter through seventh grade when I started focusing on wrestling during those months. I've always been able to get from the top of the hill to the bottom, sometimes because of gravity alone, but I never took lessons. I got to this point by watching and "feeling it," but yesterday it clicked.
I watched one of the guys we were skiing with (Travis) and I noticed him shifting his weight downhill and keeping weight on both feet. I asked him a few questions and with a quick lesson, my day turned bright. I could ski. I'm excited to put my new technique into action today.
Know your limits
The first time I skied in the mountains was two years ago when I went to Winter Park. The weather was miserable and we didn't spend a lot of time on the mountain. Steamboat Springs is known for tree skiing. I was with experienced skiers and snowboarders who love the trees, so I followed. I have enough athleticism to avoid the trees, but that wasn't the case for a certain gentleman named "Carl."
We were on our way through the trees and Tony and I saw a man lying on the ground in a heap next to a tree. He had Sonny Bono-ed a small pine tree and couldn't move. We attended to him for a short time before getting the ski patrol. He was boarded to the bottom. This old-timer definitely didn't know his limits (see picture below...it's not just a picture of Tony. Carl provided background scenery).
I'm tough, but not that tough
I get cold. So what. My whole life I've been "that guy," so I bundled up and had no shame. My core was a bit sweaty, but my toes and fingers still got cold every now and then. I also had a moment when the bottom of both of my feet cramped, but I worked through it. My quads also burned and that ended up taking us back to the car. I wasn't the only one whose legs grew weary, though. It was much wiser to be safe than sorry. When people begin to fatigue, injuries creep in (alas, Carl). I would rather be "smart" than "tough," but I am tough!
Skiing on powder is better than skiing on ice
In the Midwest, we typically ski on man made snow and it turns to ice throughout the season. Individuals in the mountains are very self-righteous about being able to snow in powder. They don't comment often on the 300-foot elevation drop at our local resorts, they dis the icy slopes. Skiing was not intended to be done on ice and I experienced this yesterday. Fresh snow is fun.
Clothing is optional at Strawberry Park Hot Springs
Steamboat Springs is known best for the world-class skiing, but also for the hot springs. We drove up the switchback road to see the springs. It was during the day, so we didn't witness people in their birthday suits, but allegedly clothing is optional after 9:00pm. I have no interest in sitting in hot springs with others in all of their glory, but I'd love to go in the daytime in the future.
There are a lot of rich people
Boy oh boy, there were some amazing homes along the slopes. That's all I'm going to say about that. These people have a bunch of money.
I learned how to ski
I joined ski club in fourth grade and skied Afton Alps all winter through seventh grade when I started focusing on wrestling during those months. I've always been able to get from the top of the hill to the bottom, sometimes because of gravity alone, but I never took lessons. I got to this point by watching and "feeling it," but yesterday it clicked.
I watched one of the guys we were skiing with (Travis) and I noticed him shifting his weight downhill and keeping weight on both feet. I asked him a few questions and with a quick lesson, my day turned bright. I could ski. I'm excited to put my new technique into action today.
Know your limits
The first time I skied in the mountains was two years ago when I went to Winter Park. The weather was miserable and we didn't spend a lot of time on the mountain. Steamboat Springs is known for tree skiing. I was with experienced skiers and snowboarders who love the trees, so I followed. I have enough athleticism to avoid the trees, but that wasn't the case for a certain gentleman named "Carl."
We were on our way through the trees and Tony and I saw a man lying on the ground in a heap next to a tree. He had Sonny Bono-ed a small pine tree and couldn't move. We attended to him for a short time before getting the ski patrol. He was boarded to the bottom. This old-timer definitely didn't know his limits (see picture below...it's not just a picture of Tony. Carl provided background scenery).
I'm tough, but not that tough
I get cold. So what. My whole life I've been "that guy," so I bundled up and had no shame. My core was a bit sweaty, but my toes and fingers still got cold every now and then. I also had a moment when the bottom of both of my feet cramped, but I worked through it. My quads also burned and that ended up taking us back to the car. I wasn't the only one whose legs grew weary, though. It was much wiser to be safe than sorry. When people begin to fatigue, injuries creep in (alas, Carl). I would rather be "smart" than "tough," but I am tough!
Skiing on powder is better than skiing on ice
In the Midwest, we typically ski on man made snow and it turns to ice throughout the season. Individuals in the mountains are very self-righteous about being able to snow in powder. They don't comment often on the 300-foot elevation drop at our local resorts, they dis the icy slopes. Skiing was not intended to be done on ice and I experienced this yesterday. Fresh snow is fun.
Clothing is optional at Strawberry Park Hot Springs
Steamboat Springs is known best for the world-class skiing, but also for the hot springs. We drove up the switchback road to see the springs. It was during the day, so we didn't witness people in their birthday suits, but allegedly clothing is optional after 9:00pm. I have no interest in sitting in hot springs with others in all of their glory, but I'd love to go in the daytime in the future.
There are a lot of rich people
Boy oh boy, there were some amazing homes along the slopes. That's all I'm going to say about that. These people have a bunch of money.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
What is my purpose?
What is my purpose? This is one of the oldest questions mankind faces. It's also one of the most important questions an individual will ever ask. This is what we challenged our athletes with last week at Victory School of Wrestling. We asked them two simple questions: 1) What is my purpose? 2) What are my goals?
These two questions are central to the motivation of a high school wrestler. Notice, the questions are asked separately because they demand different answers. When our purpose and goals are the same, we run into many problems. Essentially, if our goal is our purpose, we will do anything necessary to reach those goals, including compromising our character and integrity.
Our purpose must be much higher than our goals and bigger than ourselves. At Victory, we talk about possessing a "transcendent cause." As young men and women, each athlete must expect the greater reward. Our purpose includes character and significance, what we're about and who we are. Wrestling is what we do. It's not who we are.
I was very fortunate to experience success in high school athletics. I won multiple state titles and enjoyed the feeling of achieving my goals. However, if winning state titles was my purpose, the day I stood on top of the podium would have been very disappointing. Individual success as an athlete will always let one down if value is expected to be found in those goals. Again, purpose is about character and significance, goals aren't.
It becomes difficult for high school athletes to see the "big picture" when we talk about our purpose. Often times, they haven't been challenged to assess their lives in this manner, so we bring this idea to the table and encourage them to put this question foremost in their lives as athletes.
Everyone of us is created with uniqueness and distinction and fully equipped for greatness. It's our responsibility as human beings to determine where that is. We need to find our purpose to be great. As a Christ-follower, I believe my purpose is to glorify God in all that I do. My life is about His name and His renown, not my name or fame. My status in this world is fleeting, but God's is everlasting. I strive to take advantage of the opportunity to contribute to God's everlasting glory...it's pretty amazing.
My life is rooted in the confession of Isaiah 26:8. It says, "Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your truth, we eagerly wait for You, for Your name and Your renown are the desires of our souls." Amen.
At Victory School of Wrestling, our purpose is outlined in our mission statement. We aim to build championship wrestlers with championship character, tremendous work ethic and high standards of excellence, morality and integrity, because even in defeat, you can still be victorious! Our purpose is to build great men of women.
What is your purpose?
These two questions are central to the motivation of a high school wrestler. Notice, the questions are asked separately because they demand different answers. When our purpose and goals are the same, we run into many problems. Essentially, if our goal is our purpose, we will do anything necessary to reach those goals, including compromising our character and integrity.
Our purpose must be much higher than our goals and bigger than ourselves. At Victory, we talk about possessing a "transcendent cause." As young men and women, each athlete must expect the greater reward. Our purpose includes character and significance, what we're about and who we are. Wrestling is what we do. It's not who we are.
I was very fortunate to experience success in high school athletics. I won multiple state titles and enjoyed the feeling of achieving my goals. However, if winning state titles was my purpose, the day I stood on top of the podium would have been very disappointing. Individual success as an athlete will always let one down if value is expected to be found in those goals. Again, purpose is about character and significance, goals aren't.
It becomes difficult for high school athletes to see the "big picture" when we talk about our purpose. Often times, they haven't been challenged to assess their lives in this manner, so we bring this idea to the table and encourage them to put this question foremost in their lives as athletes.
Everyone of us is created with uniqueness and distinction and fully equipped for greatness. It's our responsibility as human beings to determine where that is. We need to find our purpose to be great. As a Christ-follower, I believe my purpose is to glorify God in all that I do. My life is about His name and His renown, not my name or fame. My status in this world is fleeting, but God's is everlasting. I strive to take advantage of the opportunity to contribute to God's everlasting glory...it's pretty amazing.
My life is rooted in the confession of Isaiah 26:8. It says, "Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your truth, we eagerly wait for You, for Your name and Your renown are the desires of our souls." Amen.
At Victory School of Wrestling, our purpose is outlined in our mission statement. We aim to build championship wrestlers with championship character, tremendous work ethic and high standards of excellence, morality and integrity, because even in defeat, you can still be victorious! Our purpose is to build great men of women.
What is your purpose?
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
My Best Decade Ever...Part 1
I was born in September, 1979, so I got just over three months of the 70's followed by three decades full of life. For me, each 10-year period has been better than the previous, which makes 2000-2010 my best decade ever.
The 80's provided me with many things that shaped me into who I am today. New brothers and sisters arrived, I started participating in youth sports while going to school and developed a farmer's work ethic. The 90's brought me rap music, driver's license, Super Bowl XXXI and an understanding of training. The 2000's, however, brought me lifelong treasures such as my wife, my son, my business and a large appreciation for education.
In part one of My Best Decade Ever, I will outline my greatest moments of the past ten years. Enjoy.
Liz said, "YES!"
On July 5, 2003, Elizabeth Susan Reusser became my wife. Not only was she the most beautiful bride that I had ever seen, together we started to forge a life that has been full of excitement. Our vows were very clear that we desired to amen and echo what God was already doing in our individual lives, and together we could do more for the advancement of God's Kingdom than we could on our own. Plus, she's hot!
Announcing Isaiah James Black
September 19th, 2008 was the second greatest day of my life. Isaiah James Black was born after 27 hours of labor. It took a c-section to finally bring the bundle of joy into this world at 7 pounds, 9 ounces. In my bias opinion, he's the best baby that a family could have. Liz and I are very, very lucky in many ways, but I'll do my best not to rub in the fact that he's slept through the night all but three times in his 15 months!
Victory School of Wrestling opens the Victory Training Center
It was a seven month project renovating the location that is now home to Victory School of Wrestling. There were many, many tireless hours of destruction, re-building, painting and cleaning. Finally, we opened the doors on March 1, 2007. It's been an amazing facility for an amazing group of athletes.
I finally met Mickey Mouse
I had to wait until I was 27 years old, but it made my Disney experience amazing. It was truly a magical moment. Liz and I took our pictures with the famous Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears, but we never bought them...we took the pictures in the souvenir shop. Smart, huh? We enjoyed the tree house from Swiss Family Robinson, Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World and the tea cups, of course. I can't wait to go back in May.
Walking the Great Wall of China
Wrestling brought me to Beijing in 2006 and I took the opportunity to walk on the Great Wall of China. The whole China experience was wonderful and I'm so happy I had the chance to see one of the modern wonders of the world. The Ming Tombs, silk factory and Forbidden City were also very valuable experiences, not to mention the food.
No luggage...again!
Azerbaijan, Poland and Russia were amazing countries to visit (thanks to wrestling, again). I'm sure I would've enjoyed my experience in each country even more if my luggage would've arrived in those countries with me. The hotel workers in Baku, Azerbaijan found it laughable that I wore the same Oregon State wrestling t-shirt six days in a row at the World Championships in 2007. We all know orange doesn't flatter anyone.
Rodgers, welcome to the United States
It was very rewarding for Liz and me (and our families) when our dear friend Rodgers finally arrived on American soil to begin a life. I met Rodgers at the World Championships in New York in 2003 and we corresponded via e-mail up to the time he arrived in Madison on a Greyhound bus. From Uganda, it took him 29 hours to land in New York and over 30 hours on the bus to Madison. He was hungry, jet-lagged and completely worn out. So, naturally, we took him the Badgers' wrestling golf outing to gorge ourselves on brats and Mountain Dew. The next day we drove 6 hours to River Falls (usually took only 4) and he joined us at the Black Family Reunion. On the menu: brats and Mountain Dew.
There are definitely other memorable moments that I left out and someday I would love to share with you more about them and how they impacted me. Namely, the following:
The 80's provided me with many things that shaped me into who I am today. New brothers and sisters arrived, I started participating in youth sports while going to school and developed a farmer's work ethic. The 90's brought me rap music, driver's license, Super Bowl XXXI and an understanding of training. The 2000's, however, brought me lifelong treasures such as my wife, my son, my business and a large appreciation for education.
In part one of My Best Decade Ever, I will outline my greatest moments of the past ten years. Enjoy.
Liz said, "YES!"
On July 5, 2003, Elizabeth Susan Reusser became my wife. Not only was she the most beautiful bride that I had ever seen, together we started to forge a life that has been full of excitement. Our vows were very clear that we desired to amen and echo what God was already doing in our individual lives, and together we could do more for the advancement of God's Kingdom than we could on our own. Plus, she's hot!
Announcing Isaiah James Black
September 19th, 2008 was the second greatest day of my life. Isaiah James Black was born after 27 hours of labor. It took a c-section to finally bring the bundle of joy into this world at 7 pounds, 9 ounces. In my bias opinion, he's the best baby that a family could have. Liz and I are very, very lucky in many ways, but I'll do my best not to rub in the fact that he's slept through the night all but three times in his 15 months!
Victory School of Wrestling opens the Victory Training Center
It was a seven month project renovating the location that is now home to Victory School of Wrestling. There were many, many tireless hours of destruction, re-building, painting and cleaning. Finally, we opened the doors on March 1, 2007. It's been an amazing facility for an amazing group of athletes.
I finally met Mickey Mouse
I had to wait until I was 27 years old, but it made my Disney experience amazing. It was truly a magical moment. Liz and I took our pictures with the famous Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears, but we never bought them...we took the pictures in the souvenir shop. Smart, huh? We enjoyed the tree house from Swiss Family Robinson, Pirates of the Caribbean, It's a Small World and the tea cups, of course. I can't wait to go back in May.
Walking the Great Wall of China
Wrestling brought me to Beijing in 2006 and I took the opportunity to walk on the Great Wall of China. The whole China experience was wonderful and I'm so happy I had the chance to see one of the modern wonders of the world. The Ming Tombs, silk factory and Forbidden City were also very valuable experiences, not to mention the food.
No luggage...again!
Azerbaijan, Poland and Russia were amazing countries to visit (thanks to wrestling, again). I'm sure I would've enjoyed my experience in each country even more if my luggage would've arrived in those countries with me. The hotel workers in Baku, Azerbaijan found it laughable that I wore the same Oregon State wrestling t-shirt six days in a row at the World Championships in 2007. We all know orange doesn't flatter anyone.
Rodgers, welcome to the United States
It was very rewarding for Liz and me (and our families) when our dear friend Rodgers finally arrived on American soil to begin a life. I met Rodgers at the World Championships in New York in 2003 and we corresponded via e-mail up to the time he arrived in Madison on a Greyhound bus. From Uganda, it took him 29 hours to land in New York and over 30 hours on the bus to Madison. He was hungry, jet-lagged and completely worn out. So, naturally, we took him the Badgers' wrestling golf outing to gorge ourselves on brats and Mountain Dew. The next day we drove 6 hours to River Falls (usually took only 4) and he joined us at the Black Family Reunion. On the menu: brats and Mountain Dew.
There are definitely other memorable moments that I left out and someday I would love to share with you more about them and how they impacted me. Namely, the following:
- Modern technology - cell phones, computers, social networking, DVR, iPod
- Graduation from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Owning our cars debt-free
- All-American honors
- Emily accepting Christ
- Stephanie and Amy's weddings (plus Sophia Marie)
- Liz's graduation from Pharmacy school
- Purchasing our first home (minus the post-purchase drama)
- Sailing in Tampa
- One Day '01 and One Day '03
- Pseudo-date with Liz
- My first mountain bike race
- Deanna and Alaina making the World Team (the same day Isaiah was born)
- Pike's Peak
I'm certain that I left some very significant moments out by accident. It's difficult to recall 10 full years in a short amount of time. In the next few days, I'm going to do my best to list a few more memories from my best decade ever. Thanks for your interest.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Musing lazily on college football...Roll Tide
Pardon me as I take a break from writing about serious matters and venture into my satirical mindset and ponder on one of fall/winter loves - football. As I was driving around town yesterday, I began musing lazily on college football. I thought about players bigger than life like Nebraska's Ndamakung Suh, among others. He just might win the Heisman Trophy this weekend. However, what my mind couldn't understand was who to cheer for in the BCS Championship game on January 7th.
My logic might be flawed, but I'm planning on cheering for Alabama. Shouldn't I be cheering for Texas, though? Afterall, Colt McCoy, the quarterback for Texas, is a genuine Christ-follower. His face has been on the front page of the Athletes in Action webpage for months shares his personal testimony online. I'm the AIA representative on the campus at UW-River Falls, so I owe my alegiance to Texas, right? I should be chanting "Hook 'Em" the rest of December, but I can't stop thinking "Roll Tide."
To make matters worse, 'Bama destroyed Florida in the SEC Championship game to take over the nation's top ranking. In doing so, they crushed Tim Tebow's platform to share his faith in Christ on national television. Seriously, Tebow has been the face of Christianity in college sports for four years. Not only did he win a Heisman and a national title, he also helped circumcize orphans in Africa...and he brought his coach with him! This guy's a saint and the Crimson Tide hammered him. Isn't that sacreligious?
If we break it down, what do we even know about Greg McElroy (for those who didn't know, he's the quarterback for Alabama)? Are there prominent Christians on the Alabama team roster? They are in the Bible Belt, but is Mark Ingram wearing a cross? Does Terrance Cody listen to Lecrae during his pregame rituals? Is Rolando McClain leading a football team Bible study in the locker room? Certainly, Javier Arenas must be washed in the blood of the Lamb, I mean, that guy's awesome and has a sweet name. What about Nick Saban? Nick Saban! Didn't he leave his team in the Bayou at a time when they needed him most? Just think how close "Saban" is to "Satan." Hmmm?
Aren't these important things to consider as a Christian? I always feel obligated to cheer for my brothers-in-Christ no matter what, but why is that? I'm happy that we get to meet each other in heaven, but shouldn't I be cheering for the "lost" while I can. I can cheer for Colt McCoy or Tim Tebow for an eternity in heaven. That's not why I'm picking Saban's team, though.
I want to see Alabama win a national title because they represent so much of what we love about college football. My boy Rod-the-Bod in Birmingham has no professional football team to cheer for. It's 'Bama or that other team down the street (say it quietly, Auburn). They have a very rich tradition - Bear Bryant's hats, George Teague's interception, Forrest Gump, etc. - and the greatest Green Bay Packers player of all-time is an alumni of Alabama (Bart Starr).
So, here it is: Roll Tide!
I must openly confess to BamaNation that I did cheer for Texas in the 2006 BCS Championship Game against USC. Please, let me explain: Liz and I made a bet on the game and SHE picked USC because I always led ladies go first. As a consolation, I had the Horns. The winner of the bet was rewarded with an one-hour massage. I was thankful for Vince Young. But I swear, even though I wear a LiveStrong bracelet at times, I'm not a Texas fan. I promise. So, if I run for President of the United States in 2028, I better win Alabama (and Texas).
My logic might be flawed, but I'm planning on cheering for Alabama. Shouldn't I be cheering for Texas, though? Afterall, Colt McCoy, the quarterback for Texas, is a genuine Christ-follower. His face has been on the front page of the Athletes in Action webpage for months shares his personal testimony online. I'm the AIA representative on the campus at UW-River Falls, so I owe my alegiance to Texas, right? I should be chanting "Hook 'Em" the rest of December, but I can't stop thinking "Roll Tide."
To make matters worse, 'Bama destroyed Florida in the SEC Championship game to take over the nation's top ranking. In doing so, they crushed Tim Tebow's platform to share his faith in Christ on national television. Seriously, Tebow has been the face of Christianity in college sports for four years. Not only did he win a Heisman and a national title, he also helped circumcize orphans in Africa...and he brought his coach with him! This guy's a saint and the Crimson Tide hammered him. Isn't that sacreligious?
If we break it down, what do we even know about Greg McElroy (for those who didn't know, he's the quarterback for Alabama)? Are there prominent Christians on the Alabama team roster? They are in the Bible Belt, but is Mark Ingram wearing a cross? Does Terrance Cody listen to Lecrae during his pregame rituals? Is Rolando McClain leading a football team Bible study in the locker room? Certainly, Javier Arenas must be washed in the blood of the Lamb, I mean, that guy's awesome and has a sweet name. What about Nick Saban? Nick Saban! Didn't he leave his team in the Bayou at a time when they needed him most? Just think how close "Saban" is to "Satan." Hmmm?
Aren't these important things to consider as a Christian? I always feel obligated to cheer for my brothers-in-Christ no matter what, but why is that? I'm happy that we get to meet each other in heaven, but shouldn't I be cheering for the "lost" while I can. I can cheer for Colt McCoy or Tim Tebow for an eternity in heaven. That's not why I'm picking Saban's team, though.
I want to see Alabama win a national title because they represent so much of what we love about college football. My boy Rod-the-Bod in Birmingham has no professional football team to cheer for. It's 'Bama or that other team down the street (say it quietly, Auburn). They have a very rich tradition - Bear Bryant's hats, George Teague's interception, Forrest Gump, etc. - and the greatest Green Bay Packers player of all-time is an alumni of Alabama (Bart Starr).
So, here it is: Roll Tide!
I must openly confess to BamaNation that I did cheer for Texas in the 2006 BCS Championship Game against USC. Please, let me explain: Liz and I made a bet on the game and SHE picked USC because I always led ladies go first. As a consolation, I had the Horns. The winner of the bet was rewarded with an one-hour massage. I was thankful for Vince Young. But I swear, even though I wear a LiveStrong bracelet at times, I'm not a Texas fan. I promise. So, if I run for President of the United States in 2028, I better win Alabama (and Texas).
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Observations from a day in the bleachers
I spent the day on Saturday sitting in the bleachers at a high school wrestling tournament. It was a nice change of scenery for me. I wear many different hats in the wrestling community and it's not too often that I can be a spectator without any other responsibilities. I sat in the front row and enjoyed myself.
The best part of the day was being reminded how great high school athletics are. It's remarkable watching teenage athletes come together for a common cause bigger than themselves. They compete for each other and to represent their community. It's grassroots and it's pure. Parents, grandparents and other fans show their unwavering support for their team by proudly displaying their colors no matter how well their team does. They love the athletes and the athletes love each other. You don't see this at the collegiate or professional level. That's what I liked most about Saturday.
I have also come to appreciate athletes doing the best that they know how. I missed out on this simple form of greatness when I was an athlete because I was most concerned about what I needed to do on those Saturdays. Now that I'm removed from life as an athlete, I can those who are champions because of effort alone. There were wrestler who took first place who didn't "leave it all" on the mat that day, but I witnessed others who placed 8th who did. That's pretty inspiring. It forced me to check my perspective on what's most important. Doing your best to be your best is pretty awe-inspiring.
Another important component to high school sports is younger spectators aspiring to greatness, too. They follow their high school team around the state and watch their tangible heroes. They emulate their every move and dream about the day they will sport that team singlet and have the opportunity to represent their community and feel their support. One of the biggest heroes of my lifetime was a River Falls High School wrestler. I wanted to be like him in every way and the best part was he knew my name and asked me how I was doing at his tournaments. High school athletes have a great privilege to build into the lives of young athletes and this hero did for me.As I appreciated the great moments transpiring all around me, I couldn't avoid other disturbing occurrences. I saw a lot of "negative coaching," arguing, complaining, yelling and poor examples of sportsmanship from coaches. It was a wake-up call for me as a coach. I sat in those stands and constantly re-evaluated my purpose as a coach and the role I have in the lives of athletes. I asked myself if I was making these same mistakes as a coach. It appeared that many of them didn't enjoy what they were doing and didn't even like their athletes at times. It was scary. And sad.
I took these actions to heart and remembered that I coach to help these high school athletes become great men and women of character, integrity and morality. Am I demonstrating how to do this? Am I speaking greatness into my athletes are offering empty praises with no vision for their future. I noticed the "good job" coach got tuned out as much as the negative coach. What does good job mean? What's good about the job is what the athlete need to know. It's my responsibility to make sure they know my thought process. Empty praise is nice and preferred to negative coaching, but it's difficult to change lives this way.
My final two observations went hand-in-hand. I want to encourage coaches to choose their battles wisely. There's no need to argue every call made by an official. Athletes need to know that their coach has their back and will stand up for them, however officials shouldn't face the verbal abuse that coaches willingly lash out. It's glaringly evident that we need more quality officials. They're going to be difficult to find in the future if part of their responsibility is to endure these harsh words from coaches. Coaches need to exercise self-control and demonstrate to their athletes how to treat others by treating officials kindly.
This Saturday I will be traveling to another wrestling tournament. It's a team tournament so the dynamics will be different than the individual tournament I recently attended. I plan to write about my observations of the event even though I might be at the water park watching my family more than in the arena watching wrestling.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Communication
Thank you to everyone who has followed this "blog series." I have received a lot of positive feedback and I'm eager to implement many of these ideas into my club. I hope you continue having conversations about topics like these. We do have the power to change the culture of youth sports and allow everyone to benefit from the advantages of competing in athletics.
This topic seems very anti-climatic as I conclude the 7 biggest issues is youth sports with the problem of communication. However, I believe this is a perfect place to end because communicating is what will keep these thoughts moving forward. We need to be proactive and clearly communicate our ideas at local youth club meetings, tournaments and everywhere else we go.
The problems in communication come from everyone involved in sports - coaches, parents, athletes, officials, spectators, etc. Individuals draw conclusions based on gossip, here say and simple assumptions. In sports, there needs to be a concrete way to make sure everyone is on the same page. We all need to communicate better.
The best way to assure that everyone understands each other is to be proactive, transparent and clear on expectations. I believe it's the coach's responsibility to take initiative on each of these. Outlining the team's philosophy, mission and expectations at a parent-athlete-coach meeting is the best place to start. It can't end there, though. The problem with communication ... is the illusion that it has been accomplished - George Bernad Shaw. Communication lines need to continuously be open and constantly happening. If the coach doesn't take on this responsibility, it's important that a parent kindly asks the coach what his/her expectations are.
Being proactive is addressing potential issues, conflicts and questions before they happen. It means putting into place principles that allow individuals and teams handle situations when they arise and to make decisions free from emotions. It's easy to hold others accountable when guidelines are clear.
Transparency is also an important component to communicating in sports. There are varying degrees of transparency and the individual needs to be comfortable with their amount. I always encourage coaches to share their coaching philosophy with parents and athletes. This way, parents are more supportive when decisions are made. It's also nice for parents to know the thought and effort that goes into those decisions. E-mails, websites, blogs, facebook, etc. are all great ways for coaches to show parents and athletes what's at the core of the decision making process, or who they are as people. To offer assistance, here is my Coaching Code of Ethics at Victory School of Wrestling. It's based on my coaching philosophy.
Expectations also need to be clear. What coaches expect of athletes and parents and what parents expect of coaches and athletes is extremely important if the season is going to go well. It's best to be upfront about expectations before the season begins. It's also valuable to know what athletes expect of coaches and parents. Most important is what each individual expects of themselves. All of this can be accomplished during a preseason meeting. If the meeting isn't satisfactory, surveys, journals, individual meetings and other ideas are also great steps to understanding expectations.
Communication is key in every relationship. Words are a great way to convey information and one can't forget the impact of non-verbal communication and actions. My dad always told me, "actions speak louder than words." All aspects of communication need to be consistent. Not only in what we say, but how we listen. Listening is part of communicating as well.
Quotes on communication:
"People do not care how much you know until they know much you care." - John Maxwell
"Seek first to understand, then to be understood." - Stephen Covey
"To listen well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well." - John Marshall
"Argument is the worst sort of communication." - Jonathan Swift
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." - Plato
"Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing." - Rollo May
"To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others." - Tony Robbins
"The colossal misunderstanding of our time is the assumption that insight will work with people who are unmotivated to change. Communication does not depend on syntax, or eloquence, or rhetoric, or articulation but on the emotional context in which the message is being heard. People can only hear you when they are moving toward you, and they are not likely to when your words are pursuing them. Even the choices words lose their power when they are used to overpower. Attitudes are the real figures of speech." - Edwin Friedman
This topic seems very anti-climatic as I conclude the 7 biggest issues is youth sports with the problem of communication. However, I believe this is a perfect place to end because communicating is what will keep these thoughts moving forward. We need to be proactive and clearly communicate our ideas at local youth club meetings, tournaments and everywhere else we go.
The problems in communication come from everyone involved in sports - coaches, parents, athletes, officials, spectators, etc. Individuals draw conclusions based on gossip, here say and simple assumptions. In sports, there needs to be a concrete way to make sure everyone is on the same page. We all need to communicate better.
The best way to assure that everyone understands each other is to be proactive, transparent and clear on expectations. I believe it's the coach's responsibility to take initiative on each of these. Outlining the team's philosophy, mission and expectations at a parent-athlete-coach meeting is the best place to start. It can't end there, though. The problem with communication ... is the illusion that it has been accomplished - George Bernad Shaw. Communication lines need to continuously be open and constantly happening. If the coach doesn't take on this responsibility, it's important that a parent kindly asks the coach what his/her expectations are.
Being proactive is addressing potential issues, conflicts and questions before they happen. It means putting into place principles that allow individuals and teams handle situations when they arise and to make decisions free from emotions. It's easy to hold others accountable when guidelines are clear.
Transparency is also an important component to communicating in sports. There are varying degrees of transparency and the individual needs to be comfortable with their amount. I always encourage coaches to share their coaching philosophy with parents and athletes. This way, parents are more supportive when decisions are made. It's also nice for parents to know the thought and effort that goes into those decisions. E-mails, websites, blogs, facebook, etc. are all great ways for coaches to show parents and athletes what's at the core of the decision making process, or who they are as people. To offer assistance, here is my Coaching Code of Ethics at Victory School of Wrestling. It's based on my coaching philosophy.
Expectations also need to be clear. What coaches expect of athletes and parents and what parents expect of coaches and athletes is extremely important if the season is going to go well. It's best to be upfront about expectations before the season begins. It's also valuable to know what athletes expect of coaches and parents. Most important is what each individual expects of themselves. All of this can be accomplished during a preseason meeting. If the meeting isn't satisfactory, surveys, journals, individual meetings and other ideas are also great steps to understanding expectations.
Communication is key in every relationship. Words are a great way to convey information and one can't forget the impact of non-verbal communication and actions. My dad always told me, "actions speak louder than words." All aspects of communication need to be consistent. Not only in what we say, but how we listen. Listening is part of communicating as well.
Quotes on communication:
"People do not care how much you know until they know much you care." - John Maxwell
"Seek first to understand, then to be understood." - Stephen Covey
"To listen well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well." - John Marshall
"Argument is the worst sort of communication." - Jonathan Swift
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something." - Plato
"Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing." - Rollo May
"To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others." - Tony Robbins
"The colossal misunderstanding of our time is the assumption that insight will work with people who are unmotivated to change. Communication does not depend on syntax, or eloquence, or rhetoric, or articulation but on the emotional context in which the message is being heard. People can only hear you when they are moving toward you, and they are not likely to when your words are pursuing them. Even the choices words lose their power when they are used to overpower. Attitudes are the real figures of speech." - Edwin Friedman
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Emphasis on winning
I want to be upfront right away. I love winning. I try to win in everything I do. Whether I'm playing Scattegories at home or coaching at the World Championships, I want to win. In fact, the only thing I don't try to win at is my marriage (sidenote: my wrestlers joke with me and say that's because I've never won in that arena, and that might be true, but I assert that marriage is about collaboration, not about being right or winning). I want to win. In high school, I won four state titles and didn't lose a single match in my career. So, you might ask how and the heck can I say we place too much emphasis on winning? What credibility do I have to make this claim?
As much as I love winning, it has NEVER been my purpose in athletics. Clearly, it's been extremely important and many of my goals include winning. However, my goals and my purpose are not the same thing. Our purpose is bigger than wins and losses, it's about a cause bigger than ourselves, and our goals are small by-products of our purpose. When one's goals and purpose become the same thing, problems occur. Emphasizing winning as our purpose is flirting with disaster because then anything will be done to win.
We live in a society that possesses a "race to the bottom" mentality. We try pushing everything down to younger ages. We have national championships for 8 year old kids when they don't even know what "national" means. I hear parents explain to me that their son/daughter's dream is to win the kid's state tournament when, in actuality, they just want their name on the back of a t-shirt and the opportunity to swim in the hotel pool. We push everything down because the parents want to win the national title or the state championship, not the kids.
What does an emphasis on winning do to young kids? It gives them a false perception of reality and encourages performance-based acceptance. This leads to individuals who question their value and significance. Scary, huh? I cringe when I see the fold-out poster in USA Wrestling Magazine with the 8-year old, 55 pound wrestler showcased as "All-Americans" or "Future Olympian" or when I read youth rankings in The Crossface. Future Olympian? Seriously? We're putting far too much pressure on little children and too much pressure on winning.
We have a system that rewards the early bloomer. Kids gain national recognition because they physically or mentally develop more quickly than others. This short changes the kid's development and it's not his fault. What happens when that 8-year old isn't the strongest kid in his weight class any longer? He gets beat and loses hope. When we lose hope in the future, we lose power in the presence.
Bobby Bowden says we have a "peak by Friday mentality." We look for instant success, measured by victories, and don't put in the time necessary to develop the total athlete - body, mind and soul. At young ages, we skip the skills and go right into strategy because the adult wants to win the game/championship this weekend.
Emphasis on winning at a young age creates an avenue to take shortcuts to success. Winning at the youth level has many different facets than winning at elite levels. I choose to sacrifice winning at the youth level for the sake of development to see more success at older ages, but it's still not about winning. After examining programs all over the world, I've organized my program the following way:
3. Skill development - when athletes begin to understand how their body works and have the mental capacity to learn skills and strategies, technique can be introduced. At my club, this happens between grades 5-8. The focus is now 75% training/25% competition and the competition is only to see if skills are developing. It's an evaluation tool so the emphasis is still not on winning. I tell my athletes and parents that I'm afraid to see these athletes win state titles at this age. Again, I love winning and expect everyone to try their best, but if they win a state title, why did they win? In addition, what impact will that have them in the future. This is important to think of to maximize their future potential.
4. Train to train - as athletes mature physically and mentally and the maturation of each athlete becomes more even, we teach the principles of training. Everyone needs to learn how to train properly. There's a lot involved in training and we continue focusing on fundamentals and skill development. I believe this happens when an athlete enters high school. They inherit a lot of new responsibilities in high school, so the training goes hand-in-hand with their emotional development. Still, we're not emphasizing winning, although winning becomes more important.
5. Train to compete - this stage is very tricky and sometimes goes alongside training to train. An athlete needs to understand how to drill well and train properly before they train to compete. This stage can start as early as ninth grade, but sometimes is not realistic until one is in college. Training to compete is not training to win. It's about understanding a new level of training.
6. Train to win - obviously, this is the highest level of competition. In wrestling, this is at the collegiate level or the international level. There are still a lot of great learning opportunities in sport for adult athletes, however if winning isn't a priority at the highest levels, it's time to move into another season of your life. This attitude can be fostered in the first five stages and allows the athletes that to train to win and not to place their significance in winning.
This is the formula we follow at Victory School of Wrestling and I hope every other program uses something similar. Parents want their children to do their best and be their best. So do I. This is the best way to help student-athletes grow so they can be all they were created for and designed to be.
The pressure to win at all costs needs to be overcome by the conviction to help athletes be the best that they can be.
As much as I love winning, it has NEVER been my purpose in athletics. Clearly, it's been extremely important and many of my goals include winning. However, my goals and my purpose are not the same thing. Our purpose is bigger than wins and losses, it's about a cause bigger than ourselves, and our goals are small by-products of our purpose. When one's goals and purpose become the same thing, problems occur. Emphasizing winning as our purpose is flirting with disaster because then anything will be done to win.
We live in a society that possesses a "race to the bottom" mentality. We try pushing everything down to younger ages. We have national championships for 8 year old kids when they don't even know what "national" means. I hear parents explain to me that their son/daughter's dream is to win the kid's state tournament when, in actuality, they just want their name on the back of a t-shirt and the opportunity to swim in the hotel pool. We push everything down because the parents want to win the national title or the state championship, not the kids.
What does an emphasis on winning do to young kids? It gives them a false perception of reality and encourages performance-based acceptance. This leads to individuals who question their value and significance. Scary, huh? I cringe when I see the fold-out poster in USA Wrestling Magazine with the 8-year old, 55 pound wrestler showcased as "All-Americans" or "Future Olympian" or when I read youth rankings in The Crossface. Future Olympian? Seriously? We're putting far too much pressure on little children and too much pressure on winning.
We have a system that rewards the early bloomer. Kids gain national recognition because they physically or mentally develop more quickly than others. This short changes the kid's development and it's not his fault. What happens when that 8-year old isn't the strongest kid in his weight class any longer? He gets beat and loses hope. When we lose hope in the future, we lose power in the presence.
Bobby Bowden says we have a "peak by Friday mentality." We look for instant success, measured by victories, and don't put in the time necessary to develop the total athlete - body, mind and soul. At young ages, we skip the skills and go right into strategy because the adult wants to win the game/championship this weekend.
Emphasis on winning at a young age creates an avenue to take shortcuts to success. Winning at the youth level has many different facets than winning at elite levels. I choose to sacrifice winning at the youth level for the sake of development to see more success at older ages, but it's still not about winning. After examining programs all over the world, I've organized my program the following way:
1. Fundamentals - this is the first stage of development and the emphasis is on FUN. Fun is important at every level, but is primarily focused on athletes in grades K-3. If an athlete does compete in tournaments/events at this age, those competitions need to focus on having fun and spending quality time with the family. These competitions should be local, but going to practice and having fun is key. You want to make sure every athlete loves practice and wants to come to the next practice. The kids should leave with more energy than they came with.
2. Basic movements - the second stage is understanding and exercising basic movements of athletics, not technique. This would include, but isn't limited to, agility, tumbling, falling and running. A lot of the focus is still on having fun. In wrestling, skills can be introduced in a fun, games approach way. I believe competition still should not be encouraged, however, the idea of competing needs to remain local and continue focusing on quality family time and fun.3. Skill development - when athletes begin to understand how their body works and have the mental capacity to learn skills and strategies, technique can be introduced. At my club, this happens between grades 5-8. The focus is now 75% training/25% competition and the competition is only to see if skills are developing. It's an evaluation tool so the emphasis is still not on winning. I tell my athletes and parents that I'm afraid to see these athletes win state titles at this age. Again, I love winning and expect everyone to try their best, but if they win a state title, why did they win? In addition, what impact will that have them in the future. This is important to think of to maximize their future potential.
4. Train to train - as athletes mature physically and mentally and the maturation of each athlete becomes more even, we teach the principles of training. Everyone needs to learn how to train properly. There's a lot involved in training and we continue focusing on fundamentals and skill development. I believe this happens when an athlete enters high school. They inherit a lot of new responsibilities in high school, so the training goes hand-in-hand with their emotional development. Still, we're not emphasizing winning, although winning becomes more important.
5. Train to compete - this stage is very tricky and sometimes goes alongside training to train. An athlete needs to understand how to drill well and train properly before they train to compete. This stage can start as early as ninth grade, but sometimes is not realistic until one is in college. Training to compete is not training to win. It's about understanding a new level of training.
6. Train to win - obviously, this is the highest level of competition. In wrestling, this is at the collegiate level or the international level. There are still a lot of great learning opportunities in sport for adult athletes, however if winning isn't a priority at the highest levels, it's time to move into another season of your life. This attitude can be fostered in the first five stages and allows the athletes that to train to win and not to place their significance in winning.
This is the formula we follow at Victory School of Wrestling and I hope every other program uses something similar. Parents want their children to do their best and be their best. So do I. This is the best way to help student-athletes grow so they can be all they were created for and designed to be.
The pressure to win at all costs needs to be overcome by the conviction to help athletes be the best that they can be.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Weight management
As a wrestler, the words "weight management" are all too familiar. In my sport, there is a negative connotation to when these words are paired together. Horror stories of individuals cutting weight come to mind for many people. Today, my focus will primarily be on the sport of wrestling.
Weight management is a very touchy subject in wrestling. Promoting a healthy life style and an awareness of exercise and nutrition has the potential to be a great attribute to our sport. We have the ultimate form of accountability with weight classes. If done the correct way, one can learn an abundance of good discipline and knowledge of their body that will help them remain healthy their entire lives. It also has the potential to do the exact opposite.
In a video I watched ten years ago, Greg Strobel, a former USA National Team coach, spoke of telling his athletes that they're members of the wrestling team, not the weight cutting team. Often times, I see coaches and athletes focus more on making weight than they do on wrestling. If making weight consumes the energy of athletes and prohibits them from participating well in practice, then it's a problem. I personally know coaches who believe that every wrestler on their team must cut weight. The body fat testing becomes a licence for them to direct their athletes to go to their minimum weight because they honestly believe that is their healthiest weight! This is unbelievable. I also know coaches who use their practice prior to a competition as a weight cutting day, also unbelievable. We have precious time with each athlete and should be taking advantage of it.
Practice should not be used to "cut weight." This basic principle alleviates a lot of the weight cutting problems. It forces individuals to keep their weight under control, feel well and eat healthy. If these aren't in check, practice (and competition) will not go well. It should always be in an athlete's best interest to feel great for practice at all levels, youth through college and international levels.
Competing at the collegiate level requires one to pay attention to all facets of training, such as nutrition. It wasn't until I was in college that I truly understood the science behind weight management. I was fortunate that I had a nutritional science course first semester of my freshman year. I understood that maintaining my weight helped me perform better. I didn't let my weight "balloon" between competitions because I had adjusted my natural body weight. It was also important that I ate regularly. The foods that I chose to put into my body were high in nutritional value. It's helped me eat well now that I am finished competing, too. I educated myself on nutrition and it made a big difference in how I felt during competitions.
Many times that I talk to someone not involved in wrestling about our sport, they tell me a story of an athlete that cut weight in a very unhealthy way. It's their perception of the sport. I usually ask them if the person they're talking about won on a regular basis, but they don't know how to answer. When one cuts weight in an unhealthy way, they usually don't reach their potential. High school boys have a machismo attitude that says they're tough, manly, etc. (insert your own macho adjective) if they can cut a lot of weight, like they're earning their stripes or it's a badge of honor, but it's flat-out stupid. It doesn't make you more of a man or tougher, it makes you stupid. Doing something that harms your body as you try to become a better athlete and person doesn't help you. Sorry to be so harsh, but it's stupid.
I've been doing some amateur research on the correlation between cutting weight and state championships. It's very difficult to find the information I'm looking for, so I would appreciate any insight or help (maybe I should call Koy). I wonder how many state champions in Wisconsin each year actually compete at their minimum weight class according the 7% body fat rule. I'm not entirely interested in that number as much as I'm interested on how many of them "dropped" a weight class at the end of the season.
When I was in high school, I wrestled the first dual meet of the season at the same weight class I competed at in the state tournament (I did pretty well at the state tournament each year, too). I used the "growth allowance" at Christmas as a growth allowance...novel idea, huh? I didn't suck my body down further when the season was most difficult. As I recall teammates close to me who were state champions, they did the same. They used the growth allowance. The most successful wrestlers in my club in terms of state championships over the past three years wrestled the same weight class all season. The growth allowance shouldn't be viewed as a reason to drop another weight class, it should be used to promote health at the end of the season.
Weight management is an issue in other sports, too. In cross country, track and field, football and other sports, an athlete's weight has a huge impact on performance. Sports that are physically revealing or image-driven also have pressures of weight management. However, in high school, no sport has the microscope on weight like wrestling does. Unfortunately, this has the power to be a "black eye" in our sport. On the other hand, if done properly and in a healthy way, wrestling has the potential to educate athletes about wellness far more than any other sport.
Which avenue are you going to take? Sometimes doing what's right requires much more energy and attention, but doing what's right is never wrong and is worth the effort.
Weight management is a very touchy subject in wrestling. Promoting a healthy life style and an awareness of exercise and nutrition has the potential to be a great attribute to our sport. We have the ultimate form of accountability with weight classes. If done the correct way, one can learn an abundance of good discipline and knowledge of their body that will help them remain healthy their entire lives. It also has the potential to do the exact opposite.
In a video I watched ten years ago, Greg Strobel, a former USA National Team coach, spoke of telling his athletes that they're members of the wrestling team, not the weight cutting team. Often times, I see coaches and athletes focus more on making weight than they do on wrestling. If making weight consumes the energy of athletes and prohibits them from participating well in practice, then it's a problem. I personally know coaches who believe that every wrestler on their team must cut weight. The body fat testing becomes a licence for them to direct their athletes to go to their minimum weight because they honestly believe that is their healthiest weight! This is unbelievable. I also know coaches who use their practice prior to a competition as a weight cutting day, also unbelievable. We have precious time with each athlete and should be taking advantage of it.
Practice should not be used to "cut weight." This basic principle alleviates a lot of the weight cutting problems. It forces individuals to keep their weight under control, feel well and eat healthy. If these aren't in check, practice (and competition) will not go well. It should always be in an athlete's best interest to feel great for practice at all levels, youth through college and international levels.
Competing at the collegiate level requires one to pay attention to all facets of training, such as nutrition. It wasn't until I was in college that I truly understood the science behind weight management. I was fortunate that I had a nutritional science course first semester of my freshman year. I understood that maintaining my weight helped me perform better. I didn't let my weight "balloon" between competitions because I had adjusted my natural body weight. It was also important that I ate regularly. The foods that I chose to put into my body were high in nutritional value. It's helped me eat well now that I am finished competing, too. I educated myself on nutrition and it made a big difference in how I felt during competitions.
Many times that I talk to someone not involved in wrestling about our sport, they tell me a story of an athlete that cut weight in a very unhealthy way. It's their perception of the sport. I usually ask them if the person they're talking about won on a regular basis, but they don't know how to answer. When one cuts weight in an unhealthy way, they usually don't reach their potential. High school boys have a machismo attitude that says they're tough, manly, etc. (insert your own macho adjective) if they can cut a lot of weight, like they're earning their stripes or it's a badge of honor, but it's flat-out stupid. It doesn't make you more of a man or tougher, it makes you stupid. Doing something that harms your body as you try to become a better athlete and person doesn't help you. Sorry to be so harsh, but it's stupid.
I've been doing some amateur research on the correlation between cutting weight and state championships. It's very difficult to find the information I'm looking for, so I would appreciate any insight or help (maybe I should call Koy). I wonder how many state champions in Wisconsin each year actually compete at their minimum weight class according the 7% body fat rule. I'm not entirely interested in that number as much as I'm interested on how many of them "dropped" a weight class at the end of the season.
When I was in high school, I wrestled the first dual meet of the season at the same weight class I competed at in the state tournament (I did pretty well at the state tournament each year, too). I used the "growth allowance" at Christmas as a growth allowance...novel idea, huh? I didn't suck my body down further when the season was most difficult. As I recall teammates close to me who were state champions, they did the same. They used the growth allowance. The most successful wrestlers in my club in terms of state championships over the past three years wrestled the same weight class all season. The growth allowance shouldn't be viewed as a reason to drop another weight class, it should be used to promote health at the end of the season.
Weight management is an issue in other sports, too. In cross country, track and field, football and other sports, an athlete's weight has a huge impact on performance. Sports that are physically revealing or image-driven also have pressures of weight management. However, in high school, no sport has the microscope on weight like wrestling does. Unfortunately, this has the power to be a "black eye" in our sport. On the other hand, if done properly and in a healthy way, wrestling has the potential to educate athletes about wellness far more than any other sport.
Which avenue are you going to take? Sometimes doing what's right requires much more energy and attention, but doing what's right is never wrong and is worth the effort.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sport specialization
This particular topic resonates with me very much. As you know, I operate a wrestling school, one that caters to individuals who are passionate about training in the sport of wrestling. Specializing in wrestling would seem to help my business in many respects, but it actually doesn't and I don't support athletes specializing in one sport until they compete at the collegiate level.
Sport specialization is a catchy, professional-sounding phrase for those who choose to participate and compete in only sport. They "specialize" in training for thier sport of choice because they believe their undivided focus to it will help them improve at exponential rates. They're wrong. As children develop kinesthetic awareness, it's more advantageous for them to be involved in many different activities and sports.
When I was a young child, I participated in wrestling, soccer, baseball, football, golf and gymnastics. Every sport helped me understand something different about my body, and, in turn, made me better at each sport. As I began to mature physically, the skills and body awareness that I had acquired in each sport became very evident. Add to that my summer love with our trampoline and an appreciation for dancing, I could do things with my body that could never have been taught in one sport.
I was a successful as a wrestler because I worked hard and possessed quality technical skills, but my ability to maneuver my body in unorthodox ways is what set me apart. This is what I learned by participating in other sports. I used those sports to make me a better athlete. Being a better athlete made me a better wrestler.
Aside from the physical tools that I developed participating in other sports, I also learned valuable emotional and mental lessons. As I started winning more on the wrestling mat, it was important for me experience trials in many different ways to develop perseverance and character. I encourage wrestlers to participate in cross country in the fall. Aside from the cardiovascular base one builds, the mental tests are unmatched in other sports. In cross country, athletes face many unpredictable forms of adversity. How one chooses to look at those situations, and inevitably overcome them, is an extremely valuable commodity to take into other sports.
Another benefit of being involved in multiple sports is the opportunity to take a "mental break." Most coaches understand the importance of letting the body recover from physical demands, but equally as important is making sure the mind has adequate rest time. The younger the athlete is, the shorter the attention span and ability to focus on tasks. This includes a sports season. It's important to cultivate the mind at its proper development stage. Young athletes need to be involved in many activities whereas older athletes can be involved is far less because they have the cognitive ability to focus for longer periods of time. I desperately needed a mental break from wrestling every March. I put so much energy and focus into my wrestling season that I didn't have the mental capacity to focus on wrestling when the season was finished. Educators understand this. Look at how public education is assembled.
At the elementary level, kids learn in a broad environment with very little specialization. Certainly, during math time, they learn math, but they do so in the same environment where they learn many other subjects. Throw in recess, physical education and other convenient mental breaks and you have grades 1-5. In middle school, students begin "specialization." As they change class periods, they move into a different learning environment. Teachers even specialize in certain subjects. Most middle schools in Wisconsin have seven or eight class periods in a school day. Moving forward to high school, most schools exercise the block scheduling system (four class periods in a school day) and students start selecting the subjects they are interested in. Obviously, in college it becomes even more specialized. Sports should follow this mold because it's based on the needs of the kids.
Individual sport specialization is dangerous because it prohibits the overall development of athletes. Children need the opportunity to develop their body, mind and soul through many different avenues. Body awareness, mental strength and perseverance are integral in every sport; I didn't even touch on social development.
Continue encouraging your sons and daughters to participate in a variety of activities and sports. The only time it's acceptable to begin the specialization process is when the basic commitment to another sport is compromised (can't make it to practice, competitions, etc.). Until then, participate in everything. Your body, mind and soul will thank you in the long run.
Sport specialization is a catchy, professional-sounding phrase for those who choose to participate and compete in only sport. They "specialize" in training for thier sport of choice because they believe their undivided focus to it will help them improve at exponential rates. They're wrong. As children develop kinesthetic awareness, it's more advantageous for them to be involved in many different activities and sports.
When I was a young child, I participated in wrestling, soccer, baseball, football, golf and gymnastics. Every sport helped me understand something different about my body, and, in turn, made me better at each sport. As I began to mature physically, the skills and body awareness that I had acquired in each sport became very evident. Add to that my summer love with our trampoline and an appreciation for dancing, I could do things with my body that could never have been taught in one sport.
I was a successful as a wrestler because I worked hard and possessed quality technical skills, but my ability to maneuver my body in unorthodox ways is what set me apart. This is what I learned by participating in other sports. I used those sports to make me a better athlete. Being a better athlete made me a better wrestler.
Aside from the physical tools that I developed participating in other sports, I also learned valuable emotional and mental lessons. As I started winning more on the wrestling mat, it was important for me experience trials in many different ways to develop perseverance and character. I encourage wrestlers to participate in cross country in the fall. Aside from the cardiovascular base one builds, the mental tests are unmatched in other sports. In cross country, athletes face many unpredictable forms of adversity. How one chooses to look at those situations, and inevitably overcome them, is an extremely valuable commodity to take into other sports.
Another benefit of being involved in multiple sports is the opportunity to take a "mental break." Most coaches understand the importance of letting the body recover from physical demands, but equally as important is making sure the mind has adequate rest time. The younger the athlete is, the shorter the attention span and ability to focus on tasks. This includes a sports season. It's important to cultivate the mind at its proper development stage. Young athletes need to be involved in many activities whereas older athletes can be involved is far less because they have the cognitive ability to focus for longer periods of time. I desperately needed a mental break from wrestling every March. I put so much energy and focus into my wrestling season that I didn't have the mental capacity to focus on wrestling when the season was finished. Educators understand this. Look at how public education is assembled.
At the elementary level, kids learn in a broad environment with very little specialization. Certainly, during math time, they learn math, but they do so in the same environment where they learn many other subjects. Throw in recess, physical education and other convenient mental breaks and you have grades 1-5. In middle school, students begin "specialization." As they change class periods, they move into a different learning environment. Teachers even specialize in certain subjects. Most middle schools in Wisconsin have seven or eight class periods in a school day. Moving forward to high school, most schools exercise the block scheduling system (four class periods in a school day) and students start selecting the subjects they are interested in. Obviously, in college it becomes even more specialized. Sports should follow this mold because it's based on the needs of the kids.
Individual sport specialization is dangerous because it prohibits the overall development of athletes. Children need the opportunity to develop their body, mind and soul through many different avenues. Body awareness, mental strength and perseverance are integral in every sport; I didn't even touch on social development.
Continue encouraging your sons and daughters to participate in a variety of activities and sports. The only time it's acceptable to begin the specialization process is when the basic commitment to another sport is compromised (can't make it to practice, competitions, etc.). Until then, participate in everything. Your body, mind and soul will thank you in the long run.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Too many competitions
I'm attempting to gain momentum in this blog series on the issues faced in youth sports. The first two may have been sensitive to a few individuals and I'm not planning on holding anything back. I want to be sure that we confront these issues in a constructive way and, hopefully, we can all grow and learn from these conversations.
This topic is far less personal, but still very sensitive to parents and coaches. What I find to be most interesting about this, the third post of the series, is these topics are more sensitive to the adults than they are to the youth...something to ponder on. Is our focal point the needs of the kids or the desires of the adults?
I believe a major problem in youth sports is there are too many competitions. I'm concerned about this for two reason. 1.) Kids are burning up their competitive years at a young age, and 2.) Learning and developing athletes has gone out the window. I'll explain my thoughts with two simple illustrations.
Kids are burning up their competitive years
I received amazing advice from a three-time Olympian (wrestler) when I was in high school. He said the average athlete has roughly 10 competitive years in his/her system. Basically, he said we can choose to use those 10 years at a very young age or later in our career. He added there are a few exceptional athletes who can stretch their 10 years into 15-20 years. I haven't been able to dig up any scientific studies on this topic, but I think there's a lot to what this 12-time US National team member had to say.
My wife was a Big Ten Champion on the track in the 10,000 meters and an All-American in the 5,000 meters. Her coach limited the amount of 5K's and 10K's she could compete in throughout each season and in her career. In fact, the 10K race she won at the Big Tens was the first she had competed in during the season. To him it was simple, he believed an athlete's body could withstand only a set number of distance events in a season and career before their productivity started to decline. He had the ultimate standard - time. If your times started getting slower, your body had reached its peak. We don't have a stop watch standard in every sport, but I see athletes declining at much too young of an age in other sports, too.
By the way, this track coach won multiple national team titles, produced over 15 Olympians, coached in the Olympic Games on three separate occasions and never competed in an organized track and field event himself. He used science to win. He saved his athletes so they could reach their competitive peak at the optimal time, and it in wasn't middle school.
Learning and developing athletes has gone out the window
I remember eagerly awaiting the day that I took my driver's test. I turned 16 in the fall of my sophomore year and earned my licence soon thereafter (on my first try). Getting a driver's licence is a pivotal moment in life of a teenager, almost a right of passage into young adulthood. The Department of Transportation doesn't let an individual take a driver's test without first being educated on the rules of the road. In fact, learning needs to take place prior to tests in most facets of life, except athletics.
In youth sports, we forget about the importance of learning the sport. Instead, we thrust kids into the furnace of fire and hope they learn during the competition. There are teachable moments all around us, but teaching during competition isn't effective. What's wrong with making sure that an athlete understands the sport he/she is participating in before competing? We wouldn't dream of putting a 16 year old boy behind the wheel without the proper training, but we don't have a problem expecting a 10 year old to perform on the field, in the arena or on the mat with no training at all. Youth athletes need to learn how to compete before they compete.
I seek opportunities to listen to those who have gone before me and had success at the highest levels. The people I mentioned have been national champions, world champions and Olympic champions, and they're very well-rounded individuals. We miss out on all of this with too many competitions too early.
As an adult, coaching staff or parent, sit down and make conscious decisions on what events are necessary and how to seize the opportunity to help youth athletes learn. My wrestling club is opened 12 months a year, but we're very intentional about when and how much each athlete trains and competes. Together, we choose what events to participate in, and sometimes this means taking a weekend off.
For young athletes, sometimes the best "training" is spending a weekend fishing with Grandpa or building a deck. It's not about competing more. It's about learning more.
This topic is far less personal, but still very sensitive to parents and coaches. What I find to be most interesting about this, the third post of the series, is these topics are more sensitive to the adults than they are to the youth...something to ponder on. Is our focal point the needs of the kids or the desires of the adults?
I believe a major problem in youth sports is there are too many competitions. I'm concerned about this for two reason. 1.) Kids are burning up their competitive years at a young age, and 2.) Learning and developing athletes has gone out the window. I'll explain my thoughts with two simple illustrations.
Kids are burning up their competitive years
I received amazing advice from a three-time Olympian (wrestler) when I was in high school. He said the average athlete has roughly 10 competitive years in his/her system. Basically, he said we can choose to use those 10 years at a very young age or later in our career. He added there are a few exceptional athletes who can stretch their 10 years into 15-20 years. I haven't been able to dig up any scientific studies on this topic, but I think there's a lot to what this 12-time US National team member had to say.
My wife was a Big Ten Champion on the track in the 10,000 meters and an All-American in the 5,000 meters. Her coach limited the amount of 5K's and 10K's she could compete in throughout each season and in her career. In fact, the 10K race she won at the Big Tens was the first she had competed in during the season. To him it was simple, he believed an athlete's body could withstand only a set number of distance events in a season and career before their productivity started to decline. He had the ultimate standard - time. If your times started getting slower, your body had reached its peak. We don't have a stop watch standard in every sport, but I see athletes declining at much too young of an age in other sports, too.
By the way, this track coach won multiple national team titles, produced over 15 Olympians, coached in the Olympic Games on three separate occasions and never competed in an organized track and field event himself. He used science to win. He saved his athletes so they could reach their competitive peak at the optimal time, and it in wasn't middle school.
Learning and developing athletes has gone out the window
I remember eagerly awaiting the day that I took my driver's test. I turned 16 in the fall of my sophomore year and earned my licence soon thereafter (on my first try). Getting a driver's licence is a pivotal moment in life of a teenager, almost a right of passage into young adulthood. The Department of Transportation doesn't let an individual take a driver's test without first being educated on the rules of the road. In fact, learning needs to take place prior to tests in most facets of life, except athletics.
In youth sports, we forget about the importance of learning the sport. Instead, we thrust kids into the furnace of fire and hope they learn during the competition. There are teachable moments all around us, but teaching during competition isn't effective. What's wrong with making sure that an athlete understands the sport he/she is participating in before competing? We wouldn't dream of putting a 16 year old boy behind the wheel without the proper training, but we don't have a problem expecting a 10 year old to perform on the field, in the arena or on the mat with no training at all. Youth athletes need to learn how to compete before they compete.
I seek opportunities to listen to those who have gone before me and had success at the highest levels. The people I mentioned have been national champions, world champions and Olympic champions, and they're very well-rounded individuals. We miss out on all of this with too many competitions too early.
As an adult, coaching staff or parent, sit down and make conscious decisions on what events are necessary and how to seize the opportunity to help youth athletes learn. My wrestling club is opened 12 months a year, but we're very intentional about when and how much each athlete trains and competes. Together, we choose what events to participate in, and sometimes this means taking a weekend off.
For young athletes, sometimes the best "training" is spending a weekend fishing with Grandpa or building a deck. It's not about competing more. It's about learning more.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Uneducated coaches
I have the unique opportunity to coach as my full-time profession. As a result, I put a lot of effort into improving my abilities and knowledge. So, it will come as no surprise that when I have the chance to work in a high school or college wrestling room, travel to an international competition or spend time at the Olympic Training Center, I do my best to soak in as much as I can in hopes of becoming a better coach. Being globally connected in the wrestling world has allowed me to see major differences between the United States and the rest of the world in how we handle sports and coaches.
Our sports systems are drastically different than the European way. Our community identity is in high school sports. They're a part of our public education and create friendly competition amongst kids and adults. I read a book in college that claimed one of the main reason we haven't had a Civil War in recent years is because of high school sports. We settle conflicts on the high school football field whereas countries that don't have this outlet resort to killing each other.
In Europe, sports and school are separated completely. Thinking only about the sport, I can't say which system I am in favor of more, but when it comes to offering students another form of education, I like the American system. However, we're beginning to see a decline in youth sports across America and face an obesity epidemic. So, are we doing well enough to be satisfied with what we're doing?
I'm drifting off course, but I think coaches education has a lot to do with retention and the overall health of our youth athletes. In Russia, for example, they won't let an adult come close to an athlete without an advanced degree in coaching. I'm not talking about a teacher who can coach. Many Europeans universities offer coaching as a major. In fact, a lot of elite international athletes are students at universities earning their degree in coaching.
Our system is starting to fail us at the grassroots level (decline in numbers, etc.) and at the elite levels. In 2008, the United States was shaken by the lack of performance at the Olympic Games. Sure, we won the overall medal count, but sports that were traditionally dominated by Americans weren't in Beijing. There are many theories, but I think it comes down to coaching.
When I return from a major international competition like the World Championships, one of the most common questions has to do with why the Russian wrestling team dominates so much. The Russians chuckle at our training routines and American mindset: train harder and win more. They come from a school of thought that says train more efficiently and train smarter and win more. It's simple, it comes down to coaching. It's not about running more sprints than the other team or taking less water breaks, it's about understanding how to get the most out of each athlete and that takes education and application.
Now, I'm not suggesting that we require every coach to possess a college degree in coaching. However, I do think it's appropriate to expect coaches to be educated on basic human physiological ideas like stretching, strength training and basic periodized training so athletes "peak" at the proper time. I understand that we're not looking for six year old athletes to peak, but we are looking for them to advance and progress at normal rates and most coaches need some light shed in that direction.
What can we do in the United States? I'm not sure. It might not be something that we can control. However, we can start one coach at a time. If you're reading this, are you a certified coach (with any certification program)? Have you considered networking with other coaches to discuss how to get better as a coach? Are you thinking about what each athlete needs to perform his/her best at the most important times of the season? Do you have a self-evaluation in place to assure that you're doing things correctly? These are the types of questions you need to be asking yourself to continually improve as a coach.
What are you doing about educating yourself? Take advantage of the educational opportunities that are available. You might have an athlete that could be the next Olympic champion, or an individual who might invent something that could "save the world," it's imperative that you're cultivating that person properly.
Our sports systems are drastically different than the European way. Our community identity is in high school sports. They're a part of our public education and create friendly competition amongst kids and adults. I read a book in college that claimed one of the main reason we haven't had a Civil War in recent years is because of high school sports. We settle conflicts on the high school football field whereas countries that don't have this outlet resort to killing each other.
In Europe, sports and school are separated completely. Thinking only about the sport, I can't say which system I am in favor of more, but when it comes to offering students another form of education, I like the American system. However, we're beginning to see a decline in youth sports across America and face an obesity epidemic. So, are we doing well enough to be satisfied with what we're doing?
I'm drifting off course, but I think coaches education has a lot to do with retention and the overall health of our youth athletes. In Russia, for example, they won't let an adult come close to an athlete without an advanced degree in coaching. I'm not talking about a teacher who can coach. Many Europeans universities offer coaching as a major. In fact, a lot of elite international athletes are students at universities earning their degree in coaching.
Our system is starting to fail us at the grassroots level (decline in numbers, etc.) and at the elite levels. In 2008, the United States was shaken by the lack of performance at the Olympic Games. Sure, we won the overall medal count, but sports that were traditionally dominated by Americans weren't in Beijing. There are many theories, but I think it comes down to coaching.
When I return from a major international competition like the World Championships, one of the most common questions has to do with why the Russian wrestling team dominates so much. The Russians chuckle at our training routines and American mindset: train harder and win more. They come from a school of thought that says train more efficiently and train smarter and win more. It's simple, it comes down to coaching. It's not about running more sprints than the other team or taking less water breaks, it's about understanding how to get the most out of each athlete and that takes education and application.
Now, I'm not suggesting that we require every coach to possess a college degree in coaching. However, I do think it's appropriate to expect coaches to be educated on basic human physiological ideas like stretching, strength training and basic periodized training so athletes "peak" at the proper time. I understand that we're not looking for six year old athletes to peak, but we are looking for them to advance and progress at normal rates and most coaches need some light shed in that direction.
What can we do in the United States? I'm not sure. It might not be something that we can control. However, we can start one coach at a time. If you're reading this, are you a certified coach (with any certification program)? Have you considered networking with other coaches to discuss how to get better as a coach? Are you thinking about what each athlete needs to perform his/her best at the most important times of the season? Do you have a self-evaluation in place to assure that you're doing things correctly? These are the types of questions you need to be asking yourself to continually improve as a coach.
What are you doing about educating yourself? Take advantage of the educational opportunities that are available. You might have an athlete that could be the next Olympic champion, or an individual who might invent something that could "save the world," it's imperative that you're cultivating that person properly.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Overzealous Parents
The overzealous parent. You've seen him. In fact, as soon as you read "overzealous parent," you probably formulated an image in your mind of one. You know, the guy who lives vicariously through his child because he never reached his dreams and he's hell bent on his kid achieving what he never did. Or the mom who doesn't understand the sport, but screams at the top of her lungs whenever her kid is in the spotlight as if her life depended on it. Both are spectacles at sporting events and both are destroying youth sports.
I appreciate when parents are genuinely excited for their children and I'm always thankful to see a mother or father love their child and care for them deeply. Our society needs more parents who raise their children this way. We don't need anymore parents creating problems because of the way they act.
These parents harm youth sports because they scare people. Children are afraid of their unjust wrath and other parents fear they physically, mentally or emotionally will hurt their kids. They're unapproachable and confrontational, making it nearly impossible to hold them accountable. I've heard many stories of kids quitting sports because these parents. I've also heard of parents not permitting their kids to participate because of them. Not only are they affecting the number of participants, they're having a drastically negative impact on the experience of those who do participate.
The problem with the overzealous parent is an issue of perspective. The best way to combat this issue to be sure everyone with a clipboard and in the stands has a healthy perspective on youth sports. Perspective, simply put, is the capacity to view things in their true relation and relative importance.
Sports should be used as a metaphor to teach life lessons and parents shouldn't be exempt from the educational opportunities. Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. We need to be clear about our objectives and pay attention to what counts most -- helping these children become great men and women someday.
The best way to make sure we keep these parents in check is by having a coach-parent-athlete meeting. Ideally, this meeting would be held by the coach, but it can also be arranged by a parent or group of parents. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the main objectives of the season and make sure everyone is on the same page. During this meeting, it's important to talk about the expectations of everyone involved -- coaches, parents and athletes -- and develop high standards of sportsmanship. The behavior of parents is important so they don't torpedo the experience for the kids. Be proactive.
When I was in 3rd grade, my father had a moment that isn't proudly displayed on his mantle. I was competing in a local youth wrestling tournament and the young high school official didn't have a complete grasp on the rules. My opponent performed an illegal hold and my dad came unglued. He made a scene as he reprimanded the official. After all, he was right, the official wasn't aware of what was happening, but the way it happened was a problem.
Another parent from our youth club pulled my dad aside with a very calm demeanor. He explained that he understood why my dad was upset, so my dad felt like he had done well to confront the official. Then, the other parent asked my dad to take off his River Falls Wrestling shirt because he didn't represent the character that the program wanted to promote. It was a very humbling experience for my dad. If that other parent wouldn't have held him accountable to the club standards, more negative experiences may have happened and I may not have been involved in the sport much longer. There's always a lot at stake when we're dealing with children.
There's no room for overzealous parents in youth sports. High standards and accountability can help assure everyone is on the same page. It's not about the parents, but they still have a place in the sport to grow and learn, just like our children. But in the end, it's about the children.
I appreciate when parents are genuinely excited for their children and I'm always thankful to see a mother or father love their child and care for them deeply. Our society needs more parents who raise their children this way. We don't need anymore parents creating problems because of the way they act.
These parents harm youth sports because they scare people. Children are afraid of their unjust wrath and other parents fear they physically, mentally or emotionally will hurt their kids. They're unapproachable and confrontational, making it nearly impossible to hold them accountable. I've heard many stories of kids quitting sports because these parents. I've also heard of parents not permitting their kids to participate because of them. Not only are they affecting the number of participants, they're having a drastically negative impact on the experience of those who do participate.
The problem with the overzealous parent is an issue of perspective. The best way to combat this issue to be sure everyone with a clipboard and in the stands has a healthy perspective on youth sports. Perspective, simply put, is the capacity to view things in their true relation and relative importance.
Sports should be used as a metaphor to teach life lessons and parents shouldn't be exempt from the educational opportunities. Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. We need to be clear about our objectives and pay attention to what counts most -- helping these children become great men and women someday.
The best way to make sure we keep these parents in check is by having a coach-parent-athlete meeting. Ideally, this meeting would be held by the coach, but it can also be arranged by a parent or group of parents. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the main objectives of the season and make sure everyone is on the same page. During this meeting, it's important to talk about the expectations of everyone involved -- coaches, parents and athletes -- and develop high standards of sportsmanship. The behavior of parents is important so they don't torpedo the experience for the kids. Be proactive.
When I was in 3rd grade, my father had a moment that isn't proudly displayed on his mantle. I was competing in a local youth wrestling tournament and the young high school official didn't have a complete grasp on the rules. My opponent performed an illegal hold and my dad came unglued. He made a scene as he reprimanded the official. After all, he was right, the official wasn't aware of what was happening, but the way it happened was a problem.
Another parent from our youth club pulled my dad aside with a very calm demeanor. He explained that he understood why my dad was upset, so my dad felt like he had done well to confront the official. Then, the other parent asked my dad to take off his River Falls Wrestling shirt because he didn't represent the character that the program wanted to promote. It was a very humbling experience for my dad. If that other parent wouldn't have held him accountable to the club standards, more negative experiences may have happened and I may not have been involved in the sport much longer. There's always a lot at stake when we're dealing with children.
There's no room for overzealous parents in youth sports. High standards and accountability can help assure everyone is on the same page. It's not about the parents, but they still have a place in the sport to grow and learn, just like our children. But in the end, it's about the children.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
7 biggest problems in youth sports
Before I get started with this series about the problems that we face in youth sports, I think it's appropriate to outline what I believe to be the largest hurdles. I did my best to channel my thought process into the seven biggest problems. This way, I can tackle one issue each day.
To wet your palette, here are the 7 biggest problems that we face in youth sports:
- Overzealous parents
- Uneducated coaches
- Too many competitions
- Sports specialization
- Weight management
- Emphasis on winning
- Communication
Obviously, there are other problems within the culture of youth sports, but I believe these seven are the largest, most relevant and need immediate attention.
Often times, when people discover problems, they don't offer solutions to fix them. I don't want to be a cowardly complainer who lacks the courage to make positive changes, so I will offer solutions to make each situation better. In addition, I will try every solution first hand at Victory.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
The condition of youth sports...let's go
I have written two blogs about my philosophy on coaching youth wrestling and have received a lot of positive feedback from athletes, coaches and parents. I've been very pleased by how many people agree that youth sports needs immediate attention and a general make-over as soon as possible. We need everyone to embrace healthy perspectives.
Obviously, I look at youth sports through the eyes of a wrestling coach. Many of the hurdles that we face are similar in other sports. This has motivated me to write a new "blog series" addressing the major issues that our society and culture faces in regards to youth sports (particularly, youth wrestling). I will attempt to outline a few of the major problems and offer suggestions on how to better serve the needs of our youth.
I'm embarking on this adventure much like a crusade. I'd like this to be a catalyst for change in the wrestling community as I confront these issues head-on. I've met too many parents who have children walk away from sports because of these issues. With your help, we can change the culture. It may seem impossible with all of the voices, all of the inertia and all of the counter productive momentum pushing in the wrong direction, but together we can do it.
I'm asking my readers, as large or small as the following is, to engage in difficult discussions with other members of your club and community. I'm also interested in what you have to say about these issues, so feel free to comment below or send me an e-mail. If you have an issue that I don't address but would like me to, please let me know and I'll be more than happy to offer my two cents.
It is possible to uphold new standards of excellence and expect the best from our parents and coaches so that we can do what's BEST for our future generations. I believe we can change the culture of youth sports in America and I'm looking forward to this challenge. It's not too late to get it right and it's never wrong to do what right! Let's go!
Obviously, I look at youth sports through the eyes of a wrestling coach. Many of the hurdles that we face are similar in other sports. This has motivated me to write a new "blog series" addressing the major issues that our society and culture faces in regards to youth sports (particularly, youth wrestling). I will attempt to outline a few of the major problems and offer suggestions on how to better serve the needs of our youth.
I'm embarking on this adventure much like a crusade. I'd like this to be a catalyst for change in the wrestling community as I confront these issues head-on. I've met too many parents who have children walk away from sports because of these issues. With your help, we can change the culture. It may seem impossible with all of the voices, all of the inertia and all of the counter productive momentum pushing in the wrong direction, but together we can do it.
I'm asking my readers, as large or small as the following is, to engage in difficult discussions with other members of your club and community. I'm also interested in what you have to say about these issues, so feel free to comment below or send me an e-mail. If you have an issue that I don't address but would like me to, please let me know and I'll be more than happy to offer my two cents.
It is possible to uphold new standards of excellence and expect the best from our parents and coaches so that we can do what's BEST for our future generations. I believe we can change the culture of youth sports in America and I'm looking forward to this challenge. It's not too late to get it right and it's never wrong to do what right! Let's go!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Who's going to coach my son?
Coach's education has become very important to me. As I open my mind to what the world has to offer me, I have come to expect other coaches to do the same. Individuals never outgrow learning, especially those who are educators and coaches.
Why is it then, that the place that I see those who are least willing to learn are in positions that have the most influence in the life of a child? The most influential person in the life of a child is, in fact, Coach. Studies have proved the two most important words that American children hear or say is, “Coach says.” That’s a heavy burden to carry and a very large responsibility that must be taken seriously by anyone who calls themselves “coach.”
The problem that we have in the United States is that anyone can call themselves coach. We let every Tom, Dick and Harry put on that title if they’re willing. Never mind if they’re qualified for the position, if they’re interested then give them a clipboard and whistle. I guess it’s consistent with the “participation mindset,” that everyone is a winner and everyone gets equal playing time. Why should it be different for adults, right?
I’ll tell you why it should be different, because the lives and overall well-being of children is at stake. Their character development is in the hands of coaches. Our future leaders are being shaped by these individuals. Sometimes, this is left up to an adult with no positive character traits and no leadership skills. I think it is wise to have very high standards for coaches.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate everyone who has given their time and energy to helping children in sports. I believe that most coaches are genuinely doing the best that they can and doing what they believe is right. However, this doesn’t give everyone a free pass to coach because not everyone is a good coach, even if they’re doing the best that they can. Sorry, but not everyone is qualified to coach.
I communicate with coaches and parents on a regular basis. I hear many different perspectives and my conviction on youth sports grows stronger and stronger each day. There is a right way to coach youth athletes and there is a wrong way. The right way is to encourage participation by making sports fun and focusing on development and retention while promoting healthy lifestyles and sound decision making abilities with positive character. Period. That’s it. That’s youth sports. Notice, I didn’t mention anything about winning?
The wrong way, 100% of the time, is to focus on winning. When winning becomes the focus, development is hindered. Short cuts are inevitably taken to find immediate success. There are no long-term goals to those who focus on winning at the youth level. This short sightedness leads to the demise of youth programs and high school sports. We’re getting everything out of our children at an age when they don’t understand its significance and it’s robbing them of future opportunities to grow. Sorry, but your 3rd grader is not an exception, either. I don’t care how advanced you believe he/she is, or how ambitious you are as a coach, you can’t, can’t, CANT substitute development for a chance at fleeting, temporary success. If this offends you, I'm glad someone is finally telling you because you're wrong.
The best analogy that I have to understand my commitment to development at the youth levels is like planting a tree. I planted a small pine tree in my back yard three years ago. It would have been easier to plant that little thing right outside my backdoor instead of far away in the corner of my yard. It would have been easier to care for it, water it and watch it grow. Heck, it may have even grown quicker because I would have paid close attention to it. However, in a few short years, when that pine started to mature, it would not have been able to grow anymore. The roots would have grown into the house. I’m certain the insurance company would have eventually made me dig it up because it could damage the integrity of the foundation. Plus, who wants a tree alongside the house? I'd much rather have a beautiful deck outside my backdoor. This is how youth sports should be viewed. This is the right way. It’s wrong to plant your tree outside your door.
Today, there are 57 million kids playing youth sports who are between 6 and 14 years of age, but only 7 million 15 years or older. Too many people are planting their trees next to their houses and it's time to do something about it.
One coach will impact more young people in one year than the average person impacts in an entire lifetime. So, what’s our filter for these people? How do we choose who gets to coach my son? What are the qualifications, if any, to hold these precious, moldable hearts and minds in our hands? A child’s future is at stake. I don't think we need to make sure a coach understands the cognitive abilities of children, or their kinesthetic capabilities and awareness of lactic acid threshold and periodized cycles. We need someone who is willing to learn and grasps the sport they’re teaching, and above all, loves children and wants to see them develop into men and women?
I'm very passionate about seeing children succeed and I'm not sorry if this offended you. I'm not interested in making coaches feel good about what they do. It's not about them. We need to start thinking about what the kid’s need, not what the adults want.
Why is it then, that the place that I see those who are least willing to learn are in positions that have the most influence in the life of a child? The most influential person in the life of a child is, in fact, Coach. Studies have proved the two most important words that American children hear or say is, “Coach says.” That’s a heavy burden to carry and a very large responsibility that must be taken seriously by anyone who calls themselves “coach.”
The problem that we have in the United States is that anyone can call themselves coach. We let every Tom, Dick and Harry put on that title if they’re willing. Never mind if they’re qualified for the position, if they’re interested then give them a clipboard and whistle. I guess it’s consistent with the “participation mindset,” that everyone is a winner and everyone gets equal playing time. Why should it be different for adults, right?
I’ll tell you why it should be different, because the lives and overall well-being of children is at stake. Their character development is in the hands of coaches. Our future leaders are being shaped by these individuals. Sometimes, this is left up to an adult with no positive character traits and no leadership skills. I think it is wise to have very high standards for coaches.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate everyone who has given their time and energy to helping children in sports. I believe that most coaches are genuinely doing the best that they can and doing what they believe is right. However, this doesn’t give everyone a free pass to coach because not everyone is a good coach, even if they’re doing the best that they can. Sorry, but not everyone is qualified to coach.
I communicate with coaches and parents on a regular basis. I hear many different perspectives and my conviction on youth sports grows stronger and stronger each day. There is a right way to coach youth athletes and there is a wrong way. The right way is to encourage participation by making sports fun and focusing on development and retention while promoting healthy lifestyles and sound decision making abilities with positive character. Period. That’s it. That’s youth sports. Notice, I didn’t mention anything about winning?
The wrong way, 100% of the time, is to focus on winning. When winning becomes the focus, development is hindered. Short cuts are inevitably taken to find immediate success. There are no long-term goals to those who focus on winning at the youth level. This short sightedness leads to the demise of youth programs and high school sports. We’re getting everything out of our children at an age when they don’t understand its significance and it’s robbing them of future opportunities to grow. Sorry, but your 3rd grader is not an exception, either. I don’t care how advanced you believe he/she is, or how ambitious you are as a coach, you can’t, can’t, CANT substitute development for a chance at fleeting, temporary success. If this offends you, I'm glad someone is finally telling you because you're wrong.
The best analogy that I have to understand my commitment to development at the youth levels is like planting a tree. I planted a small pine tree in my back yard three years ago. It would have been easier to plant that little thing right outside my backdoor instead of far away in the corner of my yard. It would have been easier to care for it, water it and watch it grow. Heck, it may have even grown quicker because I would have paid close attention to it. However, in a few short years, when that pine started to mature, it would not have been able to grow anymore. The roots would have grown into the house. I’m certain the insurance company would have eventually made me dig it up because it could damage the integrity of the foundation. Plus, who wants a tree alongside the house? I'd much rather have a beautiful deck outside my backdoor. This is how youth sports should be viewed. This is the right way. It’s wrong to plant your tree outside your door.
Today, there are 57 million kids playing youth sports who are between 6 and 14 years of age, but only 7 million 15 years or older. Too many people are planting their trees next to their houses and it's time to do something about it.
One coach will impact more young people in one year than the average person impacts in an entire lifetime. So, what’s our filter for these people? How do we choose who gets to coach my son? What are the qualifications, if any, to hold these precious, moldable hearts and minds in our hands? A child’s future is at stake. I don't think we need to make sure a coach understands the cognitive abilities of children, or their kinesthetic capabilities and awareness of lactic acid threshold and periodized cycles. We need someone who is willing to learn and grasps the sport they’re teaching, and above all, loves children and wants to see them develop into men and women?
I'm very passionate about seeing children succeed and I'm not sorry if this offended you. I'm not interested in making coaches feel good about what they do. It's not about them. We need to start thinking about what the kid’s need, not what the adults want.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Six year old athletes and the Olympics
I've never been to the Olympic Games, but someday hope to. I have watched the Olympics with great attentiveness since I was five years old and know a lot of Olympic athletes and coaches. I've been in the wrestling corner for six different Olympic athletes and have been cornered by coaches who have competed in the Games, too. Add to that the time that I have spent at various US Olympic Training Centers and national governing bodies, I feel like I have a good grasp on what it takes to become an Olympian. That's why I find it almost "comical" when I talk to a parent of a youth wrestler and they cannot stop talking about how their six year old son/daughter aspires to be an Olympian.
Tonight I will be hosting my first youth wrestling opportunity of the season at Victory School of Wrestling. Generally speaking, the young athletes and parents that participate in activities at Victory have a healthy perspective on wrestling. Our parents love nothing more than to see their child give their best effort and learn valuable life lessons through sports. However, we are clearly focused on the development stage for youth athletes and the Olympics are light years away.
I love hearing little boys tell me that they want to be the next Henry Cejudo or hearing girls aspiring to be the next Clarissa Chun. In fact, I encourage those dreams. I don't like when parents tell me that their child aspires to be these athletes, though.
I have seen parents prohibit the development of their child because they place a heavy emphasis on winning at a young age. Believe me, I am not a fan of the "everyone's a winner" attitude, but I think there's a time and place for everything. An Olympic gold medal at age six should NEVER be in the plans. And I mean never.
This notion extends beyond the realm of the Olympics into national and state level events. Parents have told me that their child's "dreams" will be crushed if they're not allowed to participate in this event or the other and they've worked so hard to become a state champion, etc., etc. Unfortunately, what that parent may not understand, is that their child probably doesn't even know what his/her dad is talking about. It's his dream, not the child's dream. This makes me sad.
I hope when my little guy is old enough to compete in youth athletics, I actively support his endeavors and support the goals that his little mind has the capacity for. Six year old children are not cognitively mature enough to understand what the Olympics are or what a college scholarship is. Encourage them to have fun competing. Help them fall in love with the sport of their choice and the idea of being active and competitive. When they're ready to take on the responsibilities that come with those lofty goals, they'll be able to attack them with conviction because it will come from within. Not from Dad.
I assure you, today we will play a lot of games, laugh hard and have fun at this youth camp. Hopefully these young athletes will leave Victory with more excitement for the sport than they came with. In the meantime, they may learn a few basic skills and develop as wrestlers, but only if their little minds are ready. I refuse to cut their childhood's short by loading them with pressure to succeed that will eventually cut their athletic career short. I want to see them fall in love with the sport and never be able to leave.
Tonight I will be hosting my first youth wrestling opportunity of the season at Victory School of Wrestling. Generally speaking, the young athletes and parents that participate in activities at Victory have a healthy perspective on wrestling. Our parents love nothing more than to see their child give their best effort and learn valuable life lessons through sports. However, we are clearly focused on the development stage for youth athletes and the Olympics are light years away.
I love hearing little boys tell me that they want to be the next Henry Cejudo or hearing girls aspiring to be the next Clarissa Chun. In fact, I encourage those dreams. I don't like when parents tell me that their child aspires to be these athletes, though.
I have seen parents prohibit the development of their child because they place a heavy emphasis on winning at a young age. Believe me, I am not a fan of the "everyone's a winner" attitude, but I think there's a time and place for everything. An Olympic gold medal at age six should NEVER be in the plans. And I mean never.
This notion extends beyond the realm of the Olympics into national and state level events. Parents have told me that their child's "dreams" will be crushed if they're not allowed to participate in this event or the other and they've worked so hard to become a state champion, etc., etc. Unfortunately, what that parent may not understand, is that their child probably doesn't even know what his/her dad is talking about. It's his dream, not the child's dream. This makes me sad.
I hope when my little guy is old enough to compete in youth athletics, I actively support his endeavors and support the goals that his little mind has the capacity for. Six year old children are not cognitively mature enough to understand what the Olympics are or what a college scholarship is. Encourage them to have fun competing. Help them fall in love with the sport of their choice and the idea of being active and competitive. When they're ready to take on the responsibilities that come with those lofty goals, they'll be able to attack them with conviction because it will come from within. Not from Dad.
I assure you, today we will play a lot of games, laugh hard and have fun at this youth camp. Hopefully these young athletes will leave Victory with more excitement for the sport than they came with. In the meantime, they may learn a few basic skills and develop as wrestlers, but only if their little minds are ready. I refuse to cut their childhood's short by loading them with pressure to succeed that will eventually cut their athletic career short. I want to see them fall in love with the sport and never be able to leave.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Shoot for the moon and land among the stars...really?
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. Really? What if you miss the moon and land on Mars? Then you're not among stars. In fact, the closest star to Earth is 93 million miles away. If you shoot for the moon, which is, on average, about 240,000 miles from Earth, and land among the stars then you are way off course.
The author of this quote was famous musician and author Les Brown. Brown believed what you do today will determine what your tomorrows will bring. "You are molding your tomorrow based on what you do today," he says. "You can determine what your future holds based on how much time and energy you spend working on yourself now. Find out what it is you want, and go after it as if your life depended on it. Why? Because it does," says Brown.
This doesn't seem consistent with the notion of shooting for the moon and landing among the stars, does it? Of course, it's a very clever and cute quote, and it looks great on monthly calendars, but it's not the winning attitude that Brown promoted, yet it's his most famous quote.
Dissecting the quote even more, I think of individuals that I've come across who approach their lives this way. It seems as though the people who truly posses the shooting for the moon mentality are never really conscious of who they are and what they're capable of (and not capable of) doing. They also go against what Brown's biggest claim is: taking care of today to better mold your tomorrow. Shooting for the moon is not taking care of today and seeing where it brings you.
Norah Jones sings about this in a different context, but with similar results. From "Shoot the Moon" she sings, "You shoot the moon/and miss completely/and now you're left to face the gloom." This doesn't sound like landing among the stars is a very desirable outcome if we miss the moon.
I'll choose to approach life the way Brown intended according to his legacy, not his misguided quote on my high school English teacher's classroom wall. One of Browns books is called It's not over until you win! The title alone shows that we can't always be content with shooting for the moon as it's some "pie in the sky" and take what's left. No way! Keep going until you get to where you desire to be.
We're all going to fail at something in life, or in life in general. My encouragement is so that you'll keep trying, keep swinging, getting back on the horse, getting up and doing it all again...every time. Don't be content with landing among the stars. After all, if we land among the stars, we're probably too far off course to recognize that, most likely, we're burning.
The author of this quote was famous musician and author Les Brown. Brown believed what you do today will determine what your tomorrows will bring. "You are molding your tomorrow based on what you do today," he says. "You can determine what your future holds based on how much time and energy you spend working on yourself now. Find out what it is you want, and go after it as if your life depended on it. Why? Because it does," says Brown.
This doesn't seem consistent with the notion of shooting for the moon and landing among the stars, does it? Of course, it's a very clever and cute quote, and it looks great on monthly calendars, but it's not the winning attitude that Brown promoted, yet it's his most famous quote.
Dissecting the quote even more, I think of individuals that I've come across who approach their lives this way. It seems as though the people who truly posses the shooting for the moon mentality are never really conscious of who they are and what they're capable of (and not capable of) doing. They also go against what Brown's biggest claim is: taking care of today to better mold your tomorrow. Shooting for the moon is not taking care of today and seeing where it brings you.
Norah Jones sings about this in a different context, but with similar results. From "Shoot the Moon" she sings, "You shoot the moon/and miss completely/and now you're left to face the gloom." This doesn't sound like landing among the stars is a very desirable outcome if we miss the moon.
I'll choose to approach life the way Brown intended according to his legacy, not his misguided quote on my high school English teacher's classroom wall. One of Browns books is called It's not over until you win! The title alone shows that we can't always be content with shooting for the moon as it's some "pie in the sky" and take what's left. No way! Keep going until you get to where you desire to be.
We're all going to fail at something in life, or in life in general. My encouragement is so that you'll keep trying, keep swinging, getting back on the horse, getting up and doing it all again...every time. Don't be content with landing among the stars. After all, if we land among the stars, we're probably too far off course to recognize that, most likely, we're burning.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Fishers of men, but why fish?
On most large college campuses across the United States, you're sure to find a crazy, uneducated-looking tool condemning students for their lifestyle and lack of "faith" in God. These fire and brimstone preachers often focus on what everyone else is doing wrong in their life instead of attempting to tell others what is potentially great in their own life.
When I was a junior in college, I was helping Athletes In Action hand out informational pamphlets at a Wisconsin vs. AIA basketball game. Because AIA is a Christian organization, a lot of controversy stirred outside of the Kohl Center. A powerful organization named Freedom From Religion protested UW's decision to play AIA claiming it gave them a platform to share their message with others. As a result, an unkempt fire and brimstone preacher decided to bring his arrogance and soap box to the Kohl Center that night.
Far from being the salt of the earth, this man focused on a few passage from the bible that became very offensive to those who were there to simply watch a basketball game. Most of the dialogue he tried to create was out of context, but innocent bystanders couldn't decipher that on their own and were likely foggy on what the bible actually said. Plain and simple, he was turning people off.
One of my friends, Brady, decided to take matters into his own hands. After all, he was a genuine Christ follower and had good news about Jesus to share with others. He approached the individual in a very calm demeanor and politely asked his name and who he was trying to reach with his message. Because he was polite, the man downed his tone and told him the organization that he represented. Brady told the man that he was a Christian and was excited to see how God was going to use the Wisconsin vs. AIA basketball game, this man was on the same page.
Then, Brady asked him if he liked to fish. The man did. Brady continued a conversation that looked something like this:
Brady - Well, I love to fish, too.
The man (excited, as if Brady was going to ask him to join him someday in fellowship) - Really?
Brady - Yeah, I really do. If you and I were fishing, and you were fishing on one side of the boat and I was on the other, and I kept making noise, throwing things in the water and causing a stir, would you enjoy fishing with me?
The man - Of course not, not if you're going to make all of that noise.
Brady - Why is it so bad for me to make noise when I fish, that's just how I do it.
The man - Come on, seriously? You can't make noise because you'd scare away all of the fish.
Brady (putting his hand on the man's shoulder) - You're scaring away the fish. (Brady walks away)
I remember this like it was yesterday. Brady's humble, non-confrontational approach toward this man allowed helped hold him accountable. It was obvious that this man had read the bible, so he was familiar with the fishing analogy. Jesus used it in a famous story that is recorded in Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:16-20 and Luke 5:1-11. He told Simon and Andrew to get rid of their [fishing] nets and become fishers of men -- tell the story of Jesus.
At church last weekend, we heard a sermon from Andy Stanley called "Why Fish?" It was an amazing presentation on the notion of fishing for men. He illustrated the message with a passage from Acts when Peter and John healed a crippled beggar. This beggar "jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping and praising God" (Acts 3:8). He couldn't help but praise God and tell others of his personal experience. The religious leaders were angry with Peter and John and tried to keep them quiet, but they couldn't contain themselves because they saw something incredible and had to tell others.
Being fishers of men is not trying to impress others with your knowledge of the Bible and being able to compare the world religions. It's not about a religious conviction, it's about seeing something that happened and sharing your personal experience.
The basic summary of the sermon is that, as Christ followers, we need to tell people about the story of Jesus along with our personal encounter with the Savior. People can find God on their own, but they can't find the story of Jesus without being told. It's history and history needs a storyteller. To be fishers of men, we need share our story of how Jesus impacts our life.
It's uncomfortable and scary, but really it's quite simple. Tell others about Jesus. Their life and salvation may depend on it. Too often others become aware of what Christians are against instead of what they believe and why. I want people to know the story of Jesus Christ because it's the most important story ever told.
So, in light of being careful to not scare away any fish, I encourage you to watch this video clip from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This helps me understand Acts 3:8 and what this cripple may have experienced. If you have an experience like this man, or witness something similar, wouldn't you tell everyone you come in contact with? Well, much like Charlie's grandfather, we do have a golden ticket in Jesus Christ! Tell someone. Fish.
When I was a junior in college, I was helping Athletes In Action hand out informational pamphlets at a Wisconsin vs. AIA basketball game. Because AIA is a Christian organization, a lot of controversy stirred outside of the Kohl Center. A powerful organization named Freedom From Religion protested UW's decision to play AIA claiming it gave them a platform to share their message with others. As a result, an unkempt fire and brimstone preacher decided to bring his arrogance and soap box to the Kohl Center that night.
Far from being the salt of the earth, this man focused on a few passage from the bible that became very offensive to those who were there to simply watch a basketball game. Most of the dialogue he tried to create was out of context, but innocent bystanders couldn't decipher that on their own and were likely foggy on what the bible actually said. Plain and simple, he was turning people off.
One of my friends, Brady, decided to take matters into his own hands. After all, he was a genuine Christ follower and had good news about Jesus to share with others. He approached the individual in a very calm demeanor and politely asked his name and who he was trying to reach with his message. Because he was polite, the man downed his tone and told him the organization that he represented. Brady told the man that he was a Christian and was excited to see how God was going to use the Wisconsin vs. AIA basketball game, this man was on the same page.
Then, Brady asked him if he liked to fish. The man did. Brady continued a conversation that looked something like this:
Brady - Well, I love to fish, too.
The man (excited, as if Brady was going to ask him to join him someday in fellowship) - Really?
Brady - Yeah, I really do. If you and I were fishing, and you were fishing on one side of the boat and I was on the other, and I kept making noise, throwing things in the water and causing a stir, would you enjoy fishing with me?
The man - Of course not, not if you're going to make all of that noise.
Brady - Why is it so bad for me to make noise when I fish, that's just how I do it.
The man - Come on, seriously? You can't make noise because you'd scare away all of the fish.
Brady (putting his hand on the man's shoulder) - You're scaring away the fish. (Brady walks away)
I remember this like it was yesterday. Brady's humble, non-confrontational approach toward this man allowed helped hold him accountable. It was obvious that this man had read the bible, so he was familiar with the fishing analogy. Jesus used it in a famous story that is recorded in Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:16-20 and Luke 5:1-11. He told Simon and Andrew to get rid of their [fishing] nets and become fishers of men -- tell the story of Jesus.
At church last weekend, we heard a sermon from Andy Stanley called "Why Fish?" It was an amazing presentation on the notion of fishing for men. He illustrated the message with a passage from Acts when Peter and John healed a crippled beggar. This beggar "jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping and praising God" (Acts 3:8). He couldn't help but praise God and tell others of his personal experience. The religious leaders were angry with Peter and John and tried to keep them quiet, but they couldn't contain themselves because they saw something incredible and had to tell others.
Being fishers of men is not trying to impress others with your knowledge of the Bible and being able to compare the world religions. It's not about a religious conviction, it's about seeing something that happened and sharing your personal experience.
The basic summary of the sermon is that, as Christ followers, we need to tell people about the story of Jesus along with our personal encounter with the Savior. People can find God on their own, but they can't find the story of Jesus without being told. It's history and history needs a storyteller. To be fishers of men, we need share our story of how Jesus impacts our life.
It's uncomfortable and scary, but really it's quite simple. Tell others about Jesus. Their life and salvation may depend on it. Too often others become aware of what Christians are against instead of what they believe and why. I want people to know the story of Jesus Christ because it's the most important story ever told.
So, in light of being careful to not scare away any fish, I encourage you to watch this video clip from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This helps me understand Acts 3:8 and what this cripple may have experienced. If you have an experience like this man, or witness something similar, wouldn't you tell everyone you come in contact with? Well, much like Charlie's grandfather, we do have a golden ticket in Jesus Christ! Tell someone. Fish.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Social entrepreneurship
As a fashion icon within the wrestling community, I have a responsibility to remain current on styles and trends (recognize the sarcasm, please). Thanks to this burden, I have been sporting a pair of TOMS Shoes. TOMS were created by social entrepreneur Blake Mycoskie. Not only are the shoes chic, they are extremely comfortable. However, the reason TOMS Shoes have taken the world by storm is because they have created an opportunity to leave a footprint in humanity, pun intended, and have a positive impact on the world by providing a pair of shoes to someone in need for every pair they sell. This is what has drawn me to TOMS.
As a sole-proprietor, I gravitate toward stories of individuals having an impact on the world. I strive to inform my athletes on the importance of being globally connected and using our gifts and abilities to make the world a "better place." I was inspired by Mycoskie's explanation of himself and his company. He called his mission social entrepreneurship. It resonated with me so well because I see myself as a social entrepreneur, too.
The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric covered a trip of Mycoskie's to Ethiopia (see the video here). In an interview he said, "social entrepreneur is a really good description of what I am...you have the entrepreneurial gift and spirit to create something out of nothing...it's still a business, but you do it for other reasons other than just to make a profit. You do it for the social well-being and the betterment of whoever you're focusing on."
I have organized Victory School of Wrestling in a way that I believe I am using my gifts and expertise to have a positive impact on our society. We are a business with overhead costs, etc., but making a profit is far from my number one priority. I'm extremely fortunate and blessed to be able to do what I believe I was created for, but many things have fallen into place that have allowed me to pursue this dream. As a result, I measure my success as a businessman/entrepreneur in lives changed, not financial security. Finances are a crucial ingredient to running a business, but Victory is rich is many other ways aside from money.
Most recently, I was privileged to have to opportunity to speak to over 50 youth athletes in a neighboring community. I spoke to them about making good decisions and accepting the responsibility of positively influencing others. Even if we try not to, we are always influencing people. We have the choice to either positively influence them or negatively influence them. How we view our role as an athlete and individual is exceedingly important because it all needs to be for a greater cause. It needs to be about more than us (see my What is it all for blog).
I regularly thank God for the opportunity to serve him and bring him glory through the sport of wrestling. I am also extremely thankful for individuals like Blake Mycoskie. People like him give me the confidence to continue impacting our future leaders and the next social entrepreneurs.
Social entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. They are ambitious and persistent, tackling major social issues and offering new ideas for wide-scale change (from Ashoka.org). My idea is to positively influence the world through the sport of wrestling. I have a few tools in my back pocket to do so--education and experience--but my greatest direction comes from God.
While a business entrepreneur might create entirely new industries, a social entrepreneur comes up with new solutions to social problems and then implements them on a large scale. Victory aims to build up individuals into great men and women so that they can impact others with a cause greater than themselves and actively strive to make the world a better place.
As a sole-proprietor, I gravitate toward stories of individuals having an impact on the world. I strive to inform my athletes on the importance of being globally connected and using our gifts and abilities to make the world a "better place." I was inspired by Mycoskie's explanation of himself and his company. He called his mission social entrepreneurship. It resonated with me so well because I see myself as a social entrepreneur, too.
The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric covered a trip of Mycoskie's to Ethiopia (see the video here). In an interview he said, "social entrepreneur is a really good description of what I am...you have the entrepreneurial gift and spirit to create something out of nothing...it's still a business, but you do it for other reasons other than just to make a profit. You do it for the social well-being and the betterment of whoever you're focusing on."
I have organized Victory School of Wrestling in a way that I believe I am using my gifts and expertise to have a positive impact on our society. We are a business with overhead costs, etc., but making a profit is far from my number one priority. I'm extremely fortunate and blessed to be able to do what I believe I was created for, but many things have fallen into place that have allowed me to pursue this dream. As a result, I measure my success as a businessman/entrepreneur in lives changed, not financial security. Finances are a crucial ingredient to running a business, but Victory is rich is many other ways aside from money.
Most recently, I was privileged to have to opportunity to speak to over 50 youth athletes in a neighboring community. I spoke to them about making good decisions and accepting the responsibility of positively influencing others. Even if we try not to, we are always influencing people. We have the choice to either positively influence them or negatively influence them. How we view our role as an athlete and individual is exceedingly important because it all needs to be for a greater cause. It needs to be about more than us (see my What is it all for blog).
I regularly thank God for the opportunity to serve him and bring him glory through the sport of wrestling. I am also extremely thankful for individuals like Blake Mycoskie. People like him give me the confidence to continue impacting our future leaders and the next social entrepreneurs.
Social entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. They are ambitious and persistent, tackling major social issues and offering new ideas for wide-scale change (from Ashoka.org). My idea is to positively influence the world through the sport of wrestling. I have a few tools in my back pocket to do so--education and experience--but my greatest direction comes from God.
While a business entrepreneur might create entirely new industries, a social entrepreneur comes up with new solutions to social problems and then implements them on a large scale. Victory aims to build up individuals into great men and women so that they can impact others with a cause greater than themselves and actively strive to make the world a better place.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Think positively
As we approach the end of the Preseason Training Program at Victory School of Wrestling, we are reflecting on our objectives and evaluating if we're on track in meeting the standards set in the beginning. The main objectives deal with the physical, mental and spiritual dimensions of training in hopes of becoming the Total Athlete.
Refining our technique, returning to basic skills and conditioning was purely physical. The spiritual aspect was addressed in training like barbarians and possessing a transcendent cause. Thinking positively has been the heartbeat of the mental development as these student-athletes stand on the doorstep of greatness.
The mantra of the 2008-09 season was greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done which coincides with this year's find the silver lining and turn it gold. The relation to each other is thinking positively. The greatest athletes are capable of discovering opportunities for growth in every situation. Their positive attitude become infectious and they make others around them better people.
The famous country singer Kenny Rogers released a song over five years ago that perfectly illustrated the positive thinking that I'm talking about. He tells the story of a little boy who is in his back yard playing baseball by himself. The kid tosses the ball in the air, swings and misses and there was strike one. He bends over, picks up the ball and does it again. Strike two. Finally, bound and determined to hit the ball over the fence, the kid throws the ball in the air and swings with all of his mite. The ball falls to the ground and that's strike three. Without hesitating, the boy walks into the house and tells his parents that he's the world's best pitcher. The song's tune isn't great, but the message is. This boy was thinking positively about his abilities.
I believe the best athletes in the world think positively. If they strike out, they may just realize that they're pretty good pitchers. Thinking positively allows each athlete to focus on their strengths and recognize where they succeed most. This is crucial in the development of young men as they strive to become confident individuals who reject passivity, accept responsibility, lead courageously and expect the greater reward.
We can all choose to think positively right now. Sometimes it's very difficult, but if we change our attitude and perspective, we can change our life. In changing our life, we change lives of others and eventually have a greater impact on the entire world.
Refining our technique, returning to basic skills and conditioning was purely physical. The spiritual aspect was addressed in training like barbarians and possessing a transcendent cause. Thinking positively has been the heartbeat of the mental development as these student-athletes stand on the doorstep of greatness.
The mantra of the 2008-09 season was greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done which coincides with this year's find the silver lining and turn it gold. The relation to each other is thinking positively. The greatest athletes are capable of discovering opportunities for growth in every situation. Their positive attitude become infectious and they make others around them better people.
The famous country singer Kenny Rogers released a song over five years ago that perfectly illustrated the positive thinking that I'm talking about. He tells the story of a little boy who is in his back yard playing baseball by himself. The kid tosses the ball in the air, swings and misses and there was strike one. He bends over, picks up the ball and does it again. Strike two. Finally, bound and determined to hit the ball over the fence, the kid throws the ball in the air and swings with all of his mite. The ball falls to the ground and that's strike three. Without hesitating, the boy walks into the house and tells his parents that he's the world's best pitcher. The song's tune isn't great, but the message is. This boy was thinking positively about his abilities.
I believe the best athletes in the world think positively. If they strike out, they may just realize that they're pretty good pitchers. Thinking positively allows each athlete to focus on their strengths and recognize where they succeed most. This is crucial in the development of young men as they strive to become confident individuals who reject passivity, accept responsibility, lead courageously and expect the greater reward.
We can all choose to think positively right now. Sometimes it's very difficult, but if we change our attitude and perspective, we can change our life. In changing our life, we change lives of others and eventually have a greater impact on the entire world.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Someone smashed my pumpkins
I understand that people experience a form of exhilaration when they break the law or do something they're not supposed to, but I have difficulty in identifying with many of the stupid things people do. Smashing pumpkins is one of them, and I'm not talking about Billy Corgan's shaved head. I'm talking about my beautiful decorative pumpkins on my front steps.
This morning I woke up and walked down stairs to find that someone had thoughtlessly smashed my pumpkins. Two medium-sized and one very large pumpkin (which cost me $14) were in the street split in half. The temperature dropped below freezing overnight, so the smashing possibilities were less than desirable for these juveniles, I'm sure, but they still decided to destroy my pumpkins.
I grew up on a dairy farm, so I didn't experience my intricately carved pumpkins being smashed by a bunch of hooligans. However, when we left the country for the city, I did. In middle school, my feelings were hurt when my creativity was laying in the street being run over by cars. I can't imagine how I would have felt if were much younger. This is why pumpkin smashing (and ruining others snow forts) bothers me so much. Not only are you smashing pumpkins, you're smashing a child's heart.
This year I bought very nice pumpkins because our house looks great in the fall. My son is only one year old, so he's not old enough to carve pumpkins anyway. But when he is old enough, and I am able to catch some little hood rat attempting to smash Isaiah's precious little pumpkins, I will smash him. That's a promise.
Until then, once these pumpkins thaw, I'm going to scoop out all of the insides and bake some flavorful pumpkin seeds. I might even take a stab at some pumpkin seed pesto.
This morning I woke up and walked down stairs to find that someone had thoughtlessly smashed my pumpkins. Two medium-sized and one very large pumpkin (which cost me $14) were in the street split in half. The temperature dropped below freezing overnight, so the smashing possibilities were less than desirable for these juveniles, I'm sure, but they still decided to destroy my pumpkins.
I grew up on a dairy farm, so I didn't experience my intricately carved pumpkins being smashed by a bunch of hooligans. However, when we left the country for the city, I did. In middle school, my feelings were hurt when my creativity was laying in the street being run over by cars. I can't imagine how I would have felt if were much younger. This is why pumpkin smashing (and ruining others snow forts) bothers me so much. Not only are you smashing pumpkins, you're smashing a child's heart.
This year I bought very nice pumpkins because our house looks great in the fall. My son is only one year old, so he's not old enough to carve pumpkins anyway. But when he is old enough, and I am able to catch some little hood rat attempting to smash Isaiah's precious little pumpkins, I will smash him. That's a promise.
Until then, once these pumpkins thaw, I'm going to scoop out all of the insides and bake some flavorful pumpkin seeds. I might even take a stab at some pumpkin seed pesto.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Treasure in jars of clay
For each UW-River Falls home football game, I have the opportunity to meet with the team prior to their pregame warm-ups. I share with them words of advice as they enter the competitive arena. We have a great relationship, the football team and I, because of my experience as an athlete/coach and their eagerness to reach their full potential.
This morning, I prefaced our conversation with the idea of stepping up to our highest level of living and stepping into our highest potential as athletes and human beings. I wanted to encourage them to live in their greatest capacity. First, we looked at what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:
Do you not know that in a race all the runner run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
I love this particular verse because Paul uses athletics as a metaphor to describe our spiritual journey. As an athlete, I can relate to strict training and beating my body. However, this is a notion that most individuals choose to avoid. But would you rather be average at something that is easy, or great at something that is difficult? See, Paul is saying that we are in a race - whether we like it or not - so we might as well run to win. The best things in life don't come easily, right, but what's the point?
Moving forward to another letter from Paul, he addresses the Philippians by telling them that they can do everything through him (God) who gives them strength. In fact, as we read the text, we can insert our own names into this sentence: "I, Kevin, can do everything through him who give me strength." However, the most important part of this sentence is not your own name at the beginning, it's the second half of the sentence. So we don't become arrogant in our own abilities, it's clear that the strength comes from God.
What does that strength look like? Paul paints the picture in 2 Corinthians 4:7-12. He talks about being perplexed, persecuted and struck down. Again, as an athlete, these are adjectives that I can clearly identify with. If I desire to go into "strict training," I will feel the pressures of wanting to give up and give in. Still, there's hope. Paul said that we have "this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (v. 7). Remember the Philippians verse? God gives us the strength and this is how we show it to others.
Our treasure is inside a jar clay. Does this seem odd to you? If I have a valuable treasure, I'm going to store it inside something much stronger than a jar clay. I'm probably going to get a vault in a highly secured location to be sure it's safe, but this irony is beautifully articulated in this verse. We actually need the jar to break to expose the treasure that is inside! Everything will become difficult, but this treasure is a new strength inside of us. Something we were not aware that we possessed. We need to be broken to let the treasure shine.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around with us the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our body. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
This morning, I prefaced our conversation with the idea of stepping up to our highest level of living and stepping into our highest potential as athletes and human beings. I wanted to encourage them to live in their greatest capacity. First, we looked at what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:
Do you not know that in a race all the runner run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
I love this particular verse because Paul uses athletics as a metaphor to describe our spiritual journey. As an athlete, I can relate to strict training and beating my body. However, this is a notion that most individuals choose to avoid. But would you rather be average at something that is easy, or great at something that is difficult? See, Paul is saying that we are in a race - whether we like it or not - so we might as well run to win. The best things in life don't come easily, right, but what's the point?
Moving forward to another letter from Paul, he addresses the Philippians by telling them that they can do everything through him (God) who gives them strength. In fact, as we read the text, we can insert our own names into this sentence: "I, Kevin, can do everything through him who give me strength." However, the most important part of this sentence is not your own name at the beginning, it's the second half of the sentence. So we don't become arrogant in our own abilities, it's clear that the strength comes from God.
What does that strength look like? Paul paints the picture in 2 Corinthians 4:7-12. He talks about being perplexed, persecuted and struck down. Again, as an athlete, these are adjectives that I can clearly identify with. If I desire to go into "strict training," I will feel the pressures of wanting to give up and give in. Still, there's hope. Paul said that we have "this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (v. 7). Remember the Philippians verse? God gives us the strength and this is how we show it to others.
Our treasure is inside a jar clay. Does this seem odd to you? If I have a valuable treasure, I'm going to store it inside something much stronger than a jar clay. I'm probably going to get a vault in a highly secured location to be sure it's safe, but this irony is beautifully articulated in this verse. We actually need the jar to break to expose the treasure that is inside! Everything will become difficult, but this treasure is a new strength inside of us. Something we were not aware that we possessed. We need to be broken to let the treasure shine.
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around with us the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our body. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-10