The pre and early season is always such a great time! It's filled with anticipations and excitement. New "stars" are starting to come into their own.
We had our first meet today and it felt like my first cross country meet in Victoria 32 years ago! I was so anxious for every race. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning unable to savor each gift because of the excitement of tearing into the next one. Most of my thrills come from watching young athletes who may not have been blessed with a great deal of raw talent, work day by day, off- season and in, and then to get to witness them make a breakthrough; that moment when the light come on and they reach a goal. I'm sure that many say to themselves "no one else thought I "could" do it, but I knew I "would." I've seen it happen thousands of times and it's still a rush.
There is, however, a danger lurking around the corner for every breakthrough. That danger is complacency. My college Track Coach, Augie Erfurth, called it "arriving." He would constantly remind us as we reached goals, that as soon as we thought we had "arrived" (found greatness) we couldn't be further away from progress. Progress comes through not just a desire to succeed, but a HUNGER to succeed. It lies within that which we know we MUST have. I have heard countless coaches say to their athletes "you gotta want it!" Assuming "it" is winning, I find that rather odd. Seems to me that if asked if they would rather win or lose most athletes (or breathing humans for that matter) would answer with a quick "duh win." That being the case what makes one finish first and another finish second. The pure talent difference in the one who finishes first and the one who finishes second is typically not that great. Now let me stop and qualify that. Jamaica's Usain Bolt just defeated the best the rest of the world had to offer in 100 and 200 meters at the world championships. He won the 200 by -+ 10 meters! He may be one of the anomalies that are indeed in a league of their own. But for the most part "pure talent" is often similar within the close races. So what separates first and second or 28th and 29th? ... and what causes upsets? Those moments where the one who should have been second (or third) wins the race? I believe that for the most part it is a result of an athlete with hunger; an athlete that knows that they MUST succeed. It is so much more than wanting to reach a goal. Everyone wants to. I want to grow hair, but I'm not willing to go to Hair Club for Men, so I must not really want curly locks all that badly. To breakthrough, the individual must take themselves to a new and unfamiliar, place. Oftentimes one that ONLY THEY believe they belong and one in which they can succeed.
I am one of the luckiest guys in the world. I have had the opportunity to witness countless numbers of young student athletes dare to go to that place. Sometimes they succeed and sometimes they fail. But even in failure they learn something that will help them offer a better effort next time. I suppose it's little like when I play golf. I have heard, and come to agree with the statement that 100% of the putts that I hit "short" will not go in the cup. If the young athlete never goes out on a limb or never dreams bigger than anyone else thinks possible they will NEVER reach what they wish they could have. If they are hungry enough to believe it possible (regardless of what the synics say), who knows...
I'm hungry. Think I'll make me a sandwich. More later.

Where to begin?

I have found myself feeling that this should somehow call for a deep reflection over the past 30+ years and finding those "defining moments" that shaped my career. Then I sit back and realize that that is all too dramatic. Actually, in reflection, there are moments etched in my memory that "stick out" but the definition of a career is not in "moments" but in the journey itself. Throughout my career, I found myself encouraging teams that sport was not about the last or final contest but about the journey in getting to that point. That is where life is taught. "Moments" will be remembered, yes. The state championship, the district loss that means you won't be competing at regionals, etc. will be remembered but these events in themselves did not shape who I became, nor did these moments shape who the student athletes became. I believe what shaped them (as well as myself) was the daily commitments and sacrifices which were made, and relationships that were developed. I have received countless letters, emails and calls from former athletes. All these communications have a few things in common. NONE of them EVER refer to the district, regional or state championships won. Nor do they refer to any tragic, and life changing loss. What they ALL seem to note is what they learned that they still carry with them today. They remember things which they learned that even today help them as they face life's challenges. They learned to work hard for a common goal. They learned that, even though their team mate might not be their 'best friend,' he was their TEAM MATE, and therefore deserving of their respect and concern. Many refer to the required 'handshake' or "check out" as we called it, and how that in itself made them feel significant. I say that their presence and effort were significant. What they taught me and their teammates through this presence and effort was very significant.
Okay, so I got somewhat dramatic. Right now I only need apologize to Ashley as she is probably the only one that will read this. I guess we'll see what tomorrow holds.

Old Dog / New Tricks

Actually, this is a (possibly feeble) attempt at encouraging progress on the book I intend to finish (someday). I have gathered some very valuable and much appreciated information from several coaches, who were willing to share their thoughts on various survey topics. However, having never viewed myself as much of a "writer," I have stumbled into the writer's dead zone and find myself asking "what do I do now?" Some have suggested that writing down random thoughts is somehow a method of inspiration... None the less, I may sound like a babbling idiot at times (or even often), but please, take it for what it is; just my random thoughts and reflections on a career that has spanned the past 33 years, and one which I consider to be valuable and honorable. Whether or not these thoughts actually find the organization and motivation to land within the binds of book covers prior to my demise is yet to be seen. Nonetheless, I would value and appreciate any feed back.