This is for the Soldiers

This blog entry is dedicated to every United States Service Man & Woman.








As you may know, yesterday, Thursday, November 5th, an Solider at Fort Hood shot up many of his fellow soldiers and even some civilians. While motives are not completely clear there is one thing that is: a tragedy just happened to some of the best people and their families who serve our country. My heart and my prayers go out to those at Fort Hood.

How could this happen? Why did it happen? These questions may never be answered. However, we must continue to support our Troops.

This is not a political blog. This is not to debate whether or not we should be present in the middle east. This is for the soldiers. As Washington decides their fate and contemplates what we should do about the war on terrorism, our American brother, sisters, fathers, and mothers put their lives on the line to defend our rights, our freedom, and our way of life.

I did not make this video, I got it off of youtube. It is for our Soldiers. The song in the background is "Call Me" by Shinedown, on of my favorite bands:

It ain't over...

So we have all heard the expression, "it ain't over until the Fat Lady Sings", well in football, it ain't over until the referee blows his whistle. As the Plymouth Wildcats (Michigan) found out against the John Glenn Rockets, Here's the scene...

John Glenn is down, they need a field goal to win the game. They line up for a field goal, the kicker kicks the ball...and its blocked. Plymouth Wildcats win the game! The Wildcat players on the field run to the sideline to celebrate with their teammates. WAIT! Not so fast! The blocked kick did not cross the line of scrimmage, so for all of those who aren't savy with football rules (like me), that means the football is LIVE! While the Wildcats are celebrating, the John Glenn holder has the ball in his hands, feeling shocked, until his coach tells him to run towards the enzone. The John Glenn placeholder does so, and the offical signals Touchdown. The John Glenn fans are going crazy...the wildcats are confused and stunned. Here's the video:

There are a couple of things that could have prevented this from happening. First, the Wildcats were to hastily celebrating. I understand that sports are emotional, but when you lose your head, more times than not, you lose the game. Think if a Wildcat player would have been shaking the hands of the Rockets at that time...he could have potentially made the TACKLE to win the game. Second, if you are going to play the game, you have to know the rules. This means the Wildcat coaches should have noticed something. Now, while I wasn't there, the clock may have stopped or a whistle might have blown, the placeholder's knee may have been down when he picked up the ball; this all could have happened. There are always a lot of "ifs" "ands" or buts" in football and officiating. Regardless, immediately the team started to celebrate and you still have to know the rules.

The moral of the story...don't quit until you are for sure that you're done...that "the game is over". This goes for both sides. Know the rules! Also, in a mojority of situations , it is better to keep a cool head, than get too bottled in emotions.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

So it has been very rainy the past couple of weeks here. It was nice at first, but now it just needs to stop. I love rain; the smell of it, how it cools everything down, and how it fun it can be to play in. However, when it rains too much, everything can become water logged, much like it is now.

Have you ever felt "water logged" with information and different things going on? That sometimes, you have too much information or things happening at once, that you do not want to take them on, that you do not know where to start? If you answered 'yes' then that is ok. I believe every person has felt "water logged" at one point or another. Then how do we stop this from happening? Get out of the rain, of course.

What I mean by "getting out of the rain" is by going back to the basics, to what you know. Often, I have felt that I look for many different ways to solve a problem; and that is just me. I need to see which is the best solution. Sometimes though, I look for the answer too long, and the problem either becomes worse or someone else solves it. What I should have done is followed my gut, my own personal instinct and experience. I know I have learned what works and what doesn't to a certain extent from previous experience, so why wouldn't it work now? While each situation has its specific set of problems, they can often be solved by a previous technique or idea. If you make a mistake, guess what? That is ok. It is ok to make a mistake. As long as you get back up and learn from it.

We also often look to "Google" too often for quick answers. Sometimes we find what we are looking for; sometimes it is watered down; and sometimes we can't find anything at all. In the end it is usually better to find out a piece of information other than google. Believe me, I like using google, but I don't want it to be my crutch for information.

It's finally October!!! Autum weather is starting to creep its head around here, and it is a nice break from the humid heat. This is great weather; you can still wear shorts but you are not sweating from the heat.

Anyways, there is a lot of different things going on, and it seems all at once as well. It makes for a quick season, so don't let it get to you.

Soon NIRSA will be having a call for student leaders. We will be asking for students to Stand for National and Regional leadership positions. If you are interested please let me know and we will get you headed on the right track.

I recommend, that anyone stand for these positions. It is a great opportunity to help others and even gain loads of experience for yourself.

Are You Ready For Some Football???

So it's football Season again! College Football began last week and there has already been some crazy stuff going on. The NFL Football Season begins this week...I'm sure I will wake up on Sunday like a kid on Christmas. There is nothing like football.

The great thing about football and really any sport is the theatrics and drama behind it. The best games are the ones with hard hits, big plays, and ones that come down to the last second. The Spectacle of Sports has long been ingrained in our society. Think back to Greece and the First Olympics, Rome and the Colosseum...Sports are a Norm.

The other good thing about sports is the opportunities that they provide, especially football. Football is a great sport for leadership. It includes motivation, communication, determination, and any other "ation" that comes along.

Like many others, I do yell at my TV when football is on. There are many "Come Ons", "Catch The Balls", "Why would you run that plays" and the like. I am also reminded of a Theodore Roosevelt quote that I think goes well with football:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

My First Racquetball Experience

So I have been employed in Campus Recreation for 5 1/2 years, and I had never played a game of racquetball until yesterday....I know, I know, how can that happen. I'm not going to put out any excuses, in this field, it is important to know about each area in your facility. So now racquetball is on my arsenal list.

Yesterday, I played my first "game" of racquetball with my Assistant Director. It wasn't really a game. Basically, my supervisor taught me how to play the game, some mechanics, and some rules of etiquette. We played a couple of rounds and didn't even keep score...that is how terrible I am right now. Yet, racquetball is a sport that you can get use to after playing it for some time. I could see myself start to pick it up as we were going along. Let's also say that it is a very good cardio sport; well for me it is. I was sweating so bad, you would have thought I had just stepped out of a sauna. But I had fun.

The cool thing was how patient my supervisor was when he was teaching me how to play. That reminded me how important patience is in leadership. When in a leadership position you must be able to be patient with those who you are trying to lead. As long as they have the drive and desire, your actions will help them get to where they need to be, no matter how long it takes. We often must find new techniques when teaching others because everyone has different learning styles. It takes patience in order to figure out another person's learning style.

So I encourage everyone to show others patience and try a game of racquetball if you haven't. I have to go stretch out my arm, it is still sore...

Reflection #1

So far as NIRSA Region IV Representative, I have seen many opportunities laid before me, and I really enjoy it. The longer my membership in NIRSA is, the more I see what it is, what it can be, and the opportunities that it provides.

No more than two years ago, the word "Selflessness" was not part of my vocabulary; this does not mean i did not have this quality. Rather, I just didn't realize that I had that quality or fully understood the concept. This position, and any team position for that matter, should require selflessness. This quality is often lost by many today. There are many times when Selfishness overtakes selflessness. During my time in this field I have seen many students look solely at what they can benefit from rather than how they can be a benefit. A realization needs to happen where they understand that if they give up their selfish ways and become committed the the betterment of the team, that they will benefit much more.

"A person does not become whole until he or she becomes a part of something bigger than himself or herself"

-Jimmy Valvano-

A pretty simple explanation, to a concept that should be embraced more. Yes, there is a time to be selfish, but in leadership, more selflessness is required.

It is my hope that I can do great things for the organizations that I am a part of. I also hope that this will show others the great benefit to being a part of such great teams.

Book Worth Reading

So every now and then I come across a book that I find I need to share with others because I receive so much out of that book. So as I continue my blog, every now and then I will recommend a book to all my blog readers. so here is the first one:

Beyond Basketball: Coach K's Keywords for success
By: Mike Krzyzewski (Duke Men's Basketball Coach)

Ok, so you're not a Duke fan. I know that there are many out there who despise Duke, but like the title says, this is not about basketball. So if you hate Duke, put that aside for just a little while and pick up this book.

In this book, Coach K gives us 40 keywords for success that are divided up into separate chapters. Now the chapters are short and very easy to read. This is not a book that you will have to take many hours to read, but you will find yourself constantly going back to it.

Coach K matches examples from his life and many of his experiences to these Keywords and puts them into practical form. This book can help motivate you and can help you motivate and maintain a great organization. I recommend this book to all, especially those in the Campus Recreation/Rec Sports world. After you read this book, you will not put it down being disappointed.

Adversity in the Face of Fear and Failure

The ESPY'S were on this past weekend. While predominantly top named athletes are given awards for best performance, comeback, play, etc., there is a more important and honorable award given at the ESPY'S, The Jimmy V. Award for Perseverance.

First, if you do not know who Jim Valvano is, he was a NCAA Basketball Coach, and won the 1983 NCAA Championship with NC State. However, Jimmy V. IS much more than just a coach. He is a coach who has a legacy. A legacy of passion, hope, and determination. In June 1992 Coach Valvano was diagnosed with bone cancer. He did not let this get him down. He formed the Jimmy V Foundation to help fund research for the cure for cancer. If you haven't seen his 1993 ESPY Speech, then watch it here...it may leave you with chills. He died shortly after his ESPY speech, but his legacy and his dreams still live on. Today, the Jimmy V. Foundation has raised more than $50 Million and is fully endowed.

The ESPY'S give the Jimmy V. Award to a deserving member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles through physical determination and perseverance; to someone who is strong in the face of adversity, to someone who is willing to face fear and failure head on. This year it was given to Don Meyer, head basketball coach of the Northern State Wolves. He delivered his ESPY speech with poise, humility, and pride. His Story and speech are below;

One thing to remember when you face adversity is that you will out live it. Do not let failure become your destination, rather, use adversity as stepping stones to get to something better, something greater. In Jimmy V's famous words, "Don't give up, don't EVER give up".

Information on the Jimmy V. Foundation can be found at following website: https://www.jimmyv.org/

Purpose, Goals, and Objectives

So this is my first blog post. I am starting this blog in order to do several things. First, I want to establish this blog to basically talk about leadership. Leadership is very broad and it is not easily understood at times, so it is my hope that this blog will be a disucssion place for everyone to talk about Leadership.



Next, I would also like to chronical my journey as the NIRSA Region IV Student Representative. I hope that this will show others what it is like and inspire them to do great things. NIRSA provides great opportunities for leadership and student development, so I will try to place any thoughts, ideas, or happenings in this blog.



Finally, with all the tweeting, facebooking, and myspacing, it can be hard to really have a central place just to write ones thoughts. So, that is what this blog will be.



If you have something to share, please do so. I am willing to post it and share it with those who read the blog.



I would like to leave this post with quote or a saying from a fortune cookie that I received not too long ago. "Ideas not coupled with action never become bigger than the brain cells they occupied."