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.