Sometimes it is hard to see the good or cool through our daily slog of life. While sitting down tonight completely unaware about what I wanted to write about I took a sip of my cheap Merlot and it hit me like the tart finish of the dark red vino. We all have done some cool stuff in our lifetimes. Don’t compare your life to someone else’s just look at your life. Go back as far as you can remember and think about those memories. Of course, we can all pull up a few things, some good and other bad, but if we really delve into the depths of our memory bank there are cool things for sure. Cool things are also relative. What you think is cool, others will think is stupid or trivial. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you think it is cool. This isn’t something you discuss with others because you don’t want to be swayed by others’ perception of what a cool event is. If you thought it was an experience that rated cool on your scale then it is cool, neat, an experience that you had that you would never trade.
Some of the cool stuff that I remember isn’t necessarily riveting or even the most positive of outcomes, but the experience made it cool. I remember my mom driving myself and two other kids all over the northeast in an RV, so we could race BMX nationals. Yeah, that was cool, but the real cool part was getting lost in Harlem, NY when they would jump on your car to clean the windows back in the 80’s. Another cool part of that trip was that something happened with the battery and she couldn’t turn off the RV, so she drove all the way home, over 24 hours, without taking a rest. She was beat, but I will never forget that trip because of those experiences. There are many cool things that surrounded the BMX life and as I type they are just flooding back into the front of the brain.
Another cool experience was being a little kid and watching my dad and granddaddy race in the SCCA. They raced all over the southeast. I remember playing in the red clay at Road Atlanta, riding a tire at Sebring to mow down the weeds on the backstretch, watching my granddaddy crash at Daytona, and knowing that he held the overall speed record for his displacement of racecar at Talladega for many years. Those memories and moments are special. Because of racing I got to meet many famous people, who while at the track, were just racecar drivers. Those experiences have led me to look at people differently than a lot of the people I listen to daily.
I have relatives who have faced a bear while fishing in Alaska, have worked with the greatest rock stars of our time, and who have picked themselves up from humble beginnings to become successful in their chosen fields. I find this stuff cool because of the example that has been set and that it shows what is possible if you chase what you want to do.
What about cool animals. My brother in law was a K-9 officer. His dogs were amazing. So well trained but amazingly lovely to the family that cared for him. His skill set and the dog’s respect for the job necessary were just astounding. What about our family friend that has a dog that detects sugar levels to help with Type 1 diabetes. This is just a fabulous skill that has been trained into this dog. He has also helped others completely by accident because it is what he was trained to do. This stuff is just cool. The training and skills that animals are capable of is beyond any expectation I have ever had for one of my beloved pound puppies. Coolness is so relative to the person that thinks it is cool. Don’t get me wrong, I think some of these dogs that are being touted as “therapy dogs” are being abused but that really isn’t for me to judge. If you are religious, you know you will judged at the time of reckoning. I will just keep looking for cool animals and their amazing behaviors.
Lastly for this evening, people are cool. The jobs they do, the dreams they have, and the pursuit of those dreams they feel are worthy of chasing. I have a couple of friends who are firearms enthusiasts. Not what you would term weirdo’s but truly students of weaponry and what they can do. They study them and teach others how to safely use them. What about the college professors that I know that when they are not teaching are traveling the world seeing places that the rest of us only see on our sign-on screen on our computers. They have their favorite spots and share their experiences in the modern digital world, so we can all see the splendor they are capturing firsthand. Then there are my entrepreneurial friends who are trying to help others to help themselves. The status quo just isn’t their cup of tea. They may have normal careers but there is more out there, and they want it. I have classmates from high school who are making a difference in the world of medicine, law, business, and education. These people are cool. They are pursuing their excellence for their own reasons. Maybe it is for social status, economic reasons, or maybe it is because they love it. They don’t think they are cool but that makes them even cooler in my eyes. As I stated earlier, cool is a relative thought. Take some time to reflect as far back as you can, and I know, you too will have some amazingly cool things that you have done, and it will make you want to do more cool things as you move forward.
Tonight’s little thought comes on the eve of a visit to an amazing place tomorrow for Michelle and myself. When we visit we get to witness people moving around and their entire mission is to serve the people there to either make their days as comfortable as possible or to eradicate the non-cool from their bodies. The battles that are fought day and night are not cool, but the care, technology, compassion, and staff make the cool emit like early morning sun rays.
Get up early and watch the sun rise. Watch it set as well. Take every moment you have, and it will be hard for something cool not to happen. Sometimes the moon shines bright enough for the cool to be seen as well. Enjoy your days and don’t let others tell you what cool is.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Monday, November 27, 2017
Devolver bien por mal -- Jorge Gutierrez a Former Player from FSC
It is the Monday after Thanksgiving and we are speeding towards the second to last holiday of the year. Christmas is right around the corner, or Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan, or any other celebration that may be appropriate for your culture. It is time to reflect on the good, the bad, and the things that we want to make better as we move towards a new year. It has been a year of learning, growing, and a lot of tweets from world leaders. Hopefully, there will be a lot of about two out of three next year as well.
Tonight, I have decided to pen a bit about the happy Spaniard I had the privilege of coaching for three years.
Jorge Gutierrez came to Florida Southern from Spain as a highly recruited player. Somehow, he found his way to us, as I would later find out that many other higher ranked schools were interested in him. From the beginning the kid was great. He barely spoke connective English but always had a smile and a great spirit on the court. He was a hard-working student and managed to make great grades in classes that he didn’t even understand early on in his college career. One of the funniest things was his outstanding performance in his freshman English class. He made great grades on his writing assignments, often scoring better than his American classmates. Not only was he a good tennis player, he also had skills for learning how to utilize the college academic system to his utmost advantage. You see, there were writing labs where students could take their papers to have them looked over before they were presented. Jorge would put his thoughts down and then march them over to the writing lab to have them put in proper form. It was a type of Spanish/English to English literary translation that resulted in Dean’s list grades for his entire time at FSC. During his senior year he was also part of a group of players who presented their senior capstone on JetBlue Airlines. The group knocked it out of the park and we were anticipating graduation and Jorge playing another year while doing his MBA to further enhance his American business knowledge.
On the court Jorge was more at home. He had moments of utter brilliance and then there were days where he played to be more exacting. The fun about Jorge was you never knew which one was going to appear. During his three seasons playing at FSC he had a winning record all three years in singles. He played predominately at positions five and six with guest appearances higher up the roster. He was a big hitting left hander with powerful shots. He gained himself so many opportunities to move forward and finish with simple volleys or overpowering forehands it became impossible to count all of them. The only problem was that the attack portion of the court was as about as uncomfortable to Jorge as a ten-minute speech about what it meant to be an American during his freshman year. All kidding aside, Jorge was a grinding singles player who had everything necessary to be a dominating presence on the court. He was a hero for some of our biggest wins and I will never forget the day he was the clinching point against Queen’s College. The roar from his teammates and the crowd was just one of those moments that is indelibly marked in your memory.
As I spoke about above, the net and surrounding areas weren’t Jorge’s most comfortable places, but he had success in doubles. During his freshman season he went 13-4 at two and three doubles. The biggest surprise came with a losing record his second season. That year he and his partner only went 11-13 but all the matches were played at number one doubles. Yes, he played number one with Ivan Marevic. Ivan, who I will write about later was a hard hitting, go for broke player and needed someone that could open the court for him to take his risks. Enter Jorge and his own version of erratic, go for broke doubles style. The two of them made an odd pair but they had so many close matches the overall record could have easily flipped or even been hugely successful. The best part of the whole experiment was that Jorge accepted his role and embraced the fact that he was on the number one team and needed to lead as such.
Jorge never got to play his fourth year at FSC. He was offered the opportunity to go back to Spain, obtain his MBA, and learn at the family business. Selfishly, I wanted him to stay but as we always preached growth was painful, and the goal was to be a great beyond the tennis courts. He has gone on to do wonderful things in Spain and is now in an industry he desires to learn more about. Hopefully, he is still acting like he did when he was playing with reckless abandon and never feels like he is comfortably ahead. Some of his best performances on the court came when he was underestimated by his opponent. I hope none of his new business constituents ever underestimate what Jorge can do.
During his time at FSC, I never felt that Jorge was comfortable with who he was or what he was truly capable of doing with the talent he had. Early on in this little bio I mentioned that he was highly recruited. I will never forget the first fall regional tournament we went to in Valdosta. I was watching him battle a really talented player from a highly ranked team. A coach from another highly ranked team came up and was just baffled how I ended up with Jorge. He stated that he had tried along with some other schools and he knew that they could have offered him more. I am really glad he came to FSC because I got a lot more from him than I could have ever offered him.
Tonight, I have decided to pen a bit about the happy Spaniard I had the privilege of coaching for three years.
Jorge Gutierrez came to Florida Southern from Spain as a highly recruited player. Somehow, he found his way to us, as I would later find out that many other higher ranked schools were interested in him. From the beginning the kid was great. He barely spoke connective English but always had a smile and a great spirit on the court. He was a hard-working student and managed to make great grades in classes that he didn’t even understand early on in his college career. One of the funniest things was his outstanding performance in his freshman English class. He made great grades on his writing assignments, often scoring better than his American classmates. Not only was he a good tennis player, he also had skills for learning how to utilize the college academic system to his utmost advantage. You see, there were writing labs where students could take their papers to have them looked over before they were presented. Jorge would put his thoughts down and then march them over to the writing lab to have them put in proper form. It was a type of Spanish/English to English literary translation that resulted in Dean’s list grades for his entire time at FSC. During his senior year he was also part of a group of players who presented their senior capstone on JetBlue Airlines. The group knocked it out of the park and we were anticipating graduation and Jorge playing another year while doing his MBA to further enhance his American business knowledge.
On the court Jorge was more at home. He had moments of utter brilliance and then there were days where he played to be more exacting. The fun about Jorge was you never knew which one was going to appear. During his three seasons playing at FSC he had a winning record all three years in singles. He played predominately at positions five and six with guest appearances higher up the roster. He was a big hitting left hander with powerful shots. He gained himself so many opportunities to move forward and finish with simple volleys or overpowering forehands it became impossible to count all of them. The only problem was that the attack portion of the court was as about as uncomfortable to Jorge as a ten-minute speech about what it meant to be an American during his freshman year. All kidding aside, Jorge was a grinding singles player who had everything necessary to be a dominating presence on the court. He was a hero for some of our biggest wins and I will never forget the day he was the clinching point against Queen’s College. The roar from his teammates and the crowd was just one of those moments that is indelibly marked in your memory.
As I spoke about above, the net and surrounding areas weren’t Jorge’s most comfortable places, but he had success in doubles. During his freshman season he went 13-4 at two and three doubles. The biggest surprise came with a losing record his second season. That year he and his partner only went 11-13 but all the matches were played at number one doubles. Yes, he played number one with Ivan Marevic. Ivan, who I will write about later was a hard hitting, go for broke player and needed someone that could open the court for him to take his risks. Enter Jorge and his own version of erratic, go for broke doubles style. The two of them made an odd pair but they had so many close matches the overall record could have easily flipped or even been hugely successful. The best part of the whole experiment was that Jorge accepted his role and embraced the fact that he was on the number one team and needed to lead as such.
Jorge never got to play his fourth year at FSC. He was offered the opportunity to go back to Spain, obtain his MBA, and learn at the family business. Selfishly, I wanted him to stay but as we always preached growth was painful, and the goal was to be a great beyond the tennis courts. He has gone on to do wonderful things in Spain and is now in an industry he desires to learn more about. Hopefully, he is still acting like he did when he was playing with reckless abandon and never feels like he is comfortably ahead. Some of his best performances on the court came when he was underestimated by his opponent. I hope none of his new business constituents ever underestimate what Jorge can do.
During his time at FSC, I never felt that Jorge was comfortable with who he was or what he was truly capable of doing with the talent he had. Early on in this little bio I mentioned that he was highly recruited. I will never forget the first fall regional tournament we went to in Valdosta. I was watching him battle a really talented player from a highly ranked team. A coach from another highly ranked team came up and was just baffled how I ended up with Jorge. He stated that he had tried along with some other schools and he knew that they could have offered him more. I am really glad he came to FSC because I got a lot more from him than I could have ever offered him.
Friday, November 24, 2017
Thankful for a lot
A while ago, I wrote about being consistently inconsistent. Well, I proved it. There was a moment that I had consistently been writing, happily telling stories of former players and then pontificating on things that just popped in my head and wouldn’t leave. Then, I allowed life to intervene. Isn’t that what we all say? Life got in the way! Life happened! It did, and we plowed on as a family. A job was left for opportunity years in the making, a battle has been fought and won, classes were taken and the desired outcome has been achieved, a hurricane delayed the outcome of a goal, and we have a horse that drinks a beer daily. All of these put a strain on the family unit, but each was worked through with diligence and the care necessary to achieve a goal satisfactory to the standard desired.
That leads me to today. Every time a blog was skipped I felt guilty. I want to get the story of my former players out because each of them is a great guy doing remarkable things. The thoughts that stay trapped in my mind cause havoc and once I get them on paper the lunacy evaporates. It is a weird dynamic that I wish on no one else. My poor wife lives with it and her pain can only be described as excruciating. Guilt is a funny thing. The entire reason I wouldn’t blog is because I had not completed my real estate licensure work. I had taken the class and was ready to take the test, but the first paragraph paralyzed my progress. Whether some was legit, and some was self-induced it halted the next step in my life according to my staircase. In reality, the staircase stopped on a couple of extra floors before I reach the top. Since I hadn’t achieved my real estate license I stopped doing everything I enjoy. I wouldn’t read my book in the morning. By the way, I am reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell currently and it is an informative read. I wouldn’t blog, fly the drone, workout, or any other thing I enjoy. The reason; if I have time to do this stuff I can study for the State exam. The final straw came a few weeks ago and I decided to go give it a shot and see what happens. I passed but wasn’t even excited because all I could think about was how much time I had wasted waiting for the right time. I never considered that everything happens for a reason and to embrace the challenges that had been placed in my way along the way.
Even though I wasn’t doing stuff I truly enjoy I was keeping up with the social media world and my former players. I have been almost like a fervent religious fanatic when it comes to staying in contact with them. The social media stuff is just entertaining. You guys have some funny thoughts and your cryptic messages are as entertaining as your personalities. To end this post, I am going to highlight three men who I have been following for a good while.
All three went to the same high school I did, attended at least part of the time I was there, and have become successes in their chosen fields. The first is a straight up bad ass. When he was in high school I believe there was talk about owning a bar. Well, he accomplished that and then parlayed that into a bigger bar and a lot of us ended up eating in his multiple locations. He also ran or was a part of a magazine I wanted to be in so badly. Now, he has a beautiful family, posts about working hard and finding people to work hard with him, feeds your kids in schools, and supplies the healthy stuff that more of us should be eating daily. The second one I did not know too well but he also attended school around the same time as me. I thoroughly enjoy seeing his banter with the unruly neighbor, his passion for the entrepreneur lifestyle, and his relentless pursuit of the happy complete life. Sometimes the picture we thought we saw ages and shows a completely different dimension when revisited years later. Lastly, is a guy that I knew but he was closer with my cousin and his family during our youth. He too has chased the business glory and moved out of state to do so. Recently he showed incredible resolve regarding a family matter that cannot get any closer. His steadfast love, willingness to share the moment publicly, and his heartfelt sentiment has been amazing to watch. His love of his family during such loss has made me just want to hug mine tighter because like they say, “You just never know.”
These three guys are just an example of what I see when I scroll through the social media platforms and I look forward to their thoughts and adventures each time I get the chance to see them. It is a refreshing change from the negative that so often infiltrates us and seems to be the norm. I appreciate these three for being abnormal in the best way possible. Oh yeah, I have passed my state licensure and will be joining Michelle at Century 21 At Your Service Realty as her partner and not just her back-office assistant. The new journey is just beginning but I look forward to the challenge and working towards a common goal with my wife daily. If you are wanting to sit down and have a beer just come on out to the barn and you and Rio can have a beer in his stall. Enjoy your family, create the life you want, and be who you are. Actually, be the best you possible. We’ll get over the fact that you aren’t who we want you to be.
That leads me to today. Every time a blog was skipped I felt guilty. I want to get the story of my former players out because each of them is a great guy doing remarkable things. The thoughts that stay trapped in my mind cause havoc and once I get them on paper the lunacy evaporates. It is a weird dynamic that I wish on no one else. My poor wife lives with it and her pain can only be described as excruciating. Guilt is a funny thing. The entire reason I wouldn’t blog is because I had not completed my real estate licensure work. I had taken the class and was ready to take the test, but the first paragraph paralyzed my progress. Whether some was legit, and some was self-induced it halted the next step in my life according to my staircase. In reality, the staircase stopped on a couple of extra floors before I reach the top. Since I hadn’t achieved my real estate license I stopped doing everything I enjoy. I wouldn’t read my book in the morning. By the way, I am reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell currently and it is an informative read. I wouldn’t blog, fly the drone, workout, or any other thing I enjoy. The reason; if I have time to do this stuff I can study for the State exam. The final straw came a few weeks ago and I decided to go give it a shot and see what happens. I passed but wasn’t even excited because all I could think about was how much time I had wasted waiting for the right time. I never considered that everything happens for a reason and to embrace the challenges that had been placed in my way along the way.
Even though I wasn’t doing stuff I truly enjoy I was keeping up with the social media world and my former players. I have been almost like a fervent religious fanatic when it comes to staying in contact with them. The social media stuff is just entertaining. You guys have some funny thoughts and your cryptic messages are as entertaining as your personalities. To end this post, I am going to highlight three men who I have been following for a good while.
All three went to the same high school I did, attended at least part of the time I was there, and have become successes in their chosen fields. The first is a straight up bad ass. When he was in high school I believe there was talk about owning a bar. Well, he accomplished that and then parlayed that into a bigger bar and a lot of us ended up eating in his multiple locations. He also ran or was a part of a magazine I wanted to be in so badly. Now, he has a beautiful family, posts about working hard and finding people to work hard with him, feeds your kids in schools, and supplies the healthy stuff that more of us should be eating daily. The second one I did not know too well but he also attended school around the same time as me. I thoroughly enjoy seeing his banter with the unruly neighbor, his passion for the entrepreneur lifestyle, and his relentless pursuit of the happy complete life. Sometimes the picture we thought we saw ages and shows a completely different dimension when revisited years later. Lastly, is a guy that I knew but he was closer with my cousin and his family during our youth. He too has chased the business glory and moved out of state to do so. Recently he showed incredible resolve regarding a family matter that cannot get any closer. His steadfast love, willingness to share the moment publicly, and his heartfelt sentiment has been amazing to watch. His love of his family during such loss has made me just want to hug mine tighter because like they say, “You just never know.”
These three guys are just an example of what I see when I scroll through the social media platforms and I look forward to their thoughts and adventures each time I get the chance to see them. It is a refreshing change from the negative that so often infiltrates us and seems to be the norm. I appreciate these three for being abnormal in the best way possible. Oh yeah, I have passed my state licensure and will be joining Michelle at Century 21 At Your Service Realty as her partner and not just her back-office assistant. The new journey is just beginning but I look forward to the challenge and working towards a common goal with my wife daily. If you are wanting to sit down and have a beer just come on out to the barn and you and Rio can have a beer in his stall. Enjoy your family, create the life you want, and be who you are. Actually, be the best you possible. We’ll get over the fact that you aren’t who we want you to be.
Friday, September 8, 2017
We now Sit and Wait
There is a storm a brewin'. There will be more to write later. Tonight I am choosing to relax with the family as we have another day of preparation ahead of us. I will never complain or curse the work. I hope everyone stays safe and gets some great stories to share with all of us once it passes you safely. Enjoy the time with your family and remember to pick up your trash. Lastly, we will be okay. Back with you in three days.
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Turn Right and Spare us the Drama
So, I feel like I could write about anything tonight and it would get about the same response. I could write about sports, a former player, sex in public places, the state of economic affairs, or even the art of a beautiful relationship and it wouldn’t matter. It appears that most of the world I swirl around in is contemplating the end of the world as they know it with an impending storm of catastrophic proportions. The part that is amazing is that we don’t even know where it is going yet. I guess that is the part that is so paralyzing.
As bad as this could turn out to be there is still work to do for a lot of everyday workers. The people who are lucky enough to stay at home and prepare are basking in the glow that they have done what others are not capable of doing at this point. Trying to do your daily work is going to be difficult from this point forward. People are wiping out their bank accounts (not really but waiting in line at the bank feels like it), trying to get gas because you drive for a living is tortuous (because people are filling up enough cans to drive to Alaska), doing regular grocery shopping is an afternoon event (yes, some of us need regular groceries and not ten cases of water for our family of three), and those same people have forgotten how to drive because they are checking the latest track while going to get plywood, generators, and batteries (better protect the house but screw the other drivers).
Of course, I am making light of this potentially disastrous situation. It really is potentially scary. It could possibly be life changing for some and life ending for others. I would never belittle people and their fears. What I am saying is step back and really look at what is going on around you. If you have lived in this area for any period of time you have been through big storms. It wasn’t that long ago that we dealt with the trifecta in southeast Polk County of Charlie, Francis, and Gene. It was devastating for some and very inconvenient for others. It cracks me up listening to people talk about those storms and how bad it was. Those same people live in the cities where my family had to travel to so that we could get hot meals from restaurants and gas for the generators we had to use. You see, they were inconvenienced and it sucked but we had no power for over a week and no house for over 9 months but for us it was an adventure that toughened us for the next ones. This is the perspective I look at things through. For some, it was catastrophic, for others it was catastrophic, and for another group it was catastrophic. Three separate regions, three levels of devastation, and each group thought that it was terrible. It is how we each see it.
I guess that is what I am saying in my little piece. This hurricane will damage something. What, we have no idea of knowing. Maybe I will be out of my house for another extended period of time (damn, I hope not), maybe people will lose everything that they treasured, or maybe it will skirt by and we will all be pissed that we wasted our time. Whichever way it goes stop and think for a moment, “Can I move forward?” “Will it be hard?” Probably, but at least you can move on, and “Could it have been worse?” If you can answer yes to these questions you are human and have the power to make your little area better than it was. It truly sucked to have my house devastated. It sucked renting a house for nine months, celebrating my daughter’s birthday while sitting out another hurricane, and driving 50 miles round trip a day to fill up 60 gallons of gas to run the family’s interests. You know what didn’t suck. Coming home to a house that had a new roof, new walls, and being able to go to lock the doors with the same amount of people in the house that were there the day the roof left. Be safe, be smart, and look around. People are trying their best and it’s not our job to tell them how to do it. Fear can be paralyzing but preparation can be their lifesaver.
Oh yeah, the only Irma I’ve ever known was a little girl I went to college with many years ago. This one seems a lot bigger and potentially much meaner than the one I knew. Batten down the hatches and be smart.
As bad as this could turn out to be there is still work to do for a lot of everyday workers. The people who are lucky enough to stay at home and prepare are basking in the glow that they have done what others are not capable of doing at this point. Trying to do your daily work is going to be difficult from this point forward. People are wiping out their bank accounts (not really but waiting in line at the bank feels like it), trying to get gas because you drive for a living is tortuous (because people are filling up enough cans to drive to Alaska), doing regular grocery shopping is an afternoon event (yes, some of us need regular groceries and not ten cases of water for our family of three), and those same people have forgotten how to drive because they are checking the latest track while going to get plywood, generators, and batteries (better protect the house but screw the other drivers).
Of course, I am making light of this potentially disastrous situation. It really is potentially scary. It could possibly be life changing for some and life ending for others. I would never belittle people and their fears. What I am saying is step back and really look at what is going on around you. If you have lived in this area for any period of time you have been through big storms. It wasn’t that long ago that we dealt with the trifecta in southeast Polk County of Charlie, Francis, and Gene. It was devastating for some and very inconvenient for others. It cracks me up listening to people talk about those storms and how bad it was. Those same people live in the cities where my family had to travel to so that we could get hot meals from restaurants and gas for the generators we had to use. You see, they were inconvenienced and it sucked but we had no power for over a week and no house for over 9 months but for us it was an adventure that toughened us for the next ones. This is the perspective I look at things through. For some, it was catastrophic, for others it was catastrophic, and for another group it was catastrophic. Three separate regions, three levels of devastation, and each group thought that it was terrible. It is how we each see it.
I guess that is what I am saying in my little piece. This hurricane will damage something. What, we have no idea of knowing. Maybe I will be out of my house for another extended period of time (damn, I hope not), maybe people will lose everything that they treasured, or maybe it will skirt by and we will all be pissed that we wasted our time. Whichever way it goes stop and think for a moment, “Can I move forward?” “Will it be hard?” Probably, but at least you can move on, and “Could it have been worse?” If you can answer yes to these questions you are human and have the power to make your little area better than it was. It truly sucked to have my house devastated. It sucked renting a house for nine months, celebrating my daughter’s birthday while sitting out another hurricane, and driving 50 miles round trip a day to fill up 60 gallons of gas to run the family’s interests. You know what didn’t suck. Coming home to a house that had a new roof, new walls, and being able to go to lock the doors with the same amount of people in the house that were there the day the roof left. Be safe, be smart, and look around. People are trying their best and it’s not our job to tell them how to do it. Fear can be paralyzing but preparation can be their lifesaver.
Oh yeah, the only Irma I’ve ever known was a little girl I went to college with many years ago. This one seems a lot bigger and potentially much meaner than the one I knew. Batten down the hatches and be smart.
Saturday, September 2, 2017
Fanatics Pay the Bills -- Spectating is Big Business
As the day nears completion I realized in order to stay consistent I needed to knock out a blog. It’s on the calendar so it must get accomplished. This is not the only thing on the calendar it appears. I think college football has started from the looks of social media and television exposure. Next the NFL will begin in earnest. Not that anyone cares, I am pumped because I am going the MXGP at WW Ranch tomorrow. I will not explain because if you know, you know, and if you don’t you won’t care anyway. Everybody has their thing and mine is definitely not large men scrambling for a pig skin while others create wealth from the damage they enjoy giving themselves and the opponent. I do like pig skins but the pork rind variety. They can be plain, hot, even the salt and vinegar variety are tasty. Crispy, fatty, but hey no carbs.
Sorry, I digressed there. I don’t have a favorite team anymore. When I followed the sports world, I was a fan of FSU because my dad was a UM fan, I couldn’t be a UF fan because everyone else was. It is amazing how many people give money to an institution that they have never attended. Why, but that is for a different day. Peer pressure and coolness are amazing factors. I really liked Texas A&M, because they had this twelfth man thing where an actual walk on was on the kicking team, or something like that. I was young, it was a cool thing. They also had this amazing tradition before the Texas game and this ornate bonfire. Tragedy ended the bonfire and big money probably changed the other. The last team I like was University of Washington. I mean, you must be a bad ass to wear purple and gold. Plus, how cool would it be to tailgate on a boat before a game. I was young, it was cool to sit around and watch games, and I didn’t have other things I cared about.
As I sit here now I really couldn’t tell you anything substantial about the football world. I know UF played Michigan today and lost but I don’t know the score. I think Maryland beat Texas, a billion-dollar athletic program even in defeat, and my dad was frustrated because his beloved Apps were getting throttled by Georgia while I was on the phone with him. I think my father in law was excited for the potential of a great game tonight with FSU vs. Alabama. I understand the excitement and camaraderie. For years we went to multiple Bucs games and did the whole tailgate experience. I’ve been to the swamp and watched the Gator Getters’ do their thing with prospective players. I’ve experienced the joy of victory and the agony of defeat while freezing in Boone. Of course, I’ve experienced the same thing while sweating so much I made a puddle in the old sombrero at Tampa.
I guess my biggest issue with any of this is the time commitment over and over for weeks on end. Plus, how much does the average fan remember after consuming so many beverages there is no need for embalming? I jest, but seriously it is a great question. There are so many other things that I could do besides sit on a couch for several hours each weekend watching other people do stuff. I want to do not watch. Yes, I am going to a race tomorrow to spectate but it is a one-off event that will not happen again at this venue. Apples to oranges so don’t even go there. Why have we become spectators versus doers? Televisions are beautiful now, stadium food is much better than it used to be, but seriously, wouldn’t it be cooler to actually go do something you could control versus watching something that you cannot control no matter how much you drink or yell?
Just my two cents. Don’t worry I rarely miss the big events. With the advent of social media and 24- hour news I get to keep up with scores and stats. You all are awesome at putting your teams results up so if I can just find friends from each major team I am covered for the entire season. I enjoy the barbs towards your opponents, how when your team wins they are going all the way, and when they lose it’s not because they suck or got outplayed. There is always an excuse of some sort that is the cause. Sometimes teams just aren’t as good as you hope they are. Ask any Gator, Longhorn, or Mountaineer tonight.
Keep cheering, keep paying, and wear your team on your sleeve (I guess that fits in with keep paying). All of this is in jest because what I like gets so little press that I get a bit jealous with how easily you can view or attend your favorite thing. Maybe one day I can travel the Supercross circuit, Motocross circuit, or the IMSA circuit so I too can watch my favorite thing each time it happens. Congrats to those that won, there is always next week for those that were defeated, and keep posting pics of that amazing food you prepare for each of these events.
Sorry, I digressed there. I don’t have a favorite team anymore. When I followed the sports world, I was a fan of FSU because my dad was a UM fan, I couldn’t be a UF fan because everyone else was. It is amazing how many people give money to an institution that they have never attended. Why, but that is for a different day. Peer pressure and coolness are amazing factors. I really liked Texas A&M, because they had this twelfth man thing where an actual walk on was on the kicking team, or something like that. I was young, it was a cool thing. They also had this amazing tradition before the Texas game and this ornate bonfire. Tragedy ended the bonfire and big money probably changed the other. The last team I like was University of Washington. I mean, you must be a bad ass to wear purple and gold. Plus, how cool would it be to tailgate on a boat before a game. I was young, it was cool to sit around and watch games, and I didn’t have other things I cared about.
As I sit here now I really couldn’t tell you anything substantial about the football world. I know UF played Michigan today and lost but I don’t know the score. I think Maryland beat Texas, a billion-dollar athletic program even in defeat, and my dad was frustrated because his beloved Apps were getting throttled by Georgia while I was on the phone with him. I think my father in law was excited for the potential of a great game tonight with FSU vs. Alabama. I understand the excitement and camaraderie. For years we went to multiple Bucs games and did the whole tailgate experience. I’ve been to the swamp and watched the Gator Getters’ do their thing with prospective players. I’ve experienced the joy of victory and the agony of defeat while freezing in Boone. Of course, I’ve experienced the same thing while sweating so much I made a puddle in the old sombrero at Tampa.
I guess my biggest issue with any of this is the time commitment over and over for weeks on end. Plus, how much does the average fan remember after consuming so many beverages there is no need for embalming? I jest, but seriously it is a great question. There are so many other things that I could do besides sit on a couch for several hours each weekend watching other people do stuff. I want to do not watch. Yes, I am going to a race tomorrow to spectate but it is a one-off event that will not happen again at this venue. Apples to oranges so don’t even go there. Why have we become spectators versus doers? Televisions are beautiful now, stadium food is much better than it used to be, but seriously, wouldn’t it be cooler to actually go do something you could control versus watching something that you cannot control no matter how much you drink or yell?
Just my two cents. Don’t worry I rarely miss the big events. With the advent of social media and 24- hour news I get to keep up with scores and stats. You all are awesome at putting your teams results up so if I can just find friends from each major team I am covered for the entire season. I enjoy the barbs towards your opponents, how when your team wins they are going all the way, and when they lose it’s not because they suck or got outplayed. There is always an excuse of some sort that is the cause. Sometimes teams just aren’t as good as you hope they are. Ask any Gator, Longhorn, or Mountaineer tonight.
Keep cheering, keep paying, and wear your team on your sleeve (I guess that fits in with keep paying). All of this is in jest because what I like gets so little press that I get a bit jealous with how easily you can view or attend your favorite thing. Maybe one day I can travel the Supercross circuit, Motocross circuit, or the IMSA circuit so I too can watch my favorite thing each time it happens. Congrats to those that won, there is always next week for those that were defeated, and keep posting pics of that amazing food you prepare for each of these events.
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Earn It!! -- The Story of Charles
Relaxation is something that people who work just do not allow themselves to do much anymore. I specified working because if you aren’t gainfully employed, a stay at home mom, retired, or unable to work, you cannot say you are busy and cannot find time to relax. That word, relax, has come to be such a word that just gets thrown around and we have forgotten how important it is to relax so that we can reflect on what we have accomplished. I say this while drinking a nice glass of red wine and typing out the latest blog. The red wine was a suggestion from a good friend, Cliff Coleman. He told me I needed to stop drinking beer, dang it, I really like beer, so I started trying red wine. It is a relaxing endeavor and seemed appropriate tonight. Relaxing was also hard for the focus of tonight’s past player blog. He worked his butt off and today he sees the dividends of that work that was done many years ago.
Charles Garneau was another of the French Canadians that came to FSC to ply their trade as athletes. He was recommended by another player and I was sure that he would fill the void created by losing some great former players. He was French Canadian and the others from the same area had been very productive, great contributors, awesome students, and downright funny human beings. When Charles showed up on the FSC campus he was a tiny thing. My first thought was, “Oh lord, we are going to have Napoleon’s complex with this one,” and he definitely played bigger than his body should have allowed. Immediately he checked off a couple of the important boxes. He was a great contributor with his effort and academics but he was struggling to succeed on the court and he wasn’t as funny as the others. The latter wasn’t super important because he was task driven and stubborn. The stubborn part was a little tough but as you will read a little later was an important part in his overall success. He immediately played in the top six and his freshman year he had some good success in singles and was adequate in doubles play. All was okay, then his sophomore season happened.
As we entered his sophomore season you would expect that the growth that had occurred during his freshman season would have toughened him up as he moved forward. This did not occur and that thing that happens to athletes known as the sophomore slump happened to Charles. He did not perform and at the end of the season had only played four singles matches during the entire season. This would have been great except he was being pushed out of the lineup by walk-ons. He was forcing the issue and was trying to play bigger and bigger which only added to his frustration and my bewilderment. As the season wore on I was getting angrier and angrier and wanted to pull the plug on this little Canadian. Here is where the heart and business do not go well. I loved my athletes as human beings. I recruited them because of various reasons. One reason was because I thought they were bad ass players that could make a difference on the court. Another was that I thought they would be great ambassadors of FSC and their academic prowess would make us a superior program on campus. The last reason was because they were good people and I really like good people. Charles fit all those boxes on paper and had done so well to make that happen his freshman year and then his sophomore year the train just came off the track for the athletic portion. After the season, Charles and I had to have one of the hardest talks you can ever have with someone that you care about. Basically, this was our conversation. “Charles, I recruited you and gave you a scholarship because I thought you would come here and make a difference on this team.” “Do you believe that you have done that this year?” He answered no and then I continued. “I am judged on my wins and losses and when I bring a player in that doesn’t perform that is on me.” After a deep breath, I continued. “At FSC once I recruit you I have you as a player unless you do something stupid. You have done nothing stupid but you have not performed. Do you agree?” He answered and I continued as the words backed up in my throat. “I need to bring in a player that can perform but the only way I can do that is to take away part of your scholarship so that I can free up the money to bring a player to do that.” “Will you please sign this paper that you are okay with having your scholarship cut since you agree you haven’t done what you were brought here to do?” He answered as the anger swelled in his massive heart. You see, the only way that I could cut a scholarship was to have the player agree to it. He agreed, then it was his turn.
“Coach, I cannot afford to be here without the scholarship that you have given me. I am going to go home and work all summer so that I can come back here and play next year. I will prove that I belong here.” I thought that was a great attitude considering the circumstances and felt the pressure in the room pushing me further down in my chair. He continued, “If I prove myself during my junior year would you please allow me to have my scholarship money back during my senior year?” I told him that I would make no promises but if he came back and did what I knew he could do we would sit back down and discuss what was possible. He then stated, “My mom and dad have told me that they would not pay any extra so I will have to work all summer to make the money to come back. I will work at restaurants, construction, teach tennis, or do whatever I have to do.” He signed the paper with tears in his eyes and left the room. I too left the room with tears in my eyes because somehow, I failed to get the best out of him on the court.
When a player tells you they are going to do something it is always dangerous to hold your breath in anticipation that it will really happen. Think about your own life. The idea of accomplishing something big seems appealing, world changing, and could make you feel like a real bad ass. Then the actual work begins and it’s hard. Demanding work is not something many of us strive to do. Well, Charles did the work. I mean he labored. He did everything in his power to earn the money to come back to cover the portion of his scholarship that I had unceremoniously removed from him. He also applied for and became a resident assistant in the dorms for his junior year. When he arrived back on campus for his junior year there was a fire in his eye and pep in his step that had been missing. He worked harder and more deliberately towards all his goals. He earned his spot back on the team in singles and doubles and we sat back down at the end of the season once again. You see, I was supposed to take the money that I took from him and bring in another player. If I was to bring in another player and Charles failed during his junior year he might leave opening more money for me to use the following year to bring in another player. I failed!!! I did not accomplish the task of bringing in another player so that money he so desperately wanted and needed just sat there slapping him in the face. He didn’t throw it in my face and graciously accepted my offer to return his money to him during his senior season. When the reward is earned, it is appreciated and it is honorable to abide by your word.
During his senior season, he became the boss of the team. Not because he was ready to do so but because he was the only player left from the previous squad. Seven of the eight players had graduated leaving only him. I recruited a fresh style squad trying to go more American, which is another story for another time, but it just didn’t work out. Charles had been a great six player and sometimes fit in at number five but during his senior season he had to play number three. He was a skillful player but he was not equipped to play at that level on a day in, day out basis. He took his lumps during the senior year and that squad was the worst performing team I ever coached. We just weren’t that good. We had fun as a team, the guys were awesome, we just didn’t win. This falls squarely on my shoulders and the players gave me everything they had. The best moment of the year as an athlete for Charles was during his last match of the season he was able to pull off a win to end his career on a personal victory. He was also awarded the MVP award because he dealt with so much his senior year it was the only logical thing I could do to honor his efforts. He earned it more for the work he did to get to that point than he ever did as the athlete he was.
Charles graduated but didn’t leave. If you go to the Mortgage Firm in downtown Lakeland you can see him working side by side with one of his former teammates. His work ethic continues to allow him to pursue excellence. Now, he just helps others achieve their dreams. The walls that were put in front of Charles have created a beautiful home that he now resides in with his girlfriend. Well done Charles, well done!
Charles Garneau was another of the French Canadians that came to FSC to ply their trade as athletes. He was recommended by another player and I was sure that he would fill the void created by losing some great former players. He was French Canadian and the others from the same area had been very productive, great contributors, awesome students, and downright funny human beings. When Charles showed up on the FSC campus he was a tiny thing. My first thought was, “Oh lord, we are going to have Napoleon’s complex with this one,” and he definitely played bigger than his body should have allowed. Immediately he checked off a couple of the important boxes. He was a great contributor with his effort and academics but he was struggling to succeed on the court and he wasn’t as funny as the others. The latter wasn’t super important because he was task driven and stubborn. The stubborn part was a little tough but as you will read a little later was an important part in his overall success. He immediately played in the top six and his freshman year he had some good success in singles and was adequate in doubles play. All was okay, then his sophomore season happened.
As we entered his sophomore season you would expect that the growth that had occurred during his freshman season would have toughened him up as he moved forward. This did not occur and that thing that happens to athletes known as the sophomore slump happened to Charles. He did not perform and at the end of the season had only played four singles matches during the entire season. This would have been great except he was being pushed out of the lineup by walk-ons. He was forcing the issue and was trying to play bigger and bigger which only added to his frustration and my bewilderment. As the season wore on I was getting angrier and angrier and wanted to pull the plug on this little Canadian. Here is where the heart and business do not go well. I loved my athletes as human beings. I recruited them because of various reasons. One reason was because I thought they were bad ass players that could make a difference on the court. Another was that I thought they would be great ambassadors of FSC and their academic prowess would make us a superior program on campus. The last reason was because they were good people and I really like good people. Charles fit all those boxes on paper and had done so well to make that happen his freshman year and then his sophomore year the train just came off the track for the athletic portion. After the season, Charles and I had to have one of the hardest talks you can ever have with someone that you care about. Basically, this was our conversation. “Charles, I recruited you and gave you a scholarship because I thought you would come here and make a difference on this team.” “Do you believe that you have done that this year?” He answered no and then I continued. “I am judged on my wins and losses and when I bring a player in that doesn’t perform that is on me.” After a deep breath, I continued. “At FSC once I recruit you I have you as a player unless you do something stupid. You have done nothing stupid but you have not performed. Do you agree?” He answered and I continued as the words backed up in my throat. “I need to bring in a player that can perform but the only way I can do that is to take away part of your scholarship so that I can free up the money to bring a player to do that.” “Will you please sign this paper that you are okay with having your scholarship cut since you agree you haven’t done what you were brought here to do?” He answered as the anger swelled in his massive heart. You see, the only way that I could cut a scholarship was to have the player agree to it. He agreed, then it was his turn.
“Coach, I cannot afford to be here without the scholarship that you have given me. I am going to go home and work all summer so that I can come back here and play next year. I will prove that I belong here.” I thought that was a great attitude considering the circumstances and felt the pressure in the room pushing me further down in my chair. He continued, “If I prove myself during my junior year would you please allow me to have my scholarship money back during my senior year?” I told him that I would make no promises but if he came back and did what I knew he could do we would sit back down and discuss what was possible. He then stated, “My mom and dad have told me that they would not pay any extra so I will have to work all summer to make the money to come back. I will work at restaurants, construction, teach tennis, or do whatever I have to do.” He signed the paper with tears in his eyes and left the room. I too left the room with tears in my eyes because somehow, I failed to get the best out of him on the court.
When a player tells you they are going to do something it is always dangerous to hold your breath in anticipation that it will really happen. Think about your own life. The idea of accomplishing something big seems appealing, world changing, and could make you feel like a real bad ass. Then the actual work begins and it’s hard. Demanding work is not something many of us strive to do. Well, Charles did the work. I mean he labored. He did everything in his power to earn the money to come back to cover the portion of his scholarship that I had unceremoniously removed from him. He also applied for and became a resident assistant in the dorms for his junior year. When he arrived back on campus for his junior year there was a fire in his eye and pep in his step that had been missing. He worked harder and more deliberately towards all his goals. He earned his spot back on the team in singles and doubles and we sat back down at the end of the season once again. You see, I was supposed to take the money that I took from him and bring in another player. If I was to bring in another player and Charles failed during his junior year he might leave opening more money for me to use the following year to bring in another player. I failed!!! I did not accomplish the task of bringing in another player so that money he so desperately wanted and needed just sat there slapping him in the face. He didn’t throw it in my face and graciously accepted my offer to return his money to him during his senior season. When the reward is earned, it is appreciated and it is honorable to abide by your word.
During his senior season, he became the boss of the team. Not because he was ready to do so but because he was the only player left from the previous squad. Seven of the eight players had graduated leaving only him. I recruited a fresh style squad trying to go more American, which is another story for another time, but it just didn’t work out. Charles had been a great six player and sometimes fit in at number five but during his senior season he had to play number three. He was a skillful player but he was not equipped to play at that level on a day in, day out basis. He took his lumps during the senior year and that squad was the worst performing team I ever coached. We just weren’t that good. We had fun as a team, the guys were awesome, we just didn’t win. This falls squarely on my shoulders and the players gave me everything they had. The best moment of the year as an athlete for Charles was during his last match of the season he was able to pull off a win to end his career on a personal victory. He was also awarded the MVP award because he dealt with so much his senior year it was the only logical thing I could do to honor his efforts. He earned it more for the work he did to get to that point than he ever did as the athlete he was.
Charles graduated but didn’t leave. If you go to the Mortgage Firm in downtown Lakeland you can see him working side by side with one of his former teammates. His work ethic continues to allow him to pursue excellence. Now, he just helps others achieve their dreams. The walls that were put in front of Charles have created a beautiful home that he now resides in with his girlfriend. Well done Charles, well done!
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