Day One Butterflies

I'm about twenty minutes from hopping in my truck to head to Prior Lake High School's first lacrosse practice of 2011 season. Now, I "leave" to head to the lacrosse field all of the time and every time I do so, I feel absolutely thrilled and fortunate to be able to do what I'm doing. But there is something different about the way I feel right now. I think the "butterflies" are due to the fact that it is something so dear to me, as I recall playing lacrosse at PLHS. This experience set the stage for who I am today.

There is a lot of talk about who the best team in the state is, who the best player in the state is. Although these things are extremely important, it is not my main focus. I do remember scores and specific facts about my high school athletics days, but the thing I remember most is the experience. I remember the energy I felt after the first goal I scored on the lacrosse field. I remember sitting on the "other" side of the board watching my teammates play a hockey game through the glass. I was required to do so because I missed a practice while on a marching band trip to Paris.

So, I am nervous and I am excited. It is hard to not get too caught up in the rankings, scores, etc. However, I know what won't change for me. Every time I step on the field (in today's case, the gym floor), my number one goal is to help facilitate an experience for the guys, so that they find meaning in their life. This experience will set the stage for the things they do in life. My goal is to help my players help themselves.

Surely, more to come on the season. 

Don't get stuck on words

Tonight in class, the subject of "best practices" came up. We discussed the phrase at length. The majority of the class was not in favor of the widely used words in the education and youth development field. I understand their arguments, as it implies that there is only one or two ways to accomplish a goal. Due to our society's love affair with electronics, we should take a lesson from the computer's ability to become obsolete almost once a month, if not more frequently.

However, I don't want to get stuck on the terms. I would rather figure out an effective means to accomplish our goals, regardless of the amount of times I've used it. To simplify the issue, I like to think about peeling an orange. Now, everyone, for the most part can peel an orange--but there are many different ways to do so. The question lies in which way is the most effective? Which strategy for peeling the citrus gives us the most edible matter? The least stringy, annoying pulp on the outer levels of the tasty fruit?

He or she who can do this has the ability to alter the "best practice" for peeling an orange. Additionally, this person can get more and more effective, each time they take part in this activity. This person .has the ability to minor the practice to make it more effective. Nonetheless, this is applied to youth work in that the one who can identify successful past experiences and make them co-exist with new, revolutionary strategies holds the key to best practices.

Photos from Duluth

My new hobby

Last October, I started tagging along to Vertical Endeavors with Grant and Dave. I initially started going basically for something to do. Little did I know, would it be something I'd enthusiastically immerse myself in. After about four sessions of climbing, I seemed to be hooked. I anxiously was looking forward to the next time I'd get on the wall and each time I was able to climb, I found myself learning something new.

Your body's ability to complete something, in this case, a climbing route, after multiple instances of "failure" is truly fascinating. There can be times when I'll attempt a route for almost 20 minutes, with no success. Then, the next time I climb, I may be able to just "walk" up the route. Whether this is a matter of increased strength or composure, I'm intrigued by it. Now, this is not a revolutionary idea to the climbing world. However, it is something I am newly discovering. So, I'm looking forward to the next time I get on the wall to finish the "projects" I'm working on.

Another fascinating idea associated with climbing is the sport's ability to challenge not only your body, but your mind. Sometimes all it takes to complete a difficult route is a small amount of reflection and refreshing breath. I also often sit back and try to look at the route from a different angle and envision myself finding the final hold, ultimately finding nothing holding me back from my goal. The lesson I find most intriguing in the climbing world is that the goal is always attainable, but the question lies in how you attain it. How do you get there?

What's next? Excuse high school athletes from class?

Yes, college athletes (primarily football and basketball) help to bring in revenue to their respective institutions. Yes, these individuals are highly skilled and possess talent that a small percentage of the population has the ability to possess. However, paying said athletes to represent their university in the form of their sport, on top of their largely reduced (sometimes nonexistent) tuition fees, is absolutely ludicrous. The argument to do so is detrimental to the world of sports and our society in so many ways.

When the objective of going to college is analyzed, the main goal is to receive an experience. A non-athlete college student receives the experience by going to class, meeting new friends, living independently, exploring new geographic areas, becoming involved in extracurricular activities, and essentially an unlimited amount of activities. Now, a student-athlete is able to do all the things a non-athlete college student can do, plus so much more. They are able to train in a sport they (hopefully) love, travel across the country (sometimes the globe), perform their sport in front of millions of fans, etc. Additionally, they are afforded the opportunity to receive additional academic tutoring, utilize special accommodations like textbook rental, and other benefits the general student population is not entitled to. And to top it all off, many student-athletes pay less, sometimes nothing, for their college education. Why is a student-athlete who is training to be a professional in their sport any different than a student who is training to become a cardiologist?

I understand that not all student-athletes are soliciting to be paid in addition to the benefits listed above. However, for those that are as well as those fans that argue they should be paid, I ask, "why?" Are they not already paid in the form of tuition, benefits, and experience? In one light, they are gaining a greater experience than their full-paying student counterparts. Paying student-athletes only further perpetuates our society's motivation to work for, and only for, monetary gain. It also diminishes the value of sport across the globe. By engaging in this disgusting act, we are losing sight of what it means to participate in sport. And by participate, I am not excluding fans, supporters, and other stakeholders. Sport brings people together, at least it should. As for the athletes, they should see the value in representing their university, town, or team. They should find pride in this opportunity and recognize the power their performance has on so many "students" out there, not find pride in searching for a price tag.