Thursday, September 30, 2010
The Ike Special - Varsity Edition
Watch this heartwarming sports story of Ike - Play Like A Champion Today(TM) likes this!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Just Coaching
Justice has many definitions, but one I heard lately seemed particularly appropriate: “treating someone as they should be treated.” Being a just person means realizing that while not everyone has the same opportunities and skills and interests and priorities that you do, all people deserve respect. From a coaching point of view, being just means realizing that every single athlete can be a champion, but may take different paths to get there, and may require a different coaching style for motivation. Some coaches break down their teams mentally, telling them to play harder or be better or else they won’t get to play; some coaches play their stars, unwilling to face the wrath of a parent or administrator. And then there are some coaches that go beyond what is normally considered sportsmanship to make sure every player on their roster feels at home.
On Mark Perry’s Snohomish High School football team in Washington, a young man named Ike Ditzenberger always gets the last run in varsity practice. Ike has Down syndrome, but that doesn’t mean the kid doesn’t get to play. Acknowledging obvious differences, the coach made a deal with Ike: if he kept his shoulder pads on and his mouthpiece in, he would get to play. He became obsessed with football watching his brothers play; his older brother Jake was on the team for Ike’s first two seasons, giving Ike a sense of place despite his limitations. The Snohomish team has embraced Ike, appreciating the camaraderie and sense of routine that his runs at the end of practice provide. In addition, having Ike on the team helps place sports in perspective; his ceaseless enthusiasm reminds everyone involved that football is a game, a fun activity for everyone to enjoy.
Justice means making sure that everyone has the opportunity to be a champion. Read about Ike’s touchdown from the link below!
http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Down-syndrome-football-player-scores-TD-in-Washi?urn=highschool-272803
Kathleen Stanley
ND 2011
Social Principles of Coaching
On Mark Perry’s Snohomish High School football team in Washington, a young man named Ike Ditzenberger always gets the last run in varsity practice. Ike has Down syndrome, but that doesn’t mean the kid doesn’t get to play. Acknowledging obvious differences, the coach made a deal with Ike: if he kept his shoulder pads on and his mouthpiece in, he would get to play. He became obsessed with football watching his brothers play; his older brother Jake was on the team for Ike’s first two seasons, giving Ike a sense of place despite his limitations. The Snohomish team has embraced Ike, appreciating the camaraderie and sense of routine that his runs at the end of practice provide. In addition, having Ike on the team helps place sports in perspective; his ceaseless enthusiasm reminds everyone involved that football is a game, a fun activity for everyone to enjoy.
Justice means making sure that everyone has the opportunity to be a champion. Read about Ike’s touchdown from the link below!
http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Down-syndrome-football-player-scores-TD-in-Washi?urn=highschool-272803
Kathleen Stanley
ND 2011
Social Principles of Coaching
Monday, September 20, 2010
Reggie Bush's Heisman Scandal
The Heisman Trophy is one of sport’s most prestigious awards, given yearly to the best college football player in the country. For an amateur athlete, there is no greater glory or honor. This week, for the first time in its long and storied history, the Heisman trophy was returned. Reggie Bush, the 2005 winner, gave back the trophy after an NCAA investigation into his college playing days was announced.
During his time at USC, Reggie Bush put up staggering numbers and drove his team to one of the longest winning streaks in NCAA history, winning two national championships. It could easily be argued that he was one of the greatest players in college football history. He seemed to be a good guy who was genuinely likable, even if he was dominating your favorite football team. Unfortunately, it turns out he may have been breaking all sorts of rules.
The NCAA has alleged that Reggie Bush took payments and housing during his time at USC, something clearly not allowed for an amateur athlete. These violations by Bush have not only hurt his legacy, but his actions have also decimated the USC football program and athletic department. The school will likely have to forfeit its national championships and has already removed all signs of Bush’s time at the school. They gave back their copy of Bush’s Heisman a month ago. USC has done all it can to apologize for this situation and correct its wrongs. Unfortunately, Bush has not.
Once the NCAA had made it clear that Bush and the school had committed violations, USC immediately began to rid itself of the stain and embarrassment of the violations. Reggie Bush could have followed suit and began to reestablish himself as a role model for young athletes. Instead, he has constantly denied any wrongdoing in the face of insurmountable evidence. When he finally gave back his Heisman trophy at the beginning of the week, it seemed like a humble gesture. Perhaps Bush was finally admitting his wrongs and showing remorse. Instead, the next day Bush held a press conference to announce that the return of the trophy was “in no way an admission of guilt.” Rather, Bush said he simply wanted to stop being investigated by different groups. What appeared to be an act of honest humility turned out to be a selfish decision.
Reggie Bush is yet another example of why athletes cannot be looked to as role models. He had the chance to be a great, honest, and inspiring football player for America’s young athletes. Instead, he took money in college. When he had a chance to show the world how to fess up to your mistakes, he took the easy way out and denied wrongdoing. Reggie Bush, an NFL superstar, is looked up to by kids across America. And it’s a shame.
Mike Hill, ND 2012
Social Foundations of Coaching
During his time at USC, Reggie Bush put up staggering numbers and drove his team to one of the longest winning streaks in NCAA history, winning two national championships. It could easily be argued that he was one of the greatest players in college football history. He seemed to be a good guy who was genuinely likable, even if he was dominating your favorite football team. Unfortunately, it turns out he may have been breaking all sorts of rules.
The NCAA has alleged that Reggie Bush took payments and housing during his time at USC, something clearly not allowed for an amateur athlete. These violations by Bush have not only hurt his legacy, but his actions have also decimated the USC football program and athletic department. The school will likely have to forfeit its national championships and has already removed all signs of Bush’s time at the school. They gave back their copy of Bush’s Heisman a month ago. USC has done all it can to apologize for this situation and correct its wrongs. Unfortunately, Bush has not.
Once the NCAA had made it clear that Bush and the school had committed violations, USC immediately began to rid itself of the stain and embarrassment of the violations. Reggie Bush could have followed suit and began to reestablish himself as a role model for young athletes. Instead, he has constantly denied any wrongdoing in the face of insurmountable evidence. When he finally gave back his Heisman trophy at the beginning of the week, it seemed like a humble gesture. Perhaps Bush was finally admitting his wrongs and showing remorse. Instead, the next day Bush held a press conference to announce that the return of the trophy was “in no way an admission of guilt.” Rather, Bush said he simply wanted to stop being investigated by different groups. What appeared to be an act of honest humility turned out to be a selfish decision.
Reggie Bush is yet another example of why athletes cannot be looked to as role models. He had the chance to be a great, honest, and inspiring football player for America’s young athletes. Instead, he took money in college. When he had a chance to show the world how to fess up to your mistakes, he took the easy way out and denied wrongdoing. Reggie Bush, an NFL superstar, is looked up to by kids across America. And it’s a shame.
Mike Hill, ND 2012
Social Foundations of Coaching
Monday, September 13, 2010
A Strange Game Down Under
Last fall I was able to spend 5 months living and studying in the Fremantle, Western Australia. On my return, most people when made aware of my semester abroad “Down Under” would ask me if I spent time in the outback, or ran into any kangaroos, or saw the Opera House in Sydney. The answer to all these question was thankfully yes; my time in Australia was a wonderful experience full of wonderful memories that will continue to shape my life. However, one experience that I had that is usually passed over when being questioned about my semester abroad is my encounter with the strange game of Australian Rules Football.
Footy as it is often referred to the by the locals, is a uniquely interesting game, especially to the outsider with absolutely no knowledge of the game. I once heard Australian Rules Football described as being a little like every sport we play in America, and unlike any sport we play or know. The ball looks something like a rugby ball, oddly shaped and large in comparison to a football. The field is a massive oval, resembling a cricket field. There are 18 players for each team trying to get the ball through the tallest set of goalposts at either end of the field (there are two sets of goalposts, two short and two tall on each side). Much to my confusion early on, in getting the ball down the field through the goalposts the ball can not be thrown; it must either be passed to a teammate by either kicking the ball, bouncing the ball, or by a sort of underhanded volleyball serve-pass. Players are allowed to tackle only anywhere between the shoulders and knees, making the game at first glance look a lot like rugby or football without pads.
My experience with footy began as merely an escape from the normal day of studying and school work. Whether it was playing a pick-up game in the park with classmates, or going to watch a game at the local footy club, Australian Rules Football was for me, an important athletic outlet during my time abroad. Growing up being a competitive tennis player, athletics and competition were an important part of my life. Much to my surprise and disappoint, I found opportunities to play tennis during my semester abroad relatively inaccessible in my situation; mainly because of the hefty court fees required. Thankfully though, footy stood in as an enjoyable substitute while I was abroad, speaking to the athlete inside me by giving myself and the other American students studying there a chance to get back on the athletic fields to compete and most importantly have a good time.
Ian Rangel
Social Foundations of Coaching
University of Notre Dame
Finance, Class of 2011
Footy as it is often referred to the by the locals, is a uniquely interesting game, especially to the outsider with absolutely no knowledge of the game. I once heard Australian Rules Football described as being a little like every sport we play in America, and unlike any sport we play or know. The ball looks something like a rugby ball, oddly shaped and large in comparison to a football. The field is a massive oval, resembling a cricket field. There are 18 players for each team trying to get the ball through the tallest set of goalposts at either end of the field (there are two sets of goalposts, two short and two tall on each side). Much to my confusion early on, in getting the ball down the field through the goalposts the ball can not be thrown; it must either be passed to a teammate by either kicking the ball, bouncing the ball, or by a sort of underhanded volleyball serve-pass. Players are allowed to tackle only anywhere between the shoulders and knees, making the game at first glance look a lot like rugby or football without pads.
My experience with footy began as merely an escape from the normal day of studying and school work. Whether it was playing a pick-up game in the park with classmates, or going to watch a game at the local footy club, Australian Rules Football was for me, an important athletic outlet during my time abroad. Growing up being a competitive tennis player, athletics and competition were an important part of my life. Much to my surprise and disappoint, I found opportunities to play tennis during my semester abroad relatively inaccessible in my situation; mainly because of the hefty court fees required. Thankfully though, footy stood in as an enjoyable substitute while I was abroad, speaking to the athlete inside me by giving myself and the other American students studying there a chance to get back on the athletic fields to compete and most importantly have a good time.
Ian Rangel
Social Foundations of Coaching
University of Notre Dame
Finance, Class of 2011
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Kansas City Parochial League board members and trainers Dave Schmitt and John Svetlecic, and Vince Fitzgerald, League director, show their Certificates of Recognition with Kristin Sheehan and F. Clark Power, of ‘Play Like A Champion Today.’
What follows is a copy of the article on the KCPL which appeared in the KANSAS CITY Catholic Key — Shortly after taking the reins of the sports program in 2002, and following a diocesan mandate, Kansas City Parochial League director Vince Fitzgerald began requiring volunteer coaches and assistants to participate in “Protecting God’s Children,” a child sexual abuse awareness program. Each coach receives certification that they have taken the course, and may not continue coaching unless they have that certification on file with their school’s principal. Certification must be renewed periodically.
Four years ago the former Visitation School football and basketball coach introduced a new educational series to coaches and volunteers in the diocesan elementary school sports programs.
Last month, Fitzgerald and Parochial League board members Dave Schmitt and John Svetlecic, were presented with Certificates of Recognition, signed by the university’s president, for their efforts in the “Play Like a Champion Today” series.
The series, “Coach Like a Champion Today,” “Play Like a Champion Today,” and “Parent Like a Champion Today,” were developed by the Center for Ethical Education at the University of Notre Dame, for coaches and parents of young athletes, as well as the athletes themselves. It is a research-based, child-centered approach to youth sports designed to help Catholic elementary school sports programs reflect Gospel values. Through discussion and educational materials, coaches learn that coaching is a ministry, and the sports program is a continuation of Catholic education; athletes learn to have fun and bring their best to the game. There is nothing wrong with winning, but losing a game doesn’t make them losers. Each game is a new game. Non-coaching parents learn to work with coaches and act as partners to provide young athletes with a rewarding experience. Parents also learn to develop a positive “spectator climate” that respects and supports all the players and the officials.
Parochial League director Vince Fitzgerald said that after parents take the workshop, they should be able to understand the “current culture of youth sports, bear witness to sport’s spiritual side and learn and carry out the techniques of championship parents.”
Fitzgerald said that he decided to introduce this new workshop after several minor incidents involving over-zealous parents during basketball tournaments.
“Winning is important, but more important is how you achieve the win,” he said.
The schools’ athletic directors will coordinate the sessions, which must be completed between mid-September and mid-November.
Fitzgerald said that in four years, more than 1,000 coaches and 1,500 parents in this diocese have been trained to see coaching as ministry. “Coaches and parents have a bigger influence on kids’ lives than they may realize,” he said. “This series helps coaches and parents realize that in sports, they are like youth ministers to the players.”
There are youth sports programs in dioceses all over the country using segments of the program, but only two dioceses, Kansas City-St. Joseph and Los Angeles, that have the original coaching as ministry, recertification and parent programs in use.
The coaches training is what it’s all about, Fitzgerald said. The series uses the GROW approach:
G (goals) emphasize that each child has different skill levels and set obtainable goals
R (relationships) develop sportsmanship — respect coaches, officials, fans and other players
O (ownership) make kids feel like they have ownership of their team, confidence and responsibility
W (winning) winning is important, and it is how the game is played.
In reports the last two years, the athletic programs in this diocese have surpassed the national average in attendance, participation, satisfaction with the program and recommendations to others.
“We’re proud of it,” Fitzgerald said. “The ‘Like a Champion’ series makes coaches think and it helps parents and coaches be on the same page with youth sports.”
END
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Kansas City Parochial League Celebrates it's Accomplishments
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Spreading the Play Like A Champion Today(TM) message across the world!
PLC Consultant, Oscar McBride joins Kevin Dugan, Notre Dame Lacrosse Operations Director and PLC Consultant in Uganda this week. Together they are spreading the Play Like A Champion Today(TM) message to young people through Kevin's Fields of Growth International Foundation. Sport is a universal language and these young people are learning what it means to be a Champion while they play lacrosse and flag football. They are also learning how to be a Champion in life.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sports are Spiritual: Lakers vs. Celtics: Game 7
Why I care so darn much...
Game 7. Lakers/Celtics. History.
I was up on the South Fork of the American River whitewater rafting all this past week. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life, but everyone in my raft knew when it was a game day. We’d park the boat, I’d run and get changed, and find my way to the closest pub to watch the 2nd half of the Lakers’ game. Everyone laughed, and no one really understood it. And up there, in these Hicksville bars, I’d be jumping up and down, screaming at the television, until, as this old townie woman named Willa said to me during game 3, “Well, now I care ‘cause you care so darn much!” And this is why I care so darn much...
Traveling in East Africa, anytime I’d meet a local, there were four questions I was asked. The first was, “Where are you from?” The second, “Which team do you support?” referring to which soccer/football team you liked in the English Premier League. “What’s your name?” was question #4.
Sport. The multitudes filling the Roman coliseum, yelling in their robes, as men scrapped to the death, clouds of dust pluming up as bodies collapsed one last time. The Aztecs playing Tlachtli, playing for their gods, the fans in fervor stomping their feet on the surrounding grass fields.
It’s spiritual, don’t you understand? Have you ever watched a person finish a marathon? Or a boxer finish through round 12? It’s not about a game, it’s not about beating someone else, it’s about competing against yourself, it’s about pushing yourself to limits you never thought possible. And maybe you win, and maybe you lose. In the moment it always feels better to win, but when all is said and done, what matters most is that you came to play, that you gave all you had, and people respect that, I respect that. The fact is, at several points in our lives we are called to the challenge, and it’s our time to face up, and we draw inspiration from those that have gone before.
And it’s not just that, it’s not just the struggle, and the symbolism found in it, it’s about simpler things too. It’s about being from somewhere in this great big world. It’s about identifying with a team. It’s about feeling like you’re a part of something, and who doesn’t like to feel like they’re a part of something? It’s about seeing someone that you would never talk to otherwise, but they’re wearing a Lakers’ shirt, so you say hello, and for that moment, you’re connected.
It’s about getting away too. It’s about being able to pour your heart and soul into something that at the end of the day, isn’t going to cost you your life. It’s about escaping a bit from all the other painful realities that can eat away at us, and just reveling in the excitement for a brief respite. Reality is always knock knock knocking away at the door, and it’s nice to let it wait outside for 48 minutes.
In 26 hours I will be sitting with good friends and absolute strangers, in a packed bar, drinking water because I don’t have money for beer, watching the opening minutes of the greatest rivalry in basketball go right down to the wire, and I’ll never forget it. The L.A. Lakers and the Boston Celtics, game 7, NBA Finals. History, history, history, and I get to be a part of it, and I invite you to be a part of it too.
Go Lakers!
Sergio Ballesteros
Game 7. Lakers/Celtics. History.
I was up on the South Fork of the American River whitewater rafting all this past week. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life, but everyone in my raft knew when it was a game day. We’d park the boat, I’d run and get changed, and find my way to the closest pub to watch the 2nd half of the Lakers’ game. Everyone laughed, and no one really understood it. And up there, in these Hicksville bars, I’d be jumping up and down, screaming at the television, until, as this old townie woman named Willa said to me during game 3, “Well, now I care ‘cause you care so darn much!” And this is why I care so darn much...
Traveling in East Africa, anytime I’d meet a local, there were four questions I was asked. The first was, “Where are you from?” The second, “Which team do you support?” referring to which soccer/football team you liked in the English Premier League. “What’s your name?” was question #4.
Sport. The multitudes filling the Roman coliseum, yelling in their robes, as men scrapped to the death, clouds of dust pluming up as bodies collapsed one last time. The Aztecs playing Tlachtli, playing for their gods, the fans in fervor stomping their feet on the surrounding grass fields.
It’s spiritual, don’t you understand? Have you ever watched a person finish a marathon? Or a boxer finish through round 12? It’s not about a game, it’s not about beating someone else, it’s about competing against yourself, it’s about pushing yourself to limits you never thought possible. And maybe you win, and maybe you lose. In the moment it always feels better to win, but when all is said and done, what matters most is that you came to play, that you gave all you had, and people respect that, I respect that. The fact is, at several points in our lives we are called to the challenge, and it’s our time to face up, and we draw inspiration from those that have gone before.
And it’s not just that, it’s not just the struggle, and the symbolism found in it, it’s about simpler things too. It’s about being from somewhere in this great big world. It’s about identifying with a team. It’s about feeling like you’re a part of something, and who doesn’t like to feel like they’re a part of something? It’s about seeing someone that you would never talk to otherwise, but they’re wearing a Lakers’ shirt, so you say hello, and for that moment, you’re connected.
It’s about getting away too. It’s about being able to pour your heart and soul into something that at the end of the day, isn’t going to cost you your life. It’s about escaping a bit from all the other painful realities that can eat away at us, and just reveling in the excitement for a brief respite. Reality is always knock knock knocking away at the door, and it’s nice to let it wait outside for 48 minutes.
In 26 hours I will be sitting with good friends and absolute strangers, in a packed bar, drinking water because I don’t have money for beer, watching the opening minutes of the greatest rivalry in basketball go right down to the wire, and I’ll never forget it. The L.A. Lakers and the Boston Celtics, game 7, NBA Finals. History, history, history, and I get to be a part of it, and I invite you to be a part of it too.
Go Lakers!
Sergio Ballesteros
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
The Trauma and Tragedy of Football
We see them all the time on the gridiron and are fascinated with the violence. The sheer sound of the pop of pads is enough to stir most Americans into frenzy over the “Big Hits” in a sport of hits. I love them as a player of the game, and football fans all over the nation and world who love to watch the entertainment of the games can’t get enough of them. Recently, especially in light of the news and information surrounding former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach and Adam James, concussions and the handling of athletes has come under much scrutiny in America. This is because in large part, little research has shown a common, definitive link between concussions and the health of the brain and neurological system of the years. Many scientists, M.D.’s, and society at large has viewed these incidences as isolated ones that do not correspond to lifelong damages if treated correctly.
Recent studies about the health of NFL, collegiate, and even high school football players are starting to disprove our preconceived notions about football, its safety, and the dangers that concussions and even the smaller hits at the line of scrimmage can have on the human body for an extended period of time. The disease that scares me and should really scare anyone else who knows any person who plays the game on any level is being termed Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy or CTE. CTE was once thought to exclusively be found in the remnants of older boxers who donated their bodies to science. Now, researchers like Dr. Mckee, who is a leading neuropathologist who specializes in degenerative brain diseases, is finding startling evidence that this disease is being found in numerous individuals, including retired NFL professionals and the youngest case to date, a diseased high school football player who died at the age of 18.
Symptoms of CTE do not appear until about a decade after play has ceased and they seem to appear out of the blue. Symptoms include depression, loss of judgment, loss of impulse control, rages, and memory loss that quickly turns into dementia. This disease is a particularly hard one to stomach because there are absolutely no tests that can screen or diagnose the disease in a living person. Indeed, the only way researchers are even able to clinically diagnose this disease is to observe the brains of those affected by it post-mortem. Brown spots can easily be seen on the brains as a buildup of a protein called tau is released in the body after it has sustained the hits generated from football.
This disease and its threats are an issue at hand for youth sports because of the recent findings that an 18 year old high school football players showed early stages of CTE when his brain was examined. This incident causes us to question the impact hits have on youth, middle school and high school aged children. It is particularly disturbing in a sport where children are able to participate in from very young ages, like youth football. One can only imagine the affect hits can have on the still underdeveloped brains of youth. This topic is one that will undoubtedly be on the mind of any coach or parent as we learn more from the research at hand.
Christopher Stewart
Social Foundation of Coaching
Recent studies about the health of NFL, collegiate, and even high school football players are starting to disprove our preconceived notions about football, its safety, and the dangers that concussions and even the smaller hits at the line of scrimmage can have on the human body for an extended period of time. The disease that scares me and should really scare anyone else who knows any person who plays the game on any level is being termed Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy or CTE. CTE was once thought to exclusively be found in the remnants of older boxers who donated their bodies to science. Now, researchers like Dr. Mckee, who is a leading neuropathologist who specializes in degenerative brain diseases, is finding startling evidence that this disease is being found in numerous individuals, including retired NFL professionals and the youngest case to date, a diseased high school football player who died at the age of 18.
Symptoms of CTE do not appear until about a decade after play has ceased and they seem to appear out of the blue. Symptoms include depression, loss of judgment, loss of impulse control, rages, and memory loss that quickly turns into dementia. This disease is a particularly hard one to stomach because there are absolutely no tests that can screen or diagnose the disease in a living person. Indeed, the only way researchers are even able to clinically diagnose this disease is to observe the brains of those affected by it post-mortem. Brown spots can easily be seen on the brains as a buildup of a protein called tau is released in the body after it has sustained the hits generated from football.
This disease and its threats are an issue at hand for youth sports because of the recent findings that an 18 year old high school football players showed early stages of CTE when his brain was examined. This incident causes us to question the impact hits have on youth, middle school and high school aged children. It is particularly disturbing in a sport where children are able to participate in from very young ages, like youth football. One can only imagine the affect hits can have on the still underdeveloped brains of youth. This topic is one that will undoubtedly be on the mind of any coach or parent as we learn more from the research at hand.
Christopher Stewart
Social Foundation of Coaching
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