Most young athletes dream of playing for their favorite college or professional team. Yet these dreams are often accompanied by the pressures of making them come true. For some these pressures can create passion and lead to success, but for many they transform a fun game into a stressful fixation.
What if we could take that pressure out of a sport? Then we would have rugby. There are no professional rugby players in the US, and the most competitive college teams do not have a single scholarship athlete. That is not to say that rugby is not competitive. Rugby will become an Olympic sport in 2016, and every year high school, college and senior teams travel all over the country to compete for national titles.
Ask any rugby player why they play and you will get the same answer. They play because it is fun. They love the sport and the incredible friendships they form with their teammates. At every level, in every city, rugby teams form a unique community that cannot be found anywhere else. It is hard to tell what makes rugby teams so special. Some people attribute it to the types of people who play rugby. You might have to be a little crazy to play an 80 minute, full contact game with little to no padding in every conceivable condition: from driving rain storms to 100 degree heat. Maybe it is that craziness that bonds us. However, I think there is something more. When I step out on the rugby field there are not 80,000 adoring fans, there is no money to be made and my coach’s livelihood does not depend on how I perform. Instead I get to spend my day playing the sport I love with 14 of my best friends; girls who just like me are playing for love of the game. I do not have to worry about where I will be in a few years or if I am good enough to play professionally. When I play rugby, I just get to have fun.
Margot DeBot
Notre Dame ‘12
Social Foundations of Coaching
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Flow in Sport
In our second meeting of our Social Foundations of Coaching class we discussed the article Flow in Sports by Susan A. Jackson and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. This article goes in depth into a state of mind that many athletes work and train to achieve in a time of competition. The authors describe the flow through nine different characteristics, challenge-skills balance, action-awareness merging, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, concentration on the task at hand, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, transformation of time, and autotelic experience. These are the characteristics athletes have described experiencing while feeling as though they are in a state of flow during competition. To be in a state of flow an athlete does not have to experience all of these characteristics at once, because flow is different for every athlete, but often multiple forms of these characteristics are experienced by the athlete when in his or her own flow.
It is a goal of nearly all athletes to get themselves in a state of flow, groove, rhythm, or whatever they may refer to it as. But as the article explains it takes a nearly perfect set of circumstances to allow an athlete the opportunity to reach this level. The authors point out that a combination of challenges and skills need to be correct for the opportunity to exist. The area where the skills and challenges of the competition and athlete intersect must be opportune for flow to be achieved. If the challenge is too high or the skills of the athlete are too low in comparison to the opponent then the athlete will be unable to reach flow, because he or she will simply be out matched. Also, if the challenge is too low or the athlete is too far superior then flow will not be reached because the competition will not be enough to keep the focus of the player or athlete. However, when everything lines up and flow is achieved then that athlete will have been able to get to that ultimate level he or she has worked to reach.
Scott Martin, ND 2012
Social Foundations of Coaching
Notre Dame
It is a goal of nearly all athletes to get themselves in a state of flow, groove, rhythm, or whatever they may refer to it as. But as the article explains it takes a nearly perfect set of circumstances to allow an athlete the opportunity to reach this level. The authors point out that a combination of challenges and skills need to be correct for the opportunity to exist. The area where the skills and challenges of the competition and athlete intersect must be opportune for flow to be achieved. If the challenge is too high or the skills of the athlete are too low in comparison to the opponent then the athlete will be unable to reach flow, because he or she will simply be out matched. Also, if the challenge is too low or the athlete is too far superior then flow will not be reached because the competition will not be enough to keep the focus of the player or athlete. However, when everything lines up and flow is achieved then that athlete will have been able to get to that ultimate level he or she has worked to reach.
Scott Martin, ND 2012
Social Foundations of Coaching
Notre Dame
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Sport Injury - Lessons Learned
It was my senior year in high school, my last year playing soccer with my friends and my first playing with my brother who was a freshman. When winter rolled around, a fellow senior teammate and I had been declared captains. We decided that this year would be different. We were being moved up to a much more competitive division, and so we knew we need to work that much harder. We started conditioning workouts a month before pre-season workouts were scheduled to begin. It was the largest class of senior starters the school had ever had. We had one ambition, winning the state title. If we were going to win, leadership was going to be a major factor. The team had a meeting and we decided that this year was going to be different.
Personally, it was an important year for me. Not only was it my final season, but I had committed to play at the University of Notre Dame. My future coaches expected results. They expected me to have a very impressive senior season, to walk out on top. I had every intention of performing beyond any level I had previously. I was training and conditioning all winter for the spring season. I knew this was not only an important season for the team but for me as well. Because I played a primary role on the team, I knew that the quality of my season would fluctuate with the team’s success. I had to polish every aspect of my game before making the trip to South Bend later that year.
The season started, and the team was hot. We were winning at ease, dominating teams we should have and beating teams we weren’t expected to. It felt like “one of those years.”
I’ll fast forward 3 games into the season. We were playing our rival high school, Maryville. Twenty minutes into the game, we found ourselves sitting in a 0-2 hole. We came out flat, and lacked the intensity that we needed to make this a great game. In the 25th minute one of my shots found its way to the back of the net, 2-1. We went into halftime with momentum. We were pumped because we knew the game would end with us being the victors. Both teams came out of the locker rooms ready to play. It was one of the most intense, dirty, and fought for games I had ever played in. In the 78th minute I ran onto a beautiful through ball played by the other co-captain. I go to strike the ball to tie the game up. The next thing I hear is a pop. I had been slide tackled by the goalie. The first thing I though was, “that’s a penalty kick.” I was screaming at the referee. I tried to get up and then I felt an enormous amount of pain as I tried to put pressure on my left leg. It was agonizing. I screamed for the trainer. I remembered the pop that I heard and I saw flashes of my career at Notre Dame coming to an end before they had gotten started.
The trainer runs over and asks what hurt. I yelled, “obviously the leg I’m clutching!!” She examines it on the field and made the diagnosis that it is most likely a bone bruise. Hearing the great news I try to get up to continue on with the game. Again I feel the pain and sit back down. My coach demands that I sit out for the rest of the game.
As my dad and school minister walk me to the sideline, I look to see that my brother was cursing at the referee for not giving the goalie a red card. My brother therefore receives a yellow card for dissent. He is emotionally distressed to see that I am in serious pain and to not know the proper diagnosis of the injury. Once at the sideline a parent doctor from the other team runs to the sideline to examine my leg. He too feels it is only a bone bruise but recommends that I go get an x-ray to be sure. The game ends with us losing 3-2. The team was devastated, but they were much more concerned with my leg. Our rival school knew of my future at Notre Dame. After the game they were screaming at their own goalie for injuring me. They all came over to shake my hand and wish me the best. The pop was still resonating in my mind.
We go to the hospital to find that I indeed fractured my tibia all the way through the bone. I was to be put in a cast up to my hip for 3 months, which went past the time I was to report at Notre Dame. I received countless texts and emails containing prayers and sympathy. It didn’t matter to me. My whole season was shot and maybe even my future career. Fortunately I recovered. It took a lot of hard work, but I made it back.
The point of this story is that speed bumps are put in the way of our ultimate goal, but they can be overcome. They may slow us down a bit, but we can still reach our destination.
Luke Mishu
ND Soccer
Social Foundations of Coaching
Personally, it was an important year for me. Not only was it my final season, but I had committed to play at the University of Notre Dame. My future coaches expected results. They expected me to have a very impressive senior season, to walk out on top. I had every intention of performing beyond any level I had previously. I was training and conditioning all winter for the spring season. I knew this was not only an important season for the team but for me as well. Because I played a primary role on the team, I knew that the quality of my season would fluctuate with the team’s success. I had to polish every aspect of my game before making the trip to South Bend later that year.
The season started, and the team was hot. We were winning at ease, dominating teams we should have and beating teams we weren’t expected to. It felt like “one of those years.”
I’ll fast forward 3 games into the season. We were playing our rival high school, Maryville. Twenty minutes into the game, we found ourselves sitting in a 0-2 hole. We came out flat, and lacked the intensity that we needed to make this a great game. In the 25th minute one of my shots found its way to the back of the net, 2-1. We went into halftime with momentum. We were pumped because we knew the game would end with us being the victors. Both teams came out of the locker rooms ready to play. It was one of the most intense, dirty, and fought for games I had ever played in. In the 78th minute I ran onto a beautiful through ball played by the other co-captain. I go to strike the ball to tie the game up. The next thing I hear is a pop. I had been slide tackled by the goalie. The first thing I though was, “that’s a penalty kick.” I was screaming at the referee. I tried to get up and then I felt an enormous amount of pain as I tried to put pressure on my left leg. It was agonizing. I screamed for the trainer. I remembered the pop that I heard and I saw flashes of my career at Notre Dame coming to an end before they had gotten started.
The trainer runs over and asks what hurt. I yelled, “obviously the leg I’m clutching!!” She examines it on the field and made the diagnosis that it is most likely a bone bruise. Hearing the great news I try to get up to continue on with the game. Again I feel the pain and sit back down. My coach demands that I sit out for the rest of the game.
As my dad and school minister walk me to the sideline, I look to see that my brother was cursing at the referee for not giving the goalie a red card. My brother therefore receives a yellow card for dissent. He is emotionally distressed to see that I am in serious pain and to not know the proper diagnosis of the injury. Once at the sideline a parent doctor from the other team runs to the sideline to examine my leg. He too feels it is only a bone bruise but recommends that I go get an x-ray to be sure. The game ends with us losing 3-2. The team was devastated, but they were much more concerned with my leg. Our rival school knew of my future at Notre Dame. After the game they were screaming at their own goalie for injuring me. They all came over to shake my hand and wish me the best. The pop was still resonating in my mind.
We go to the hospital to find that I indeed fractured my tibia all the way through the bone. I was to be put in a cast up to my hip for 3 months, which went past the time I was to report at Notre Dame. I received countless texts and emails containing prayers and sympathy. It didn’t matter to me. My whole season was shot and maybe even my future career. Fortunately I recovered. It took a lot of hard work, but I made it back.
The point of this story is that speed bumps are put in the way of our ultimate goal, but they can be overcome. They may slow us down a bit, but we can still reach our destination.
Luke Mishu
ND Soccer
Social Foundations of Coaching
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Soccer - an analysis of the system
Soccer, the most popular sport in the entire world, is in a state of disarray. A large majority of the teams in the Barclays Premier League, Europe’s most profitable league soccer league, are in over $75 million of debt. Currently only 4 of the 20 teams in England’s top tier of football are making a profit, and this figure is projected to get worse with the current market. Some teams are in such a terrible state that even if the team had no expenses they would be still be unable to pay off their debts for 3 to 5 years. With teams being so uninterested in addressing their financial issues, how are they going to continue to operate with their current expenses?
One of the main reasons why so many clubs are in debt is player transfers. European football does not trade players in the same way teams in the United States do. They rarely make trades or have free agents to buy. For the most part teams buy and sell players. In this buying market the clubs with larger revenues buy and the ones with smaller revenues sell. This results in the top teams buying established players for large sums of money and the smaller teams having to sell their star players and find younger players to be able to afford running their club. This creates a huge gulf in skill between the historically great teams and the newly established teams.
This system creates a never-ending cycle of teams needing to win to afford the players to continue to win and increase their revenues. The best teams in Europe (the top 4 in England) play in the European Champions League with additional revenues of around $40 million for just taking part in the competition. This large amount of money is very attractive and spurs the best teams to continue winning. For the worse teams, motivation comes in another form. If a team falls to one of the bottom three places in the league, they get relegated from their current league into the one below them. This league drop comes at a cost of nearly $50 million in revenue due to sponsorship, television revenue, and ticket sale losses. Therefore every team must stay competitive; otherwise they will have to sell off their best players because they will be unable to afford their high wages. No team wants to find itself in that situation so they are compelled to continually reinvest, even if they don’t have the means to do so.
This is where the problem lies. For a team to be competitive they must have a significant payroll, but if they are not good enough and get relegated they are trapped in a financial model that they cannot sustain. Their profits shrink while still have to pay for their players, usually resulting in significant debt. Therefore, to avoid this fate, owners choose to invest in their teams with both cash and loans. The problem with that is that they have been priced out of the market. A few ultra rich owners have come out with their own cash and significantly changed the wage structure and the money it costs to buy players. Their insane spending habits have let to an inflated transfer market and players expecting wages that are unrealistic. Both Chelsea and Manchester City of the Barclays Premier League are spending roughly $40 million per year on player transfers with this number looking to rise substantially because of the rising market value of players. Keep in mind these enormous sums do not include player salaries. These spending splurges make it difficult for other clubs to compete when they don’t have an owner who has a personal net worth of over $7 billion. The result is that lesser teams choose to take out loans to afford the players to make them competitive, resulting in the debt problems throughout soccer.
Manchester City is the perfect example of a team to show the flaws of the current system. They have an owner who has invested over $500 million over the past 2 years. They have players costing over $35 million that ride the bench and never play for the team. When the team doesn’t win, they just throw money at new players who they believe can play even better. They have a wage bill that exceeds the total revenue they bring in. Their seemingly unlimited spending has also driven up player costs for other perspective teams. In short, Manchester City is the definition of a team that is not at all sustainable and is also ruining the game. This past year they spent over $60 million for a single player.
On the other hand, Arsenal is a club in the Barclays Premier League that tries to do things right. They are the only team who consistently makes the European Champions League, has a wage bill less than one third of their total revenue, and has posted consecutive years of net profit. Their team strategy is one of youth. They buy the best young players when they are inexperienced and give them the opportunity to play every week, a rare occurrence for other top teams.
This strategy has been chided, mostly from those critics who believe that they will never win a trophy because their team lacks the experience and leadership needed to win. This has been true for the past 6 years in which Arsenal have failed to a trophy. The fans see these shortcomings and plead for a reinvestment of those earnings. The fans feel they need to pay for players with experience and leadership because Arsenal needs to start winning it all. Their manager went into the transfer market this summer to try to find those key players who he believed would put Arsenal over the edge. To his dismay, he found the market to be overpriced and unrealistic for a financially responsible club, returning with a few players under 20 years of age and a few former stars, with a history of injuries. This did little to comfort the fans, especially after players like up and coming midfield starlet Samir Nasri held the club for ransom and refused to sign a new contract. (He ended up at Manchester City for what was reported as double the salary Arsenal offered)
Arsenal’s fans, however, must be realistic. Every team cannot afford to spend the $80, $65, and $55 million Manchester City, Chelsea, and Manchester United respectively can and did this off-season. They are in a position to be both competitive and fiscally responsible, a situation most clubs would love to have. Spending an average of $1.5 million a year on transfers is much more respectable and impressive considering the $15 million other clubs in the top four of the Barclays Premier League choose to spend every year.
This large financial gap is why Arsenal consistently finds themselves punching above their weight. A team whose opening day lineup had 2 players over the age of 24 simply cannot compete with proven superstars in their prime. The past 6 years have shown that although they can be competitive, they just don’t have the resources to win it all. Despite their lack of league titles, I stand by Arsenal and their insistence to not be bullied into pouring money into an inflated and ridiculous transfer market. By creating a model that allows them to compete and be fiscally responsible, their approach is to be admired even if they do struggle to put together a championship team consistently.
Soccer needs to find a way to make their teams more accountable and create a certain element of equity in their league. If this continues, only be a handful of teams will be in competition for the title, and most of those teams will be unable to pay their bills. I am aware that UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) is starting to make a stand with financial fair play regulations, but it will not stop teams like Manchester City finding ways around the rules. They will find ways to put their owners money onto the playing field, and no team will be able to compete without incurring large amounts of debt. To remedy this, an independent accounting firm should be employed to access their accounts and ensure that teams aren’t spending money that they’re not making or going to make in the very near future. Otherwise, the soccer landscape will soon be filled with teams incurring insurmountable amounts of debt with no true way to address the issue.
Matthew Cirillo
Social Foundations of Coaching Class
University of Notre Dame Class of 2012
One of the main reasons why so many clubs are in debt is player transfers. European football does not trade players in the same way teams in the United States do. They rarely make trades or have free agents to buy. For the most part teams buy and sell players. In this buying market the clubs with larger revenues buy and the ones with smaller revenues sell. This results in the top teams buying established players for large sums of money and the smaller teams having to sell their star players and find younger players to be able to afford running their club. This creates a huge gulf in skill between the historically great teams and the newly established teams.
This system creates a never-ending cycle of teams needing to win to afford the players to continue to win and increase their revenues. The best teams in Europe (the top 4 in England) play in the European Champions League with additional revenues of around $40 million for just taking part in the competition. This large amount of money is very attractive and spurs the best teams to continue winning. For the worse teams, motivation comes in another form. If a team falls to one of the bottom three places in the league, they get relegated from their current league into the one below them. This league drop comes at a cost of nearly $50 million in revenue due to sponsorship, television revenue, and ticket sale losses. Therefore every team must stay competitive; otherwise they will have to sell off their best players because they will be unable to afford their high wages. No team wants to find itself in that situation so they are compelled to continually reinvest, even if they don’t have the means to do so.
This is where the problem lies. For a team to be competitive they must have a significant payroll, but if they are not good enough and get relegated they are trapped in a financial model that they cannot sustain. Their profits shrink while still have to pay for their players, usually resulting in significant debt. Therefore, to avoid this fate, owners choose to invest in their teams with both cash and loans. The problem with that is that they have been priced out of the market. A few ultra rich owners have come out with their own cash and significantly changed the wage structure and the money it costs to buy players. Their insane spending habits have let to an inflated transfer market and players expecting wages that are unrealistic. Both Chelsea and Manchester City of the Barclays Premier League are spending roughly $40 million per year on player transfers with this number looking to rise substantially because of the rising market value of players. Keep in mind these enormous sums do not include player salaries. These spending splurges make it difficult for other clubs to compete when they don’t have an owner who has a personal net worth of over $7 billion. The result is that lesser teams choose to take out loans to afford the players to make them competitive, resulting in the debt problems throughout soccer.
Manchester City is the perfect example of a team to show the flaws of the current system. They have an owner who has invested over $500 million over the past 2 years. They have players costing over $35 million that ride the bench and never play for the team. When the team doesn’t win, they just throw money at new players who they believe can play even better. They have a wage bill that exceeds the total revenue they bring in. Their seemingly unlimited spending has also driven up player costs for other perspective teams. In short, Manchester City is the definition of a team that is not at all sustainable and is also ruining the game. This past year they spent over $60 million for a single player.
On the other hand, Arsenal is a club in the Barclays Premier League that tries to do things right. They are the only team who consistently makes the European Champions League, has a wage bill less than one third of their total revenue, and has posted consecutive years of net profit. Their team strategy is one of youth. They buy the best young players when they are inexperienced and give them the opportunity to play every week, a rare occurrence for other top teams.
This strategy has been chided, mostly from those critics who believe that they will never win a trophy because their team lacks the experience and leadership needed to win. This has been true for the past 6 years in which Arsenal have failed to a trophy. The fans see these shortcomings and plead for a reinvestment of those earnings. The fans feel they need to pay for players with experience and leadership because Arsenal needs to start winning it all. Their manager went into the transfer market this summer to try to find those key players who he believed would put Arsenal over the edge. To his dismay, he found the market to be overpriced and unrealistic for a financially responsible club, returning with a few players under 20 years of age and a few former stars, with a history of injuries. This did little to comfort the fans, especially after players like up and coming midfield starlet Samir Nasri held the club for ransom and refused to sign a new contract. (He ended up at Manchester City for what was reported as double the salary Arsenal offered)
Arsenal’s fans, however, must be realistic. Every team cannot afford to spend the $80, $65, and $55 million Manchester City, Chelsea, and Manchester United respectively can and did this off-season. They are in a position to be both competitive and fiscally responsible, a situation most clubs would love to have. Spending an average of $1.5 million a year on transfers is much more respectable and impressive considering the $15 million other clubs in the top four of the Barclays Premier League choose to spend every year.
This large financial gap is why Arsenal consistently finds themselves punching above their weight. A team whose opening day lineup had 2 players over the age of 24 simply cannot compete with proven superstars in their prime. The past 6 years have shown that although they can be competitive, they just don’t have the resources to win it all. Despite their lack of league titles, I stand by Arsenal and their insistence to not be bullied into pouring money into an inflated and ridiculous transfer market. By creating a model that allows them to compete and be fiscally responsible, their approach is to be admired even if they do struggle to put together a championship team consistently.
Soccer needs to find a way to make their teams more accountable and create a certain element of equity in their league. If this continues, only be a handful of teams will be in competition for the title, and most of those teams will be unable to pay their bills. I am aware that UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) is starting to make a stand with financial fair play regulations, but it will not stop teams like Manchester City finding ways around the rules. They will find ways to put their owners money onto the playing field, and no team will be able to compete without incurring large amounts of debt. To remedy this, an independent accounting firm should be employed to access their accounts and ensure that teams aren’t spending money that they’re not making or going to make in the very near future. Otherwise, the soccer landscape will soon be filled with teams incurring insurmountable amounts of debt with no true way to address the issue.
Matthew Cirillo
Social Foundations of Coaching Class
University of Notre Dame Class of 2012
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Life Lessons Through Sport
Based off of personal experience and those of other athletes I have encountered, I have learned a variety of things through sport. At a young age, I was very active and involved in a variety of activities. By being engaged in multiple sports, it allowed me to be taught by different coaches, interact with an array of athletes, and discover myself through various situations.
As an adolescent the first sport I played was soccer. Since I was still young, I enjoyed playing soccer just to run around with my friends and have my parents cheer me on from the sideline. This physical activity gave me an energy release, acted as a confidence booster and was the beginning of my athletic career. As strange as it may sound, playing on my 5th grade soccer team is what ultimately led me to where I am today. It was my soccer coach who suggested I try out for his basketball team because of how tall and lean I was at a young age. This is where I initially learnt to embrace and understand the phrase “never give up”. When I first began playing basketball it was very intimidating because I had no idea how to play. In addition to beginning this new sport, the first team I joined was full of very talented players that had been playing since they first began to walk. At times, I felt discouraged because I could just play soccer, a sport I was good at, instead of being uncomfortable engaging in a sport I was terrible at. But to this day, I still remember coming home from each practice and my father reassuring me that I had the ability to do anything as long as I put my mind to it. I am very thankful to have such motivational parents that were able to help me develop a sense or urgency and drive at such a young age.
"The ultimate measure of a human being is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy."-Martin Luther King Jr.
I also believe the reason I have enjoyed playing basketball so much is because of the amazing people I have been so blessed to meet. From representing my country by playing on the Olympic team to travelling to over 10 different countries, basketball has opened many doors for me to grow as an athlete and a human being. With these many experiences I have learnt: “to whom much is given, much shall be required” (Luke 12:48). To me, basketball has expanded from a mere physical activity to a game I love and live for. A failure to take full advantage of these opportunities would be a waste of God’s given talents. I try to remember that each day is a blessing and because tomorrow is never guaranteed to anyone I must live today to the fullest. As long as I continue to look to improve with each occasion and to remain true to myself, the opportunities are endless.
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference.”
-Reinhold Niebuhr
Natalie Achonwa, ND '2014
Social Foundations of Coaching
ND Women's Basketball
As an adolescent the first sport I played was soccer. Since I was still young, I enjoyed playing soccer just to run around with my friends and have my parents cheer me on from the sideline. This physical activity gave me an energy release, acted as a confidence booster and was the beginning of my athletic career. As strange as it may sound, playing on my 5th grade soccer team is what ultimately led me to where I am today. It was my soccer coach who suggested I try out for his basketball team because of how tall and lean I was at a young age. This is where I initially learnt to embrace and understand the phrase “never give up”. When I first began playing basketball it was very intimidating because I had no idea how to play. In addition to beginning this new sport, the first team I joined was full of very talented players that had been playing since they first began to walk. At times, I felt discouraged because I could just play soccer, a sport I was good at, instead of being uncomfortable engaging in a sport I was terrible at. But to this day, I still remember coming home from each practice and my father reassuring me that I had the ability to do anything as long as I put my mind to it. I am very thankful to have such motivational parents that were able to help me develop a sense or urgency and drive at such a young age.
"The ultimate measure of a human being is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy."-Martin Luther King Jr.
I also believe the reason I have enjoyed playing basketball so much is because of the amazing people I have been so blessed to meet. From representing my country by playing on the Olympic team to travelling to over 10 different countries, basketball has opened many doors for me to grow as an athlete and a human being. With these many experiences I have learnt: “to whom much is given, much shall be required” (Luke 12:48). To me, basketball has expanded from a mere physical activity to a game I love and live for. A failure to take full advantage of these opportunities would be a waste of God’s given talents. I try to remember that each day is a blessing and because tomorrow is never guaranteed to anyone I must live today to the fullest. As long as I continue to look to improve with each occasion and to remain true to myself, the opportunities are endless.
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference.”
-Reinhold Niebuhr
Natalie Achonwa, ND '2014
Social Foundations of Coaching
ND Women's Basketball
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Little League Baseball Fun and Victory
Everyone has some moment in their lives that they remember and hold in great importance, yet to other people these memories may not seem that important. I will never forget my minor league baseball team when I was 9 years old. When you are a kid sports tend to be far more important than most other things in life. I have always been a very competitive person and this was true this season. We entered the season with dreams of winning the regular season championship. We were all new to the league and we all felt like we had just as good of a shot as anyone of winning. Then the games started.
We got destroyed with great regularity. We realized that we just were not as good as we had hoped. We lost almost every single game and they were not even close. We were focused all season on winning and if we lost we thought we failed. As the end of the season tournament started to approach we realized that we only had a few games left and that we just wanted to have as much fun as possible. What followed was like a cheesy Hollywood movie. We ended up running the table and winning the double elimination tournament undefeated. It was not that we practiced more and got better but instead that we just wanted to have fun. And, as any baseball player can attest to, having the right mentality is vital to success. We played carefree, wanting to do our best, but if we did not we shrugged it off and kept on going. I cannot say that we stopped caring about winning but instead that it was no longer the most important aspect of the game. It has showed me that winning should not be the focus and making sports fun should be. Sport can be a beautiful thing as long as we do not ruin it with what we impose on it.
Thomas Kostielney, ND Class of 2012
Social Foundations of Coaching
We got destroyed with great regularity. We realized that we just were not as good as we had hoped. We lost almost every single game and they were not even close. We were focused all season on winning and if we lost we thought we failed. As the end of the season tournament started to approach we realized that we only had a few games left and that we just wanted to have as much fun as possible. What followed was like a cheesy Hollywood movie. We ended up running the table and winning the double elimination tournament undefeated. It was not that we practiced more and got better but instead that we just wanted to have fun. And, as any baseball player can attest to, having the right mentality is vital to success. We played carefree, wanting to do our best, but if we did not we shrugged it off and kept on going. I cannot say that we stopped caring about winning but instead that it was no longer the most important aspect of the game. It has showed me that winning should not be the focus and making sports fun should be. Sport can be a beautiful thing as long as we do not ruin it with what we impose on it.
Thomas Kostielney, ND Class of 2012
Social Foundations of Coaching
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Special Olympics at Notre Dame
As a varsity athlete at the University of Notre Dame, I am constantly reminded to “Play Like a Champion Today.” As a student in professor Clark Power’s ethics class, I am obliged to question the meaning of such a credo. Too often, the definition of “Champion” is reduced to a mentality of winning at all cost and lacks any consideration of the type of character that merits such a title. Fortunately, the work of the Play Like a Champion Today program is replacing this conception with one that emphasizes an athlete’s physical, mental, social, moral and spiritual growth. While Special Olympics Notre Dame endeavors to promote similar values, we seek also to inspire a more fundamental inquiry. Namely, who should have the opportunity to be a “Champion?”
For the past 40 years, Special Olympics has extended people with intellectual disability the opportunity to engage in sports training and competition. Born of a single event involving athletes from two countries, Special Olympics competition is now found in over 180 countries with over 3 million athletes and 700,000+ volunteers. The most recent 20 years, have brought a growing shift in the sports engagement opportunities of Special Olympics. In addition to traditional competition and training strictly for people with intellectual disability, Special Olympics has enriched its offerings to include sport engagement involving people without intellectual disability not as coaches or support volunteers, but as teammates. In 2009, Special Olympics Unified Sports engaged 324,000 athletes with and without intellectual disabilities as teammates in countries around the world.
The effort now is to bring the power and fun of Unified Sports to university and college campuses. Last year, Special Olympics Notre Dame held the first collegiate unified event in the form of soccer game, in which two teams of athletes with and without intellectual disability participated in four weeks of practice and a game in the Notre Dame soccer stadium. The success of this game has motivated Special Olympics Notre Dame to present this model to colleges across the United States to allow for state, regional and eventually national intercollegiate inclusive soccer leagues.
The formation of a champion requires the opportunity to compete. Unfortunately, athletes with intellectual disabilities are often denied competitive venues, not because of their own physical limitation, but because of societal constraints. The average person regards Intellectual Disability with a paternalistic detachment. Although it is true that coaches and volunteers have something valuable to offer the athletes, the goal of the Inclusive Soccer is the expose the fact the athletes are the true teachers. The lesson is simple, yet profound – everyone can be a “Champion.” With the help of Play Like a Champion Today, Special Olympics Notre Dame is committed to using sport to promote both societal and personal growth. We look forward to watching the inclusive soccer program grow and ask that everyone help spread the word. To close, I will leave you with the Special Olympics motto: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
Ted Glasnow
Co-President, Special Olympics Notre Dame
SOND@nd.edu
For the past 40 years, Special Olympics has extended people with intellectual disability the opportunity to engage in sports training and competition. Born of a single event involving athletes from two countries, Special Olympics competition is now found in over 180 countries with over 3 million athletes and 700,000+ volunteers. The most recent 20 years, have brought a growing shift in the sports engagement opportunities of Special Olympics. In addition to traditional competition and training strictly for people with intellectual disability, Special Olympics has enriched its offerings to include sport engagement involving people without intellectual disability not as coaches or support volunteers, but as teammates. In 2009, Special Olympics Unified Sports engaged 324,000 athletes with and without intellectual disabilities as teammates in countries around the world.
The effort now is to bring the power and fun of Unified Sports to university and college campuses. Last year, Special Olympics Notre Dame held the first collegiate unified event in the form of soccer game, in which two teams of athletes with and without intellectual disability participated in four weeks of practice and a game in the Notre Dame soccer stadium. The success of this game has motivated Special Olympics Notre Dame to present this model to colleges across the United States to allow for state, regional and eventually national intercollegiate inclusive soccer leagues.
The formation of a champion requires the opportunity to compete. Unfortunately, athletes with intellectual disabilities are often denied competitive venues, not because of their own physical limitation, but because of societal constraints. The average person regards Intellectual Disability with a paternalistic detachment. Although it is true that coaches and volunteers have something valuable to offer the athletes, the goal of the Inclusive Soccer is the expose the fact the athletes are the true teachers. The lesson is simple, yet profound – everyone can be a “Champion.” With the help of Play Like a Champion Today, Special Olympics Notre Dame is committed to using sport to promote both societal and personal growth. We look forward to watching the inclusive soccer program grow and ask that everyone help spread the word. To close, I will leave you with the Special Olympics motto: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
Ted Glasnow
Co-President, Special Olympics Notre Dame
SOND@nd.edu
Monday, October 31, 2011
Notre Dame Football Strongman of Notre Dame, The Crown Jewel of Irish Legends
Read a great article written by Jim Sheridan on one a legendary "Notre Dame Man"
"More often than not college legends are measured by wins or touchdowns. Father Bernard Lange quietly made his mark by inspiring others to exceed well beyond their greatest expectations." To read the full article, go to
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/620911-notre-dame-strongman-father-langethe-crown-jewel-of-irish-legends
Enjoy the Article
"More often than not college legends are measured by wins or touchdowns. Father Bernard Lange quietly made his mark by inspiring others to exceed well beyond their greatest expectations." To read the full article, go to
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/620911-notre-dame-strongman-father-langethe-crown-jewel-of-irish-legends
Enjoy the Article
Thursday, October 27, 2011
CHAMPION
Dear Champions,
In our second class meeting, we discussed what it means to be a champion. By definition a champion is, “a person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition, specifically in sports.” However, a champion is made up of much more than just what he/she does on the playing field. A champion is made up of many different qualities that support their attained abilities to leave them far superior than others. To enhance the discussion of what the makeup of a champion is, I have created an acronym to describe each letter in the word ‘champion’ with a different quality that they should entail on their journey to success.
C Confidence: A champion must have confidence within their ability, their teammates, coaches, and in the God-given talent that God has gratefully thrust upon them.
H Humble: A champion must respect themselves and their opponents graciously. They must respect their ability and never take it for granted. They should express gratitude to those who assist them in their success and thrive with them.
A Attitude: As a champion, one must have a positive attitude throughout their career and understand that there will be good and bad days along with wins and losses, they must keep getting better and continue to encourage others around them.
M Mental Toughness: As a champion, the game is half mental along with being half physical. As a champion you must attain the mental toughness to persevere through the obstacles that will come with the demands of your sport. Being mentally tough is a hard task, but those who are able to attain it become successful on the playing field and also in life.
P Passion: As a champion, one must have the passion for the game. All the hard work and dedication should be out of the love and pride you have every time you participate in your sport. When an athlete can go out and love what they do every single day it makes the game more enjoyable and it also makes it easier to become successful.
I Idol: Champions, nowadays, are seen in the public eye much more than ever before. When being a role model for the ones around you, it is important that you maintain all the qualities that got you to so much success and maintain them throughout your personal life. It is those people who can maintain those attributes that will be able to thrive in life and continue success after their careers are over.
O Open-Minded: A champion has to be open to new ideas, they can never settle. Hard work pays off, and when you continue to gain success it will continue to pay off. A champion has to be the one who stands out in wanting to get better. Champions have to want to be a champion all the time and have to continue their journey every single day.
N Noble: As a champion, it becomes more than just athletically performing. As a champion one must have the noble and morally just qualities of a champion every day, because that is what will never be forgotten. It is the character behind the success that will always stick out.
In all, being a champion is a task that takes time to achieve, and as one attains more success it brings more challenges to get better. It becomes the character behind the champion that contributes to the most success. Many people see the athlete for what they are on the playing field, but CHAMPIONS are made with moral qualities that build to success on the playing field, and that will never change!
Kayla McBride, ND Women's Basketball, ND 2014
Coaching Blog, Social Foundations of Coaching Course
Professor Sheehan/Professor Power
In our second class meeting, we discussed what it means to be a champion. By definition a champion is, “a person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition, specifically in sports.” However, a champion is made up of much more than just what he/she does on the playing field. A champion is made up of many different qualities that support their attained abilities to leave them far superior than others. To enhance the discussion of what the makeup of a champion is, I have created an acronym to describe each letter in the word ‘champion’ with a different quality that they should entail on their journey to success.
C Confidence: A champion must have confidence within their ability, their teammates, coaches, and in the God-given talent that God has gratefully thrust upon them.
H Humble: A champion must respect themselves and their opponents graciously. They must respect their ability and never take it for granted. They should express gratitude to those who assist them in their success and thrive with them.
A Attitude: As a champion, one must have a positive attitude throughout their career and understand that there will be good and bad days along with wins and losses, they must keep getting better and continue to encourage others around them.
M Mental Toughness: As a champion, the game is half mental along with being half physical. As a champion you must attain the mental toughness to persevere through the obstacles that will come with the demands of your sport. Being mentally tough is a hard task, but those who are able to attain it become successful on the playing field and also in life.
P Passion: As a champion, one must have the passion for the game. All the hard work and dedication should be out of the love and pride you have every time you participate in your sport. When an athlete can go out and love what they do every single day it makes the game more enjoyable and it also makes it easier to become successful.
I Idol: Champions, nowadays, are seen in the public eye much more than ever before. When being a role model for the ones around you, it is important that you maintain all the qualities that got you to so much success and maintain them throughout your personal life. It is those people who can maintain those attributes that will be able to thrive in life and continue success after their careers are over.
O Open-Minded: A champion has to be open to new ideas, they can never settle. Hard work pays off, and when you continue to gain success it will continue to pay off. A champion has to be the one who stands out in wanting to get better. Champions have to want to be a champion all the time and have to continue their journey every single day.
N Noble: As a champion, it becomes more than just athletically performing. As a champion one must have the noble and morally just qualities of a champion every day, because that is what will never be forgotten. It is the character behind the success that will always stick out.
In all, being a champion is a task that takes time to achieve, and as one attains more success it brings more challenges to get better. It becomes the character behind the champion that contributes to the most success. Many people see the athlete for what they are on the playing field, but CHAMPIONS are made with moral qualities that build to success on the playing field, and that will never change!
Kayla McBride, ND Women's Basketball, ND 2014
Coaching Blog, Social Foundations of Coaching Course
Professor Sheehan/Professor Power
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Fun, Growth, and Success in Minor Hockey
My youngest 8-year-old brother, Matthew, has just begun playing hockey competitively on a traveling team, and I am so excited for him! After beginning and learning the game in house league during the past two years, so far, according to my parents, the transition onto a more competitive team has been positive for him. His skills and confidence are improving in leaps and bounds. I am disappointed that I cannot be at home right now to witness Matthew’s rapid progression and growth and the joy he is gaining from his new hockey experience, but I enjoy hearing about it weekly from my parents on the phone.
Based on the conversations I have had with my parents about Matthew’s hockey journey thus far this season, I think his positive experience with the sport and team is primarily being shaped by his coaches. Despite coaching a competitive traveling team, it seems as though the coaches have made it a priority to create a fun team environment focused on loving the game and fundamental skill development, rather than winning. The team’s season began at the end of August with a lot of uncertainty, as the team welcomed several new, more inexperienced players like Matthew. With many challenges and much to learn, the team lost four out of its first five games. However, as a result of the coaches’ emphasis on fun, the players are forming strong friendships with one another, are working extremely hard on the ice (the hardest working bunch of kids my parents say they’ve ever seen), and now, in fact, are rapidly improving and more consistently winning. This past weekend, the team was the finalist of a large tournament and, to reach the final game, beat a team 1-0 that they had previously lost to 5-3 – impressive improvement indeed!
I talked to my dad, a long-time hockey player who’s coached many minor league hockey teams himself before, about what he thinks the coaches are doing to make the hockey team experience fun for the kids. First of all, he said that the coaches are not ego-centered and that their attitude is “It’s all about the kids!” They are excited to be at the rink, which makes the kids excited too and intrinsically motivated to work hard. As well, he said that the coaches ensure that the players have equal playing time and also give them the opportunity to play different positions. Matthew, specifically, has greatly enjoyed being moved occasionally from his traditional defensive position to forward, and it’s made a positive difference in the development of his skills and sport-sense.
The benefit of allowing kids to play different positions in athletics can also be seen in my late-blooming 19-year-old hockey-playing brother, Paul. Paul was a left-winger most of the time growing up, but still had the opportunity to play defense occasionally. More recently, after a huge growth spurt, he has specialized at defense on his Jr. A team and is excelling. He will most likely have the opportunity to pursue an NCAA hockey scholarship beginning next year.
The success and positive experiences that my family, especially my youngest brother Matthew, is having with hockey can be attributed to coaches who promote fun and the love of the game and who care about children’s growth and personal development – coaches who adopt coaching styles consistent with the Play Like a Champion Today GROW approach. Thank you to all the youth coaches out there who adopt this style of coaching! You are truly making a positive difference in the lives of the kids you coach!
Natalie Geiger, ND 2012
Social Foundations of Coaching Class
Based on the conversations I have had with my parents about Matthew’s hockey journey thus far this season, I think his positive experience with the sport and team is primarily being shaped by his coaches. Despite coaching a competitive traveling team, it seems as though the coaches have made it a priority to create a fun team environment focused on loving the game and fundamental skill development, rather than winning. The team’s season began at the end of August with a lot of uncertainty, as the team welcomed several new, more inexperienced players like Matthew. With many challenges and much to learn, the team lost four out of its first five games. However, as a result of the coaches’ emphasis on fun, the players are forming strong friendships with one another, are working extremely hard on the ice (the hardest working bunch of kids my parents say they’ve ever seen), and now, in fact, are rapidly improving and more consistently winning. This past weekend, the team was the finalist of a large tournament and, to reach the final game, beat a team 1-0 that they had previously lost to 5-3 – impressive improvement indeed!
I talked to my dad, a long-time hockey player who’s coached many minor league hockey teams himself before, about what he thinks the coaches are doing to make the hockey team experience fun for the kids. First of all, he said that the coaches are not ego-centered and that their attitude is “It’s all about the kids!” They are excited to be at the rink, which makes the kids excited too and intrinsically motivated to work hard. As well, he said that the coaches ensure that the players have equal playing time and also give them the opportunity to play different positions. Matthew, specifically, has greatly enjoyed being moved occasionally from his traditional defensive position to forward, and it’s made a positive difference in the development of his skills and sport-sense.
The benefit of allowing kids to play different positions in athletics can also be seen in my late-blooming 19-year-old hockey-playing brother, Paul. Paul was a left-winger most of the time growing up, but still had the opportunity to play defense occasionally. More recently, after a huge growth spurt, he has specialized at defense on his Jr. A team and is excelling. He will most likely have the opportunity to pursue an NCAA hockey scholarship beginning next year.
The success and positive experiences that my family, especially my youngest brother Matthew, is having with hockey can be attributed to coaches who promote fun and the love of the game and who care about children’s growth and personal development – coaches who adopt coaching styles consistent with the Play Like a Champion Today GROW approach. Thank you to all the youth coaches out there who adopt this style of coaching! You are truly making a positive difference in the lives of the kids you coach!
Natalie Geiger, ND 2012
Social Foundations of Coaching Class
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