Change is going to happen, did you cause it or are you the cause?

It’s funny how one day I am contemplating what makes me giggle then the next I am knee deep in the discussion of why we make changes. The word change evokes multitudes of thoughts. It can be as simple as the stuff we keep in the console of our cars or what we need to do with our clothes after a hard workout but the change I am speaking about is the paradigm shift that is occurring with the FSC tennis team. Change is part of life and happens every day but as a society we like things as our perceived normal and really don’t embrace it when something takes us out of our comfort zone. I am a creature of habit. I coach in a laid back style with most of my process being done on the practice court and through conversation with my players. This style has worked for me well but over the last couple years I have become too comfortable and putting the emphasis on what the players wanted to do versus what they probably needed to do. Being a realist I also decided that if they truly wanted to make changes with where they were they would initiate the process on their own. I was wrong. We have steadily declined in the national rankings over the past 3 years and that has not settled well with me. I really hate losing but really hate not reaching the full potential that I see available in my team. This led me to research my methods and see what I could do to help facilitate a change in the direction the team is headed. As creatures of habit change is a painful and not always fun process. We get comfortable with where we are and the way we approach what we do. We always feel that we are doing everything we can do and that maybe we just don’t have what it takes to make the next step. When we are honest with ourselves we know that there is more we can do, we know we can work harder, and we know that there are sacrifices we can make. But, damn that word, we then think what happens when I make those changes and I still don’t succeed? That in itself is one of the main reasons we stop right there. The fear of failure when we step out of the comfort zone keeps us from changing. If we keep the status quo we can justify our failure but as soon as we put in the extra’s and still fail what is the excuse then? That’s the problem; there then are no excuses and we must admit we failed. Change will happen but it doesn’t mean it creates success. Sometimes change teaches us that we need to make other changes but failure isn’t the problem. Failure is a great teacher because when the pain is great enough we will change out of necessity. The FSC men’s tennis team is my job and I too enjoy being comfortable. The process of changing the way I approach coaching is one of the most challenging and uncomfortable things I am currently tackling. I want my team to be as successful as they are capable of being but more importantly I want them to be as successful as they think they can be when they know they have done the work necessary. If I fail as a coach I can live with that when I know I have done everything possible to be successful. Sometimes success isn’t the wins or losses but getting people to become uncomfortable and realizing their comfort zone can be moved and that in time they will be better.

Things that make you giggle

Some days we see things that baffle us, amaze us, or just make us giggle. This past week I had a couple of those moments and boy do they make you glad to be a part of society. The first was the senior citizen couple on their Harley I saw Thursday. They were just enjoying a great Thursday morning ride. They had the wind in their hair, or at least her hair, and no worries about what was going on in the world today. They turned off the highway with the women’s hands flying through the breeze like a kid with his hand out the window and the world they had created in front of them. Friday on campus was fairly uneventful. The barn was my first stop of the day and once the horses were fed it was time to head to FSC. The only thing that had any importance for work on this particular day was the team meeting to introduce the men to what they could expect. College campuses are a great place to keep a smile on your face. People watching is almost as good as the mall or airports because the youth do amazing things and the older folks like me also do some amazing things just to try and keep up. One of the best examples of putting a grin on my face happened as I was leaving campus for the afternoon. It also made me feel really good about becoming older and still having an eye for the ladies. Not for any other reason than just knowing that I will find them pretty. Here is how it went down. Two young ladies were walking towards the cafeteria while two male students and a father were walking towards the library. The son was giving his father a tour of the campus when they crossed the path of the two co-eds. The two guys just kept on strolling through discussing the buildings but the dad; the dad did a complete 180 and strained to get a look at the two ladies as they strolled by. The old geezer was just truly checking out the girls and more than likely dreaming of days gone by. I walked out to my car and I think I smiled all the way home. The last thing that really made me giggle happened Saturday morning on the way to the golf tournament. Is it really a golf tournament when you are there to hit and giggle with your dad and brother? We want to win but really when they have coolers of beer every 3 holes we definitely have a major handicap. We shot 8 under but really don’t have a clue where we finished. That however is not why I am telling this story. On the way to the course I had to stop at the ATM to fill the pockets for the day’s events. Going to the ATM at your local bank is really an easy process. Pull up to the kiosk, put your card in, press the buttons, get your money and then haul ass. Well, the lady in front of me decided to make the process a whole lot more difficult. She pulled up, rolled down her window, and then opened her door. Okay, no problem, she couldn’t reach the buttons from where she was. She was going to get out to handle her transaction. No, she got out and then stuck her head through the window and used the ATM. I actually couldn’t believe what I was seeing so I contemplated taking a picture. After 3 minutes I had contemplated enough and snapped a picture just so I could have proof. Yes, it’s now on facebook, instagram, and twitter. I took out her license tag out but really, I needed that laugh at 8:00 am in the morning. We all find pleasure or awe in different things. Sometimes two different people find two different emotions from the same thing. Don’t walk with your head down, there is too much out there to see.

A low key Thursday

The meetings are now done and that can only mean it is time to get down to the business at hand. The funny thing about that is that we cannot actually start practice until next Tuesday. This NCAA mandated delay really has dampened the excitement the team has surrounding it. They have decided that they will begin their workouts tomorrow through Sunday to enable them to stay on track. As a coach this is exciting and calming as this means motivation should not be a problem. The gauntlet has been laid down by the players for me as well. I too will begin the process of getting back in shape and will start tomorrow as well. Today was horse transport day as Brianna had her weekly lesson this afternoon. The way it works now that we are back to work is that I take the horse she is using to Mrs. Kathy’s barn on my way to work, drop it and the trailer off, and pick both up on my way home. Today was pretty non-descript minus the cool retirees on their Harley. They pulled up beside me while we were cruising down hwy 60 and looked over the horse for about a mile then pulled up beside me and gave me two thumbs up. They looked so adorable on their bike just cruising enjoying the day. The wife was very animated on the back and that just put the biggest smile on my face. Johnnie didn’t really like sitting in traffic out on the highway while the repaving was occurring. It feels good to be back into the normal working day. The addition of the barn really hasn’t affected much because we are used to getting up early. The only thing that’s really different for me is that I don’t get to hang out on my off time as much as I used to. I actually kind of like the new responsibility as I am learning more everyday how important my time is. There is no wasted time anymore and I am getting more done as my dilly dally time has been cut drastically. It’s only 10:23 and I don’t have anything else to do so I am going to bed a little earlier. I’ll let you know how the workout went tomorrow and any other interesting things that occur from my perspective. Hug your loved ones and never take them for granted. In a blink of an eye what was your normal can be taken away and your regrets become your memories.

Can the positive vibe stay around for 4 months?

The year at FSC is now underway. The freshmen have been moved in, the orientation events have been completed, and the athletic meetings are almost complete. For the tennis programs the pain, I mean the conditioning, begins in earnest on Tuesday. It is weird to see the attitude of the players as they embark on this new season. I am so impressed with the beginning desire of the guys and it is my wish and my goal that the attitude that is presently being displayed continues through these next tough months. There will be great moments and there will be tough moments but in the end the effort will produce the results they are worthy of with the effort they put in. Since the race on Sunday I have finally stopped feeling sore but man, Monday and Tuesday were a little tough on my 40 year old body. I will not use that as an excuse but it sure seems like a reasonable explanation to the soreness I was feeling for an afternoon trail ride. The actual first race of the harescramble season isn’t until September 23 so I have plenty of time to toughen up a little before the real battle begins. On the tennis front, I had a chance to talk with Tony today and he is all in for being my personal coach during my comeback training in pursuit of the national 40’s ranking. On a completely random thought for the day, I haven’t had a haircut since the beginning of April. I usually get my hair cut every three to four weeks but since this summer really wasn’t normal I just stopped going. Well one thing has led to another and I have decided to attach my next haircut to a personal goal. I have had a goal to get to 180 pounds and was heading that direction at the beginning of the summer but do to a new direction, the barn; I actually gained about 15 pounds. I weighed at the team physicals last night and came in at 199.6. Tomorrow I am going to make a bet with my team and if I get down to 180 pounds I may let them shave my head or maybe we will all shave our heads. It’s kind of funny because my hair really isn’t that long but I have received more compliments for having my hair “long”. Lastly, I have determined that the only important thing to watch on the news is the weather forecast. The rest is just a well scripted negative spin on everything possible. Why do we enjoy being scared? Why do we like being told how bad things are? Why don’t we enjoy positive stories? Obviously we must enjoy the negative because if we didn’t they wouldn’t broadcast all the negative stories. Just my opinion but hey, it’s my story.

Be prepared but be ready to change

The word preparation is something we use in athletics a lot. We get ourselves in shape to handle the stresses of our chosen sport and prepare our skills to be the best we can be during our competitions. We also use preparation in the education setting as well as in the world of business. The past four days have led me to use preparation in all those elements and also taught me how important preparation is once we get older. Friday was the Pod’s 10th birthday and she got to spend it hanging out with me at the barn and FSC before enjoying a great birthday dinner at Manny’s. She and I were getting our day ready while heading to FSC and we were talking about where we wanted to eat lunch. She is the funniest little kid because nothing is too good for her. I told her since it was her birthday she could choose where we ate. As we motored towards Lakeland she pondered her choices and informed me she wanted to go to Krystal. Yes, that is right she wanted to eat at the little burger shop. I even suggested we go to Jimmy John’s but she felt like since we just ate there we should go someplace else. Lunch would have to wait because even though we had our office plans prepared those in power had a different set of plans once we arrived on campus. As soon as we hit the doors the AD grabbed me and said we needed to go to the city courts to look at their court canopies to make sure something like that would work on our beautiful new facility. We diverted from our original plans and went to the courts. Job done, we thought, but the next thing we knew we were at our new complex looking at it and confirming our findings from our trip to the city. Once we finished we decided to head to our Daddy/daughter lunch at Krystal and regroup. We discussed my work schedule and how you must be flexible and ready to move in a different direction at the drop of a hat. She thought it was funny how we hadn’t even been into the office and had already worked around the campus for a few hours. After we finished our delicious little burgers we actually went back to the office to do a little work. Dinner was the next thing on our agenda and Michelle had planned on Manny’s for over a week. We had called to confirm our number and when we all arrived at 5:30; the restaurant was not ready for us. Oh well, the salad, rolls, and steak made me forget about the inconvenience they had caused due to their lack of preparation. Saturday brought about a little excitement in the Heath house because it was the first time in over a year that we were getting packed up to head to a race. We all got up and went out to take care of the horses and then it was back to go through the checklist of items needed for the trip. We hadn’t done this in so long we had to go back to basics and really think about what we needed to take. We had our room reservation, we had the vehicle, the trailer, and the bike, but what else did we need? At noon we loaded up in the Expedition with race trailer in tow and began the drive up to the Lochloosa State Park for the first endure of the season. I had decided that I wanted to sign up in a row near the back because I knew I needed some space to get my bike legs and feel back. Luckily, I was able to get a decent row near the back so we unhooked the trailer and headed back to Ocala for a nice evening in the Comfort Suites. We normally travel with Brianna but she had decided, and I was really proud of her, to stay home so she could work with her horses Saturday evening and Sunday. The only good thing about her staying at home is that we can eat seafood without worrying about her allergies. We take her with us when we are going to seafood restaurants but we usually don’t choose to eat at them because of her potential reaction. We gorged on some good seafood and then curled up to a very funny movie. Tomorrow would be where the lack of preparation would rear its ugly head. Sunday came and it started out as such a great day. We packed up and headed down for a good breakfast in the lobby. We headed out to make the 35 minute drive back to the track and got there just in time to set up and get to the rider’s meeting at 8:15. So far all my pre-race preparation as related to equipment was spot on. Jason and I were set to leave the start line at 9:35 for our 60 mile race. Three stages of 18, 24, and 18 miles made up the course for the day. I had already determined that I was going to just ride to get my feel back and when the clock struck the appropriate minute we headed out. The first 18 miles went pretty smoothly. I got a little arm weary mid-way through but soldiered on and lost just enough points to be disappointed. Before the second stage began I ate a snack and drank just enough to prepare me for the next torture test. The second loop was going to be tight and long but I felt like I was ready. After about 5 miles into the second stage I was ready for it to be over. After 12 miles I was riding pretty well but was getting exhausted because the stage was just so tight and my thinking was a little slower than it needed to be. About 19 miles in I think I hit the wall. I felt that at any moment I was going to break out into full cramping. By the way, it is very hard to stretch while balancing on two wheels while trying to navigate around trees that are 33 inches apart. It was also at this point that I realized I had drunk all the water that was in my camelback so the last 5 miles was just sheer determination and possibly some stupidity. I finally reached the finish and dropped quite a few points but really didn’t care. I just wanted to drink and eat before the last stage. I ate a 6 inch sub, and maybe 4 bottles of water but I knew my racing was over. The last stage was just going to be a nice trail ride to get more time on the bike. Right before we went out for the last loop the bottom dropped out. Oh neat, not only have I not ridden in a year I was going to get to ride in a downpour. Well, amazingly the rain stopped right before we got to the line so the course should have great traction. As I began my 18 mile putter around the woods I just knew I wasn’t racing for a high finish but just a finish would be good enough. With 10 miles to go I was done physically and mentally but I had one more test presented to me. It started to rain, no that’s too light; it actually started to pour, and it never stopped. The course turned into a swamp and vision became pretty much nonexistent. I was determined to make my goggles last as long as possible but this would turn into a futile effort that I lost with about one mile to go. Before that I had cleared a couple of check points and they had wiped off the goggles for me so that I could plod along a little further. When I cleared the last check the gentleman was so polite and told me I only had 5 miles to go. I thought that I would just breeze through but for some reason that 5 miles could have easily been a full marathon. I finally crossed the finish line, I think, and headed back to the trailer to start the drying process. The rain never stopped so we got loaded up and dried as much as possible. The day was awesome even though my results were subpar. I don’t know if they were actually that bad considering I hadn’t ridden in over a year, my physical preparation was nonexistent, and I rode in a driving rainstorm for 10 miles. I was pleased because I completed the 60 miles and could walk and drive myself home. Today was my first official day at FSC for the new school year and I had prepared to show up around 10:30 since I had barn duty in the morning. The best laid plans are just that, plans, and mine changed when I got to the barn and realized that we had a mower back on property. This meant that I could finally use the manure spreader and get rid of our rapidly growing manure pile. I finally got to the office and was prepared to get some good work done but I should have prepared to talk to returning players and new players the entire day because that was how my day unfolded. It is great hearing about people’s summers and what they are expecting for the new year. I am prepared for Tuesday so we will see if my plans come to fruition or if I will have to adjust on the fly once again.

At least Moe's was good

After the last two days today would just be a normal day in my life. Brianna got picked up from the barn around 8:45 so that she could hang out one more time with her great-grandparents before the new school year starts. She also was going to get her hair trimmed since it has been about one year since the last time she sat in a salon chair. She is very hesitant to get her hair cut because they always want to cut more off than she wants. Today she was adamant that she was only getting the tips trimmed and went so far to have her ggpa sit behind her to make sure they abided by her wishes. I headed to FSC to handle a little paperwork and see any players that may have come back early. The best laid plans are just that, plans and boy do plans change. I got to school and grabbed the paperwork I needed to fill out and as I moved my way down to my office I ran into an old friend and recent intern at FSC. Tommy Chasanoff was stopping by to visit and immediately invited me to go to lunch with him, Kevin the trainer, and Tim the assistant SID. You just cannot pass up moments like that. Tommy is a great kid who has a neat perspective on things and plus it is fun to occasionally shoot the shit with some good guys. Once we got back from lunch I headed off to my meeting which started promptly and ended promptly. I spoke with Trish, the women’s tennis coach, packed up my stuff and headed back to Babson Park to pick up Brianna for the big teacher introduction day at the elementary school. That’s right; I guess I went to Lakeland today for one 30 minute meeting and lunch with some good conversation. At least it is early in the year and I have my stuff together so wasting an afternoon really wasn’t all that bad. Once I got back to BP I met up with Michelle and Brianna and we excitedly headed to the school to meet her teachers for her last year at the elementary school. For Michelle and me this is a weird year for us. We have been actively involved in Babson Park Elementary since my little brother and sister went there and one of them has just graduated from college and the other is a senior in college this year. After this year we will not have any reason to go back on the campus for the first time in almost 12 years. We met her teachers and decided we would have a nice dinner as a family before we headed out to the barn for the evening feeding. That is a rare occurrence when we actually eat before the horses do. Tonight was one of those nights and after a five star meal at Fat Boy’s we quickly knocked out the nightly chores and got home so that we could prepare for the upcoming weekend. Now the fun begins. I haven’t been on a motorcycle in a year but really want to compete well in the harescramble series so we are packing up to hit the first endure of the year up in Lochloosa. I am going to blame Jason Croley for this one because I was pondering it but he pushed me over the edge when he called the other night to ask if I would be interested in riding it with him. For those that are competitive you understand that training for your particular event usually makes for a better performance. Yeah, I’m not even close but I’ve got to start somewhere. The race is going to be 60 miles so I guess my feet will be wet by the time I’m done and I’m sure there will be some sore muscles and other areas on the body that I will not mention at this time. I am really excited to throw my leg back over the bike but really don’t have any expectations except I want to start getting the feel back so that I can once again be competitive while dashing through the woods. Oh yeah, one last thing, people are crazy but enjoy the ride because you too are one of those people as we all are.

Another day with the Pod. I could get used to this.

Who says lightning can’t strike twice? Yesterday was a great day with Brianna and today it happened again. Even though our lives take us to different areas there are times when the paths do cross and it is at that moment I remember how lucky I am to have Brianna in my life. She rolls with the flow so well and her diversification to enjoy so many different things continually astounds me. Early this morning, about 6:15, we were out at the barn taking care of the things we needed to take care of. The three of us breezed through our tasks and then it was time to disperse. Michelle headed to work and Brianna and I loaded up the trailer with Yonka to head to her back to back lessons. By 7:30 the two of us were sitting at a different barn preparing the horse for the next couple hours of work. Okay, she was preparing the horse I was just sitting in the shade anticipating the next part of the day. By 11:30 we were back at H&W Stables unloading the horse and heading off to the house to quickly change clothes. Brianna was introduced to golf a couple of years ago and has sporadically played when she can. I can’t figure out what the draw to it is for her but it is cool that she and I can go out and do something together and be “competitive” with one another. With her enjoying a round of golf occasionally, usually 9 holes for her, it happened last summer that we were looking online at the virtual view of Southern Dunes and she became transfixed with playing the course. Well, summer went by and we never got the opportunity to hit the tough links the course has to offer. In a weird twist, at another golf tournament early this summer I won a foursome at, yes you guessed it, Southern Dunes. When I told her she was so excited and couldn’t wait to pull out the clubs. Summer swept by and with other things taking precedence it couldn’t happen until today. She rushed into the house, put on her best outfit for golfing and even wanted to wear her brand new shoes to play at this special course she had only seen on the internet. Our tee time was for 2:12 but by 2:00 we were getting ready to bomb drives off the first tee. Southern Dunes is a beautiful course and really seems quite manageable if you stay out of the bunkers. We finished the front nine and her only comment was that she wasn’t going to stop until she hit a drive she liked. On the eleventh hole she burned a drive and I said “you nailed that one, is that going to be all for you?” Her response was simply, “no, this is too much fun and I just don’t want to quit.” Some shots were good and there were moments of very slow play but man I wouldn’t have traded it for much of anything. We finished the last hole and I asked her if she was tired and she looked at me and said that she was sad. “Why,” I asked and she said as serious as possible, “I am a little tired but do you think they would let us play again?” I told her that we would try to come back but what she actually meant was that she wanted to know if they would let us play again today. I guess she really did enjoy her round of golf. Tomorrow ends my two day run of hanging with the Pod but I will play pictures of the days in my mind as I get set to delve deeply into my new season. We will have special moments throughout the next 8 months but these past two days are just what I needed. I’m sure she knows I love her but with these last couple of days I really got to show her because it was just us doing the things we needed to and wanted to and just enjoying the moments we got to share. I’m not always around or the best parent but I always try to let her know I love her every day. Whether it’s your children, spouse, or family members make sure they know you love them every day. Just telling them doesn’t always cut it. Sometimes the simplest of gestures make the largest impressions. Thanks Brianna, I love you and thoroughly enjoy spending my free time and not so free time with you.

A special day with the Pod just doing normal things

The littlest things sometimes create the greatest joy. Today was one of those days. It is on a very rare occasion, yes that is a sad statement, which I get the opportunity to spend a day with Brianna where we are not at one of our events or busy with just day to day experiences. We started early at the barn and with her help we finished up 15 minutes quicker than normal. She hurriedly got changed so we could go to a kid’s favorite place; the dentist. After a quick cleaning and two already loose teeth pulled she actually left with a smile on her face although she had two gauzes implanted firmly to her gums to soak up the leftover blood. Once the business end of her day was completed we headed to FSC to start my business. How do you get a kid to handle office situations like a champ? You promise to take her to her favorite sub shop after the work is over. Taking Brianna to work is always like show and tell. Since we live so far away the family rarely gets over to FSC to meet and greet. After filling out paperwork, twice since I messed up the first time, we headed off to lunch. It is great seeing the excitement of a little girl and when we pulled into the parking lot next to Jimmy John’s Brianna was smiling from ear to ear, with two less teeth, almost drooling in anticipation for her Slim 2. It’s not that the sandwiches are special it’s that they are a treat and sometimes that is all that matters. We talked about life, bread choices, and salt and vinegar potato chips. After enjoying our freaky fast subs we decided that we would head to Orlando and hit the adidas outlet for our school shoes. Yes, I need school shoes as well and since we are under contract with adidas at FSC it makes sense that the family also wear the brand. Brianna is at that odd stage where kids’ shoes and women’s’ shoes merge. Although her choices were limited she found two snazzy pair and was so excited when I told her she could get both pair. I found two pair as well and got some fresh new coaching shorts along with 4 pairs of socks. We were both amazed at how crowded the outlets were and how many international people were shopping there. I joked that since we were out shoe shopping we should go get a mani/pedi and she said that she would pass because that just wasn’t for her. After we extricated ourselves from the parking garage we hit the hwy towards Babson Park to end the day where we started. Both of us were hoping we could beat the weather so that she could ride her horse but the weather got the best of us. With her positive attitude she simply stated that it was okay because the rain would be good for the rain and the soil. It’s funny; before we owned the barn we looked at rain in a completely different way. It is now deemed a money saver versus an inconvenience. Today was a great day with my Pea Pod. I am lucky that I get to have these every so often. In a weird phenomenon I get to do it again tomorrow. We have horseback lessons early then we are hitting up Southern Dunes for a little golf. Having a child that rolls with the flow is such a cool experience.

Horses, People, Feherty, and Entertainment

As I go through my day I contemplate what is going to strike me when I sit down to put my thou ghts on this piece of paper. Most of the time what I think I am going to write about just slips out of my mind and a random thought enters and the writing begins. It is no different this evening. I sat down to enjoy some cuddle time with Michelle, both of us working on our computer, and we realized there was nothing good on the television so we decided to watch one of the many shows we have DVR’d throughout the past few months. Tonight’s choice was the season premiere of Feherty which made me think about what entertains us. We all find entertainment in different ways. As I reflect on today I kept myself entertained a multitude of times. I am going to run through some of them and as you scroll through see if you also find entertainment in some of these same ways. Today started at the barn taking care of the horses. Now, don’t get me wrong, I know shoveling poop isn’t always glamorous but it is amazing what horses can accomplish in a 12x12 stall from night time until the morning feeding. Seeing my pet dove, Eugene, coming in to eat, the barn cat running to hide, he is very anti-social, and then the tranquility of the morning mixed with the smell of poop is just a really good experience. After finishing up it was time to head to FSC to knock out some early year work, catching up on email, which means my daily stop at either Circle K or Race Trac. Convenient stores are great places to people watch on the go. Today was no different. My drive to work has now become a massive construction zone. From the time I get on Hwy 60 until I pass Edgewood Drive in Lakeland it is all construction of one type or another. This leads to workers and slow times at one of the three stores I can stop at on the way to work. Today was one of the road crews having their break at the same time I needed to get my Polar Pop from Circle K. The most interesting part of the stop was the guy that came in, purchased a pack of cigarettes, a drink, and $2.48 worth of gas for his mid 90’s F150. Not even one gallon of gas but he got his smokes. Once the drink was securely in my cup holder I needed to finish the trip to FSC so up Hwy 98 I went. FSC is also going through a construction phase which is amazing and somewhat inconvenient but for progress to occur there must be a little inconvenience. This is when the entertainment becomes personal. There are multi-million dollar projects going on all over campus and the end product is going to be beautiful and people are still complaining that they can’t do certain things or get to certain areas. Why are we so impatient? For God’s sake, we complain because we feel that improvements need to be made and they come to fruition and then we complain because we are either inconvenienced or the project isn’t what we wanted. Just listening to people complain, maybe that is too strong of a word, is fun. Sometimes prodding them along adds to my joy for the day. That seems kind of cold but if people are going to give me what I want I am going to push to get my fill. After scrolling through all my old email I headed home but first I had to have some lunch around 4:30. Yes, I forgot to stop and eat so I decided I wanted a Peach milkshake so it was off to Chic-fil-A. I know, they are under a fire storm for the stance of their COO and the comments he made. Whatever, we all have opinions and that shake was damn good. Does that mean I support them because I like their milkshakes? I hope not. I hope it means I like their food and nothing more because I also like adidas shoes and they are made in sweat shops in Asia. Oops, I digressed from being entertained but I also find our taking everyone so seriously very entertaining as well. Well, Feherty is over and it was really funny. He is politically incorrect so if you can’t stomach it please don’t watch it because you will be offended and we will all have to hear about it. Oh wait, complain about it and somewhere, someone will be entertained by your diatribe just as I am on a daily basis.

Don't forget to set your alarms Teachers!!

Oh no, my summer is gone! That is the phrase being said tonight by almost every teacher in Polk County as the realization that tomorrow morning they will trudge, I mean gleefully, head off to their classrooms for the first official day of preparation. It seems that in early June the summer will last forever and then it happens; that moment you realize that your time on the sofa, sleeping late, or whatever it is that you enjoy doing while not standing at the white board is over. Many of us have starts that jolt us back to our norms. Why do they sneak up on us? We know the day is coming but we are still shocked that it actually occurs. Maybe we are not shocked as much as disappointed that our free time is over. Maybe it’s because we had so much fun doing our family outings or traveling to destinations of our choice that we are sad they are coming to an end or perhaps it’s because we didn’t do what we had said we were going to do with the free time we knew we had. Sometimes I think the actual reason is because the teachers are going back to a job in which they are unappreciated, underpaid, and looked at to make miracles happen to kids that don’t care or come from families that don’t care. What ever the reason tomorrow morning is a sad occasion for thousands around the county. A week from now our children will be feeling some of the same thoughts but they seem to go with the flow more easily than their older counterparts. I feel for teachers and understand their pain but also understand they made the choice to do this as a career and understood what they were getting into before they signed their contract. Oh wait, they haven’t had contracts in years. We all loathe parts of our jobs but we must get up and do our best within the constraints we are dealt. It does us no good to complain and make no efforts to make change. When we complain without attempting to effect change we are just whining and then people believe we hate what we do and question why we are in the job in the first place. If you like, or love, what you do show it. Every day will not be great but it is up to you to do the best you can every day with what you are given. As you wake up tomorrow make the commitment to complain less and realize that you chose what you are doing and that you will do it to the best of your ability and if that is not good enough for your satisfaction or those that you answer to you will find another option. The worst thing you can do is to feel that you are stuck doing a particular job because if you are not doing your best you are cheating someone, either the kids, the county, or yourself. Good luck and I appreciate your dedication to the youth of Polk County. Make it a great year.

It was that close!

Getting beat really sucks. Getting beat when you tie sucks even more. It is not like the Olympics but for me if we are keeping score I want to win. Today was the annual golf outing to start the year at FSC. We played at the beautiful Lone Palm Country Club and today’s tournament was a four man scramble format. After 18 holes we were at -10 and feeling really good about our opportunity to win. We found out at lunch that we had tied with the baseball coaches’ team. Just like the Olympics there are rules for how the tie would be broken. We felt like winners and then the results were tallied. Scoring would be based on matching cards. Starting with the hardest hole on the course they would look at the scores and who ever had the lowest score would be deemed the winner. It didn’t take long because on the first hole we carded a par and the baseball team carded a birdie. We lost on a tiebreaker. We did our best and produced well enough to win but got beat on a technical tie-break. Sometimes no matter what you do it is not enough to take the victory. I have tried for 6 years to win this tournament. Guess what? I will be back out there next year to attempt to win in year 7. The difference between the Olympics and our own personal competitions, besides the worldwide exposure and country pressure, is the fact that most of the time we have another chance to feel that exhilaration of winning wherein the Olympics that one shot may be the only time they get to showcase their talents on the worldwide stage. Tomorrow I will get up and go shovel poop and the fact that I lost a funsy golf tournament will fade with the next challenge that enters my brain. The Olympians that get beat by a hair will have those thoughts racing through their minds as they move to the next step of their training or even worse, as they become a normal working past athlete. How they deal with “what could have been” will shape them for many years. Competing is such a great way to find out how tough you are in good and bad times. We compete throughout our lives and there are those of us who love it and others who could care less. To complicate matters some of us compete better in sports while others are better at the business climate. Find the thing that makes you hate to lose and go get it.

Why are we amazed by others dedication? Why not be amazed by our own?

First day of the new year at FSC is in the books. Man, our staff is getting bigger. I actually had to sit in the back of the room for the first time in six years. The meetings were painless and I learned a couple of new things that I will need to keep up with for this year. On a side note, insurance has gone absolutely insane. We got a report today that the optional student policy has increased in price by 120%. I can now only imagine how our own insurance will rise this year. Oh well, I’ll deal with that when we find out. I’ve got to have it so I cannot really just bury my head and not be willing to pay for it. I actually wanted to talk more about the Olympic life and I will go that direction. We watch the athlete’s and are amazed by their athleticism or their skill and the dedication that they exhibit to get to this level. We are baffled by the way they sacrifice just for the opportunity to be on that stage. We think that their sacrifice is above our capability and that our lives are too busy to allow ourselves that type of discipline. I personally feel that we are too scared, maybe lazy or not dedicated enough, to allow ourselves the opportunity to see what we can do if we sacrifice towards a particular goal or goals. Four years is a long time to give up all that comfort you have wrapped yourself in but what if you knew after those four years you would be in a better place. That is the problem; you could put in those four years and fail completely. Would you have been a failure or would you have found out that you need to work even harder, or maybe, just maybe you found out you just didn’t have what it took? If the latter is the answer does that truly make you a failure or could it just mean that you saw it through the finish even though it wasn’t the finish you had at the beginning? Who really knows, but most of us will never know because we are unwilling to take ourselves away from our shelter and comfort to see what we are truly capable of achieving. I know, four years is a long time. Heck, two years is a long time to pursue something so why not start with baby steps. Pick a small thing you want to accomplish and sacrifice for one month to achieve it. The problem with that is that you might not see the results you want after one month and for many that is enough to throw in the towel. We have all made sacrifices before because what we wanted was big enough to warrant the choice. There have been times we have sacrificed because we have had to and sometimes we did it completely by accident. I propose that you truly attack something you want to do and sacrifice for one year. If you can do it for a year it will become habit and two years will be a breeze. After two years it will be your lifestyle and results good or bad will become clear. Find that thing or things that you truly want, set your short-term, mid-term, and long term goals, write your action plan and go for it. Make sure you have evaluations of progress set and don’t turn back. 2012-2013 plan for me: top 10 overall for FTR H/S Senior B class. Complete the Tough Mudder in December. Regain my game and begin competing in the over 40 class in the men’s tennis circuit. Oh yeah, work with my team at FSC to help them achieve the goals and dreams they have and push them to heights they want to get to and don’t truly know if they can get there. There was a movie titled the Peaceful Warrior and one scene of the movie talked about how important the journey was when chasing a dream. We all remember the journey even when the goal has passed. Enjoy your journey, it makes the grind bearable.

We are okay.

We all feel our lives and our problems are the most important. We face them every day and think how tough we have it and everyone around us must feel so badly for us. The reality is when we take time to look at those around us we realize that our problems aren’t nearly as difficult or important as those around us. There are times when our problems are as real as they seem and it at these times that we mustn’t feel pity but dig down and find a solution to the dilemma. If you are having a bad day call up one of your friends and see how they are doing? Most of us are looking for someone to dump our problems and concerns on because dealing with them ourselves seems impossible and we don’t want anybody to feel better than us. Michelle and I have had some issues at the barn but our problems are minuscule compared to others that we have the pleasure of surrounding ourselves with. We love spending time with them but most of them know that we aren’t going to feel sorry for them. We will console, guide, listen, and sometimes even suggest, but we will not pity them. We do not gain control over our situations until we take them on. Please don’t get me wrong, there are times when our situations or problems are amazingly tough and the outcome will not be positive. When this is where you are the best you can hope for is that even though the situation is negative and cannot have a good outcome, when it is over you move on from it and do your utmost to make sure it doesn’t happen again. The Olympics are playing in the background tonight and I find it amazing that for four years of training you get one shot at immortality in the sport you have dedicated everything to and that your moment may be a one time opportunity. I have more thoughts on this and will probably write more about this in the near future. FSC officially starts tomorrow with coaches meetings. This is kind of kicks off the new school year. The expectations are high and I believe the attitude of the coaches will reflect the efforts of the school and the administration to give us what we need. Start your engines, play ball, and don’t forget to take off your hat for the national anthem and the meetings.

A little couch time

What a Sunday! I had prepared for this day since Friday and was ready for this ultimate relaxation exercise. Michelle wanted to sleep in so I decided that I would get up early and head out to the barn and handle the morning duties. After a relaxing poop scoop and feeding I headed to the house to do something I have wanted to do all summer but haven’t really made the time for it. I decided to wash my car, yeah I know it was supposed to rain, so I got out all the stuff and started the scrubbing process. My car is really nice but after washing it I realized that besides being a little shinier it really didn’t look much different. So far I have done nothing but work but it was so relaxing to know that I was doing what I wanted to do instead of what just needed to be done. Once the car was sparkling the real down time began. I watched golf, racing from Mid-Ohio, and Olympics of many varieties. Michelle decided to sit down and I lost control of the television but it was worth it to just sit on the couch with nothing to do and just bask in the moment of relaxation. Since I wasn’t focused on the television anymore I decided to prepare for the upcoming Fall season with my real job. I can honestly say that I am pumped for this year’s team and decided to go ahead and get the entire semester’s calendar of workouts ready. Michelle said that I cannot do it because that is not me. I said that I wouldn’t actually put the real workouts in but the shell of the schedule is now complete. So now, I know what I will be doing pretty much everyday through January 7, 2013. I guess that is cool but I sometimes think it makes me boring. Maybe boring is the wrong word but it really takes away the spontaneity of the moment. Oh well, when you are trying to be the best boring gets the job done. Tomorrow sees me back at FSC with a recruit on campus so I guess that signals the beginning of the new year. It’s been an eventful summer, one that will shape my life for many years to come. The dedication required for the new venture with H&W Stables will also require me to dedicate myself in my other pursuits because my time will be more precious than ever before. Sometimes that type of pressure is the requirement needed to better guide you along your path. Needless to say, those moments on the couch will become less likely but when they occur I will relish them knowing that I have earned the right to veg, if just for a moment.

Who deserves help?

Today was a weird feeling day because it was the first Saturday in over a month where there wasn’t an overriding reason to be at the barn all day. This was a good thing and a bad thing as having the free time has allowed me to think a lot more about things that probably cannot be changed by my thoughts alone. The main thought that was running through my head was help. We all get help whether we want it or not. I am not political but I am sick of hearing about how you did it on your own and then how the other side says that without government you couldn’t accomplish anything. Come on people, we need government for some things and we also need hard working people able to use the skills and rules placed by government to go out and take the risks to go out on their own. Also, I understand that sometimes people need a hand to get back to their feet but I am a little worried that we have become a society that constantly looks for ways to give assistance without demanding that people at least give a damn and put forth some effort to help themselves. We love the way we feel when we help people. It is human nature. Altruistic measures are not necessarily for those that receive them but more normally to aid in our own self worth as the giver. Please do not misinterpret my thoughts as I feel that as humans it is important to help our fellow man, especially when they cannot do it themselves. My main problem is that most of the time I see people receiving help that will not go out make themselves helpful. Most of the time I am witnessing people who feel they are entitled to the help and when the help doesn’t come they complain instead of looking for a viable solution to their own problem. Help is a societal necessity but here in America so is working through bad times. We are also allowed to fail here. When we lose we have the ability to attempt it again. We are also allowed to look for help while we attempt to strive for better. It is not up to others to help us but for us to warrant the help that others offer.

Ready, set, go!

Today is Friday, August 03, 2012 and I realized that I had set a goal to write a post on here every day for a year and I failed. I am not going to quit and I am not going to make excuses, I just failed to accomplish what I had set out to do. That being said the past couple of days have been a great relief and have rejuvenated me to prepare for the upcoming year. Although Michelle and I missed doing the triathlon due to the barn we have committed to doing the Tough Mudder in December. I have probably already stated this but I will be racing the full FTR harescramble series this year. The first race has been postponed so I guess instead of starting at the end of August I will begin that journey in mid September. My wife and daughter would love to see me on a horse but I have some unfinished business on the tennis court. Since I am now forty I have decided to train again for the over 40 nationals and will achieve a national ranking before I hang up the rackets. My team at FSC is one of the reasons for this and I expect that they will push me in my goal as I will push them towards their goals. For a little update on how my world has been spinning here we go. We finished all the remodeling at H&W Stables and had our open house/grand opening last weekend. We even celebrated Michelle’s birthday during the opening. Michelle and I didn’t get to compete in the triathlon but we did get up early to assist with the jet ski and the lifeguards. It is pretty cool to go out to the barn and just hang out. We do have some upcoming projects but we have chosen to let some time pass before we begin to tackle the next steps. The next step for me is going back to my job at FSC to begin the next year. I snuck over this week and had a chance to view the new tennis facility. The only word that comes to mind is wow! The place is amazing and I feel honored to be the head coach. Our new facility is not the only progress happening on the campus. They have redone part of the men’s freshman dorms, they are completing the new campus green (our former facility), the gym lobby is getting a new makeover, the chapel is doubling in size, and the coffee bar located in the library has also doubled in size. From the comments I have gotten from the guys on the team they are ready to get started. As far as the family front is concerned we are all doing well and the ladies are gearing up for the upcoming school year. Michelle and I will celebrate our 12th anniversary on the August 12 and our little baby will become 10 on the August 17. Rather than be sad that my little girl is growing up I am excited to watch her become the girl she is becoming. The horseback season is nearing and I am sure that will take up much of her time and of course I will be there when my job with my team doesn’t conflict. That is what makes her so cool is that she wants me there for all of her events but understands that our life keeps us away at times. Then next month and into October make time at home a rarity for me. Between tennis tournaments with FSC, a race thrown in for me, and throw in a student athletic advisory committee weekend in early September and that means that I will sleep in my bed on weekends come sometime in October. I really do love the life I have chosen and cannot imagine it any other way. My goal is to get back to the normal writing schedule with great insight and true nonsense which I am really good at dishing out. Thanks to all those that have supported the family during this massive endeavor and be ready to be surprised by what my family is capable of and will accomplish over the next year. You have to want what you want as badly as you want to breathe and be ready to miss sleep when necessary. We love breathing and sleep has become a luxury so the rest of this will be a great journey.