Keeping things in the proper perspective

For two consecutive seasons, the Butler University Bulldogs, from Indianapolis, Indiana have made an improbable run through the NCAA basketball tournament field, defeating some of the best college programs in the nation. For two straight years, their dream has fallen short, ending in defeat in the championship game.

For most of the young men on those teams, those championship games would not only be the biggest game of their lives, but also the final game of their career. Ever.

It is a shame that there isn’t a market in the professional sports world for a collection of individuals that have learned to put each others’ needs exclusively at the center of their lives.

It is also a shame that the following day, all that those “in the know” could offer for analysis regarding the game, was that it was one of the worst exhibitions of basketball ever to grace the stage of an NCAA championship level game.

What exactly was it that brought the Butler Bulldogs to the brink of the unthinkable, not once,but twice in a row? What was it that put them on this trajectory?

Dr. Kent Millard, pastor at Saint Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis provided this glimpse of what fueled those Butler teams:

“I know that we all hurt with Coach Brad Stevens and the Butler Basketball team when they were not able to play at their usual high level of scoring in the NCAA Championship game last Monday night in Houston, Texas.
 
As I reflected on it I realized that none of us ever perform at our highest level of effectiveness all the time and sometimes we all have an “off day” when nothing seems to go right.  It least I know that is true with me.  There are times when I know don’t bring my “best game” to my work and to life and I am also disappointed with myself and the way I handled particular situations.  I suspect that all of us have the same experience at different times in our lives.
 
The measure of a person’s life is not how they respond when things are going well and everything they do seems to succeed.  The real measure of our character is how we respond when things are not going well and we don’t live up to our expectations and the expectations of others. 
 
I believe the sterling character of the Butler basketball team is shown in how they responded after their loss in the Championship game last Monday night.  Dan Wetzel, a Yahoo sports reporter, described what happened in the Butler dressing room after the game was over.
 
He said that Shawn Vanzant sat in the corner of the Butler locker room sobbing and blaming himself for missing shots that might have turned the game around.  Near him was Matt Howard with a towel over his head and tears streaming down his cheeks because he blamed himself for the loss. 
 
That is when Ron Nored, red eyed and tearful himself, went over to Shawn Vanzant and pulled him up off his stool and hugged his friend and physically and emotionally attempted to lift him out of his despair. Then he went to Matt Howard, hugged him as well and soon all the players were standing up hugging each other, crying and expressing their love for one another.  In the midst of their pain over this loss they loved and supported each other rather than blaming each other or themselves for the loss. 
 
Later, when Ron Nored was asked why he did that he said:  “That’s why we’re here – we’re for each other.  In the big picture, it is just a basketball game.  It is really about the guys in this locker room.  I wanted Shawn to know we don’t really care that his shot didn’t go in; we care about him.”
 
That is a statement of a person with a mature character and one who has a good grasp of what really matters in life.  The truth is that loving and caring for each other is the ultimate value in life regardless of whether we win or lose in a basketball game or in the game of life….Ron Nored and the Butler Basketball team model for us how to love each other unconditionally, through the good times and the painful times in life, and that is the real lesson we all can learn from the NCAA Championship Basketball game last Monday night.”
   
In the final analysis, it was always more than just basketball to those young men and coaches at Butler University. The game became secondary to the lessons they were learning about life. In the end, it was keeping it all in the proper perspective that led them to the verge of history as a basketball team, but made them world champions as individuals.

Using all 24

There really isn’t an established limit on what you can achieve during any given day.  If you choose to work at it, you can use up almost all of those twenty-four hours.

Each new day, you have a choice to make.  You can look at it as just another obstacle standing between you and Saturday, taking you where you don’t want to go and making you do the things you really don’t want to do.

Or, you can approach each day as a right out of the box, brand spankin’ new opportunity.  You can use that new set of 24 hours to raise the bar on your personal best.  You can view it as a winning lottery ticket, with every possible minute needing to be spent. If you really get after it, you might even find your self looking for a few spare hours.

When you live your life with this sense of purpose – to always do your best and make the most of every moment – each day can be lived as an entirely new adventure.

You need not wait until the season starts to ‘leave it on the field”. Giving everything that you do, all that you got, right now, is one of the most important set of skills you can ever develop.

Rise each morning looking forward to emptying your tank each day. Don’t allow any regrets to accompany you to bed that night. It can get crowded in there with the “I should haves”, or the ‘I wish I would haves” and the “maybe tomorrow” that come with shorting your self that day.

Don’t ever let the day happen to you.  You should always happen to the day.

The Message Being Sent

If you choose to do so, your words and deeds can reflect the best version of you.  They will ultimately mirror your character: your true nature. It is your choice to speak or act, and when you do, you are sending the world around you a message about “who you are”.  Furthermore, your words and deeds reveal the beliefs and standards that are central to your character.  You are sending a message that these words and deeds represent “who I am” and  “what” is important to me.
If you are not careful, and make foolish choices with your words, you will harm  others – as well as yourself. If you then add to this by acting out of character, it compounds the hurt for all.   You are transmitting a message; good or bad, your words and deeds are an extension of you.
In many respects, the only situation with the potential to do more harm and be more devastating is choosing not to speak up or failing to act when you alone stand between right and wrong.  Choosing to remain silent and responding with inaction strips your character of its power and you of the authority to do the right thing.
When the truth needs to be told, you cannot remain silent. When you hear rumors you know to be false, you need to shine the light of truth on them and speak up.  When someone says something hurtful and disparaging about a friend or another, you cannot allow that to hang in the air to be carried along to all that will listen. You need to set the record straight and come to their defense.
Choosing to be silent when a lone voice of truth and reason needs to be heard harms everyone involved.  It sends to all a message that gossip, rumor and lies are acceptable.  It states to all that there are no standards, that anything goes, and words have absolutely no value. It says words are simply things to be thrown around as needed, without thought, without any consequence.
Choosing to be silent emboldens disrespect and dishonesty. It invites others to join in the fray, throwing more words and adding to the harm. Choosing not to speak up undermines the power of your character, and the authority you have to stand up for what is right. There are times when the  world needs to hear from the best version of you. If the voice of your character is not there to cut through the noise, it will create a deep hole in all of us. There there will be a disconnect, a mounting sense of loss and soon, despair.  Those that bear the brunt of these verbal attacks, those that deliver it and those that let it happen are all changed by this, for the worse – forever.
When decisive action is warranted to protect someone else, serve their immediate needs or render assistance, it has to happen. You wouldn’t let your best friend try drugs right in front of you – would you?  When someone is in trouble and obviously needs your help, you wouldn’t look the other way and walk past them – would you?  Why allow someone to deface your school, take someone’s belongings  or bully another? Don’t all of those situations merit your immediate action?
Choosing to avoid these challenges is akin to remaining silent.  Your inaction sends the message that drugs, vandalism or intimidation are all acceptable standards of behavior. Your inaction hurts everyone involved.  It tells the person trying the drugs that you don’t care they are screwing up their life.  It shows the person that is in trouble that you have more important things to do than lend a hand. Your reaction of inaction states to the person being bullied that it is their problem, and encourages the bully to keep it up, as long as it is not you.
Never underestimate the power of your character and the authority it brings in standing up for what is right.  When you give voice to the best version of you, the authority behind  “No, that is not right” carries with it the mass of your character. Those five little words might be all that it takes to dispel a rumor, end a lie or change a heart if say it like you mean it.  “Walking the talk” with conviction and authority will show others in no uncertain terms that something needs to “Stop”, because it is not right.  The mass of your character in deed has considerable power and generates incredible momentum for good.
Always choose to send the right message.

Find your way back to the game

Now that the owners and players have parted company, I wonder if they will use their time to truly reflect. Each side has a great deal at stake, as do we.

They need each other, for the whole is far greater than the parts alone. Together, they have created an amazing team, providing some of the most gifted individuals in the world with the ideal environment to be their best. Whether athlete, owner, coach, equipment manager or concessions worker, all rely on each other for success. All have an opportunity to shine in their own special way.  The whole truly is greater than the parts.

Perhaps if they can find their way back to what binds them all together, they will reconnect with what brought them all there in the first place. Reconnect with the feeling that only comes with Friday nights each fall. The sense of community,  the bond that brings us all together: the game.

The Mentor Leader

I was reading some excerpts from Coach Dungy’s new book, “The Mentor Leader” and wanted to share few thoughts with you.

A person that was working with Coach Dungy pointed out several key elements that really stood out in the way Coach Dungy went about coaching, leading and living his life.  I think there is something to be learned from this, and perhaps you can find a way to incorporate these ideas into the way you conduct yourself too.

• “Embody a paradoxical mix of personal humility and professional will.  (Humility being a very important part of leadership – mixed in with the determination to walk the talk.)
• Display a compelling modesty, are self-effacing and understated. Attribute success to factors other than themselves. (again, knowing it isn’t about you.)
• Display a workmanlike diligence – more plow horse than show horse. (effort and performance are the coin of the realm – not appearance.)
• Set up their successors for even greater success. (raise others up to be the best they can – and you raise yourself up in the process.)”

Bottom line: really make it all about them and not you. Giving of yourself in this capacity will bring you returns you never imagined.

Have a great game this Saturday.

Be good.

Coach Hahn

Player Safety and Concussions

Hope all are well.

I wanted to share some important information with all of you regarding player safety and concussions. If I can enlist your help in reinforcing what I am about to share, we can enhance the experience for all.  The more eyes and ears we have on our boys – and girl – in pads this season, the better.

First – some Football 101.

There is no getting around the fact that football is a contact sport.  We spend the entire first week of August conditioning – getting their bodies ready for the rigors of the game when the pads go on.  Then, everything we do going forward from both a conditioning and fundamental standpoint is designed to strengthen and train them for the various types of impacts they will give and receive during the course of a practice or a  game.  This year, we also introduced several core strengthening exercises and drills during camp, and many of the teams continue to use them to this day. While we  cannot guarantee that there will never be an injury – we can do certain things that will help reduce and prevent the likelihood of injury.

One very important aspect of this preparation involves getting all of them to play in a proper football position. You might have heard a  coach barking “keep your hips down”.  Aside from the fact that the main source of football strength originates  from your hips and core – when your hips are low – your head is up.

This does two things. First, you can see where you are going and what is coming after you. This is especially important in a game situation.  If your head is down, you are not going to be aware of anything but the grass. Your head will not be on a swivel.  You will miss the opponent lining you up for the big hit.

Secondly, and more importantly, when your hips are down and your head is up – your neck is bowed.  From a physiological and football playing standpoint, this is the safest way to block and tackle. Blocking and tackling with your head down increases the potential for severe injury.  If you want a crash course on really poor tackling technique – watch an NFL game.  It is amazing that they aren’t carting more players off the field every Sunday.

When our kids play with their hips low and head up, they can better execute a proper tackle, helping to stay clear of the opponent’s helmet, neck and shoulders. Referees are making more calls on high tackles this year – and rightly so.  We have already had several face-mask, tackling around the head and horse collar calls.  These are all the result of the player not being in the correct position on the field and playing too high.

Back in the day when I was playing football, blocking was done primarily with your shoulders and helmet.  Today, the rules favor using leverage,  hand placement and footwork.  Technique on the line is very important – not just brute strength. The helmet is used as a protective device as it should be -  instead of a weapon.   Again, hips down and head up make for a superb blocking foundation.

Players running with the ball also need to maintain a correct body position.  They too need to stay low. Running up and down makes you a bigger target.  Plus, when 3 or 4 opponents wrap you up and the pile goes over, the helmet tends to be the highest point – and the last thing to hit the ground.  A player’s head bouncing off the turf can lead to a concussion.

Coaches in our program that see anyone playing with their head down will warn that player to correct the situation immediately.  If it continues, that player can expect to find themselves on the sideline.  Anything you can do to help reinforce the importance of hips down and head up is greatly appreciated.

Sound fundamentals in the area of tackling and blocking are one way to help insure safety. Proper fitting helmets are a key element as are the mouth guards our players wear. Mouth guards – while protecting the pearly whites – actually work with the helmet to absorb or dissipate the impact to the head in a collision.  The custom mouth guards we provided free of charge through Dr. Abraham are designed to help in this regard.  If your player is currently using a boil and bite mouth guard, and it looks a little worse for the wear, ask for another one.  We have more. Every little bit can help. Chinstraps are also part of this system as well, and we need to make sure that they are worn snug too – high and tight.

Despite our better efforts, there might be a situation during a practice or game where a player suffers a concussion.  It might be the result of a helmet to helmet collision, the head hitting the hard ground, or perhaps a knee or foot striking the helmet.  There are 22 bodies flying around the field on any given play, and things can and will happen. Whatever the case, we all need to be on the same page to insure the safety of the stricken player.  Under no circumstances do we want to put them in a position to absorb more harmful impacts and turn a bad situation into a tragedy.

A Concussion Fact Sheet I received through the AAYFL is posted on the Cardinal web site. Coaches should  never try to diagnose this type of injury – and neither should parents. This is something that is better left to medical professionals.

Once a player has been diagnosed with a concussion, they should never be rushed back into practice or games.  Depending on the severity of the concussion, it may take several days or weeks for the trauma to heal.  There is no hurry to get a youth football player back into pads.  There will be plenty of football left for them to play.

Quite simply, “When in doubt, sit them out.”

Love the Game

“Love the game.
Love the game for the pure joy of accomplishment.
Love the game for everything it can teach you about yourself.
Love the game for the feeling of belonging to a group endeavoring to do its best.
Love the game for being involved in a team whose members can’t wait to see you do
your best.
Love the game for the challenge of working harder than you ever have at something,
and then, harder than that.
Love the game because it takes all team members to give it life.
Love the game because at its best, the game tradition will include your contributions.
Love the game because you belong to a long line of fine athletes who have loved it.
It is now your legacy.
Love the game so much that you will pass on your love of the game to another athlete
who has seen your dedication, your work, your challenges, your triumphs…
…and then…
that athlete will, because of you, love the game.”
—Unknown

School and Expectations

School:

It is your responsibility to work as hard - if not harder – in the classroom as you do on the football field.  Your daily routine should include study and reading every spare moment you have.  Like study hall.

When you get home from school – have a snack and hit the books.  When you get back from practice, shower, eat and study.  Read something for fun before bed.  On days that you do not have practice – study and work ahead.  Don’t look at those days as a chance to get away from it – look at them as an opportunity to get ahead and improve.

Leave the TV, movies and video games off during the week.  They do not add to the educational experience during school days.

Lack of effort in the classroom, laziness in study habits and poor grades not only hurt you – but also hurt your team.  If you do not understand the lesson – get help from your teacher.  If you need more time to study or work on an important project – tell your coach.  However, there is absolutely no excuse for goofing off in class, not doing your homework and keeping up with your studies.  This type of behavior can lead to missing practice, games and other team functions.

Student comes before athlete for a reason. Remember that.

Expectations:

Whenever you wear that Cardinal t-shirt, game jersey or spirit wear, you are representing hundreds – if not a thousand or so – student athletes that came before you.

On away games, you represent our community and all 20,000 inhabitants. I expect you to be fierce competitors on the field during the game and gentlemen before, after and in between.  Our opponents look forward to our “play dates”.  Let’s make sure that never changes.

At HHS games, you represent the program and all the players in it, past and present.  Your actions are a direct reflection on everyone – coaches included. Have fun, make friends and fond memories. But think before you act.  If that little voice tells you it is not a good idea – you better listen.

At school, I expect you to be leaders.  You need to set the example in good behavior, scholarship and making good choices.  This path may be the less popular and more difficult to travel.  But then again, you are special.  Have the courage to do what is right – not what is conventional and convenient.

Again, that little voice generally knows which way to go.

Great job so far.  We all have a very long way to go.

Work harder than you ever have, stick together and have fun.

Be good.

Coach Hahn

The Tunnel-September 3, 2010

Photos from Last Day of Camp August 31