Long Overdue Post

It has been a full month since my last post and what a month it has been! This month has been full of ups and downs both mentally and physically. Alright, where to begin. As if you had a choice right?

I can honestly say that I am very happy with the way that my student teaching experience has gone. Even though I can't remember a time when I have been more sick or tired in my life, it has been a wonderful experience as I have gotten to meet and know a lot of great people. For a long time, I never thought that I would be able to survive but I think that I've at least got a handle on things.

My sending in of resignations and applications has also begun as well. I feel like I'm in a rough spot right now because on one hand I would like to continue working in some of these positions but on the other I want to be fair to the other people. Quite honestly, I really have no idea where I will end up in a year from now so I think it is best to just keep my options open. I'm sure some school out there will need someone to teach and coach.

Probably the best example of my posting negligence is that my last entry came during basketball season. Wow! Well, as you might have guessed, the season has since ended and the girls were able to accomplish their second undefeated season in a row; a feat that has never occurred in the history of the middle school.

The day of the last game had to be one of the most special days that I have ever been apart of. It started with an afternoon pep session in which the team was honored. It was amazing because every player was introduced along with my Dad and I. I have not subbed there in a long time at the school so I was really amazed that I got an ovation from the kids when I was introduced. I was sure that they had forgotten me.

The night of the game was also very special as we honored each player and their parents before the game began. I was extremely nervous for this part because I had the task of introducing everyone along with reading about special memories that the girls wanted read during the ceremony. My favorite had to be the ice bunny and the icy hot stories. That's all I'll say about that.

The game started and we got off to a rough start I thought. We were playing a very physical team in front of a packed middle school gym. To be in the 8th grade and handle that kind of pressure is an accomplishment in itself in my book. We got an early lead and had a comfortable advantage at halftime but I still didn't feel safe. It wasn't that we were playing poorly though. It was just one of those instances in coaching when no lead feels safe. It's a scary feeling.

Even as we maintained our 10 point lead late into the third quarter, I still felt as if the game was much closer. However, all of that changed when one of our players hit a runner in the lane at the end of the third quarter that extended our advantage to twelve. It was at that point when I started to relax just a tiny bit. Still, I've seen games where teams have scored 14 points in just a few minutes to come back and win games. Luckily, I've had some teams do that. Case and point, the black mark incident at the end of the Madison Grant game.

In the fourth, the girls played like a team that wanted to win in the worst way. It seemed as if they got to every loose ball and grabbed every board in that quarter. It wasn't pretty but they found a way to win just as they had done all year. When the final horn sounded, I really don't know what I felt. From the time the game ended to the time when I got home that evening everything is kind of a blur. I will say that I was very happy that we had won but very sad knowing that this would be our final time together. It was an amazing evening!

The last thing left to do was have the awards program and what an awards program it was. One of the parents began the proceedings with a wonderful speech and prayer to get things going. After that the Athletic Director made two surprise presentations of glass trophies to Dad and I for the team's accomplishments. I was shocked out of my mind to say the least.

From there, Dad and I talked about both the A and B seasons and handed out certificates and special awards that we had gotten the girls including our amazing highlight video. We also got the school a plaque to display in the trophy case commemorating our two seasons instead of getting individual awards such as most valuable and most improved.

Personally, giving out individual awards goes against my entire coaching philosophy. To me, it does not make any sense. We spend all year teaching these kids about sacrifice and being apart of a team to hand out individual awards at the end? Go figure.

The girls had a ton of gifts to give us as well. First, we were given a framed mural that all the girls had signed complete with pictures throughout the year. As if that wasn't enough, they gave each of us a signed basketball with every one's name engraved on the gold base holding the ball up along with a lot of thank you cards and gifts. I can't begin to describe how awesome a feeling it is to have a group give you so much especially their kindness and friendship which are the most important of all. The only bad thing about it is that I will need a two bedroom apartment to put all my coaching stuff in because I want to keep all of it forever.

Simply put, it has been a wonderful month full of ups and downs. Like I said before, I have never been more physically ill in my life but I can honestly say that I would not do a single thing different. Never before and never again will I ever have another group of kids like the one I had the opportunity to work with for the past two years. They are a special bunch who will do great things long after they have stopped playing basketball. Hopefully, I will another group just like them but I doubt I ever will which makes it that much more special. Thanks girls!

Tipton 8th Sweep Argylls in Exciting Fashion

After an extended time off for the holidays, Tipton’s 8^th grade girls’ basketball team began the 2008 portion of their season with two very big wins against the Madison Grant Argylls.

In the A-game, the Argylls were looking for respect and picked up a large amount of it in a hurry as they kept the score close with Tipton taking only a 2-point lead into the second quarter at 10-8.

However, the Lady Blue Devils would not allow Madison Grant to get any closer in the contest. Switching out of their 1-3-1 zone into a man to man enabled Tipton to hold the Argylls to only 2 points in the quarter to take an 18-10 advantage into the locker room.

“The second quarter was really the turning point for us,” Tipton Head Coach Don Etherington said. “Our man defense really put them in some difficult situations and allowed us to build a lead.”

As play resumed in the third period, Tipton led a balanced scoring attack in which all five starters contributed. On the defensive side of the ball, the Lady Blue Devils continued to give the Argylls headaches with Tipton tipping the ball away from Madison Grant to start the fast break helping Tipton to take a 32-13 lead into the final quarter.

From then on, the 8^th graders would never look back as they defeated the Argylls 42-20 en route to their fifth win of the season.

“This game was a reflection of how hard these girls worked over the holiday break,” Etherington concluded. “From top to bottom, this was our best game of the year.”

In scoring, Tipton would be led by Taylor Degenkolb with a game-high of 15 points. Also scoring in double figures for the Lady Blue Devils would be Brooklyn Juday with 11 points in the paint. Rounding out the scoring would be Lindsay Friend with 6, Aubree Elston and Whitney Shaffer with 4, and Lindsay Nichols with 2.

In the B-game, the Lady Blue Devils would once again find themselves in a battle that would come down to the final seconds with Tipton ultimately defeating Madison Grant 16-15.

Tipton began the game strongly on defense by holding the Argylls to only 5 points in the opening quarter. However, Tipton would not be able to convert and quickly found themselves down 5-2. The second quarter would be much of the same as Madison Grant extended their lead to 9-4 by not allowing the Lady Blue Devils many open looks at the basket.

From there, the game’s intensity would pick up. Tipton began to trap and frustrate Madison Grant with their 1-3-1 trap defense but still found themselves behind at 14-8 as the third quarter ended. Luckily, Tipton would not be finished as their offense finally caught fire to close the gap at 15-14.

After a timeout from the Tipton bench late in the fourth quarter, the Lady Blue Devils were looking for a basket. With only 5 seconds left on the clock, Tipton’s Krista Schulenburg converted on 15-foot jumper to give the Lady Blue Devils a one point lead. Madison Grant would not even get a shot at the basket in the final play as the B-team won the game to improve their record to 2-1 on the season.

“This was an extremely big win for us,” said B-team coach Kyle Etherington. “Winning these type of games builds and reveals a lot about the character of a team. These girls have a great deal of heart and nothing was going to stand in their way in that fourth quarter.”

In scoring, Tipton was led by Nichols and Hayley Lineberry who each scored 6 points in the victory. Along with making the winning shot, Schulenburg also contributed 4 points.

Tipton (5-0) will have little time to enjoy these victories as they return to the court on Wednesday to do battle with the Westfield Shamrocks at the middle school gym.

Special Thanks go out to Chris, Marla, Mike, Shane, and Jennifer for coming to see us play! You guys played a big part and it was great to see you in the stands even though I did get a little "jumpy" in the fourth quarter! Thanks again!

Hit a New Low

I have hit a new low this afternoon. I turned my computer on my desk toward my bed so that I could surf the internet while I lie down on my bed. Some say that it is laziness but I say that it is smart thinking.

I really have nothing to write about even though it has been a few days since my last post. Mostly, I have been staying around the house enjoying being bored with very little to do. In the next few weeks, I will probably be begging for this kind of boredom so I am enjoying it while I can.

Sunday I will be heading east with some friends to Washington D.C. for the first time since I was there in the summer of 2005. Other than hanging out with some really good friends, I think I am most looking forward to being in our nation's capital with comfortable weather. I won't miss the heat and humidity on this trip.

For now, I will get back to my laziness (smart thinking) but I will leave you with an inspirational quote from a recent basketball practice. Enjoy!

"There is no way that in 2007 with everything that is available to women along with having the ability to drive us men crazy, that you girls can't jump higher than two inches for a rebound!"

Lady Blue Devils split with Carmel Clay

Often times, free throws are overlooked in the game of basketball. However, in the case of Tipton's 8th Grade girls basketball team, they paid huge dividends as the Lady Blue Devils defeated the Carmel Clay Trojans 34-33 in exciting fashion Tuesday evening.

Even though Tipton started the game on a strong note, Clay's sharpshooting helped them to take a 10-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. Despite being down early, Tipton battled back to take a 16-15 advantage as the end of the half neared. Unfortunately, the Trojans hit a jumper at the buzzer to give them the one point lead heading into the locker room.

After the break, the battle continued as the teams matched each other shot for shot with Tipton gaining a 25-24 advantage at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, both teams defenses were at the best as every shot was strongly contested. But, Carmel would ultimately take the lead over the Lady Blue Devils at 33-32 with less than 30 seconds left to play.

Luckily, Tipton's Taylor Degenkolb was fouled and sent to the free throw line for a an opportunity to give the eighth graders the lead. Degenkolb hit both ends of the one and one which capped a 7-10 free throw shooting quarter for the Blue Devils along with giving them the lead with 18 seconds remaining.

Clay would get one shot at the basket but could not convert as the Tipton defense rose to the occassion to improve their record to 4-0 on the season. "Our defense in the last 18 seconds was the best that we have played all year," said Tipton Coach Don Etherington. "Our performance says a great deal about the heart on this team. They did not quit and willed themselves to win."

Leading Tipton in scoring was Brooklyn Juday who scored in double figures for the first time this year with 10 points. Also scoring for the Lady Blue Devils was Whitney Shaffer adding 8, Degenkolb with 7, Lindsay Friend contributing 5, and Aubree Elston chipping in 4.

Unfortunately, the Tipton B team did not fair as well as they fell to the Trojans. Tipton's offense was only able to yield two points in the first quarter but the Lady Devil defense was able to keep the Trojans at bay as the first quarter ended at 5-2.

From that point on, Carmel took the advantage as their shots began to fall giving them a 13-5 lead at halftime. Despite a spirited effort from the Lady Blue Devils in the second half, they would be unable to catch Clay with the final score ending at 27-10.

Leading the B team in scoring was Krista Schulenburg who turned in a spirited 4 point performance. Also scoring for Tipton was Hayley Lineberry with 3, Jade McCormack contributing 2, and Amy Doversberger with a free throw.

Tipton's next game will come after the holiday break when they entertain Madison Grant on January 7, 2008, at the middle school gym.

Still a Kid

The first snow day is here! The roads are full of ice and school has been canceled! It is amazing how far I have come in growing up.

Fifteen years ago, all of my favorite movies came from Disney, I wore pajama pants with cartoon characters on them, played my video games, loved basketball, and lived for snow days!

Now, well, at least I am a little bit taller plus I don't obsess over McDonald's Happy Meals like I used to. I guess that I am still a kid at heart even though I have, thankfully, emerged out of the rough world that is childhood.

Although, there are sometimes that I wish I could go back to those good 'ol days that were the early 90's so I could appreciate the things that were in existence.

Little things like every show on Nickelodeon or a Saturday Night Live cast that included Chris Farley as Matt Foley, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as Wayne & Garth, and Phil Hartman as President Bill Clinton.

Lady Blue Devils sweep Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA – Fresh off of their win at the Marion McCulloch Invitational, the 8th grade girls' basketball team was on the road again this past Wednesday evening. Once again, the Lady Blue Devils would play the Alexandria Tigers whom they had beaten 42-16 just a few days earlier. Just as was the case in the first meeting between the two teams, Tipton stormed to an early lead and never looked back as they defeated Alexandria 36-16 in the A game.

In the first quarter, Tipton was not the best of guests as they took a 13-6 lead behind a balanced scoring attack in which four Blue Devils scored. On the defensive side of the ball, the scrappy Tipton defense would shut out the Tigers in the second period along with building their lead to 20-6 at the break behind Aubree Elston's six quarter points.

After both teams returned from the locker rooms, Alexandria began to play Tipton tough on defense by holding the Lady Blue Devils to only four points. Nevertheless, Alexandria could not convert and Tipton still held a 14-point lead at 24-10 entering the final stanza. The Lady Blue Devils then went on a 12-6 run in the fourth quarter to help secure their third win of the season.

In scoring, Tipton was led by Taylor Degenkolb who had a game high of 12 points. Also scoring for the Lady Blue Devils was Lindsay Friend on the inside with eight points, Elston with six, Brooklyn Juday with five, Lindsay Nichols with three, and Hayley Lineberry and Krista Schulenburg each with two.

The B team was also successful this evening with an impressive 22-15 comeback victory to move to 1-0 on the season.

At the onset, it was clear that this game would be a defensive struggle with the Tigers taking the early advantage at 4-2. Despite being down, the Lady Blue Devils 1-3-1 trap defense helped them to take back the lead at 6-5 with very few seconds to play in the second quarter. Unfortunately, Alexandria was able to convert on a layup to give them a 7-6 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Tipton's offensive woes continued just as Alexandria started to catch fire behind three field goals.

The Lady Blue Devils found themselves with the daunting task of having to overcome a 13-8 deficit in the fourth quarter. But little did anyone know, Alexandria would only score on two more free throws as the B team clawed their way back into the game. In addition, the Tipton offense, which had been held in check for most of the evening, exploded in the final period behind Schulenburg and Nichols who scored eight and six points in the quarter respectively to give the B team the victory.

"Krista and Lindsay played inspired basketball in that last quarter," B Team Coach Kyle Etherington said, "From top to bottom, we received contributions from everyone. I could not be more proud of them."

Also scoring for the Lady Blue Devils was Amy Doversberger who had a career high of four points along with Jade McCormack and Audra West each contributing two.

The Tipton 8th graders return to action when they open up their first home game of the season with a huge match-up against Carmel Clay on Tuesday, December 18 at 5:30 pm.

Tipton 8th wins McCulloch Invitational

Fresh Off the Press!

MARION – Even though the weather outside was freezing cold last Saturday, Tipton’s 8th grade girls’ basketball team was heating up the gymnasium as they won the McCulloch Invitational Championship to open up the 2007-08 campaign.

In the first round game of the four team tournament, the Lady Blue Devils would draw the Alexandria Tigers who gave them plenty of headaches throughout the entire game. Despite this effort from Alexandria, Tipton took the early lead at the end of the first quarter at 11-5.

In the second quarter, the Lady Blue Devils continued to impress as Whitney Shaffer and Taylor Degenkolb led Tipton’s offensive attack. Shaffer scored ten of her team high 13 points and Degenkolb netted eight of her final 12 points in the half to give Tipton the lead at the break 23-9.

The second half would be much of the same as Tipton continued to shut down the Alexandria offense while scoring 19 points to seal the victory at 42-16. Rounding out the scoring for the Lady Blue Devils was Aubree Elston who scored nine points along with grabbing an astounding 15 rebounds, Lindsay Friend who scored six points and cleared nine rebounds, and Lindsay Nichols with two points.

Despite the victory, Tipton had their sights set on the Invitational final against a very scrappy Southern Wells team. Unlike the Alexandria game, the Lady Blue Devils would be in for a fight against the hard working Raiders. In the first quarter, the teams played evenly as the score was knotted up at 4-4 with only seconds left to play in the period.

As a Tipton shot failed to fall, Krista Schulenburg grabbed the rebound and quickly passed to an open Degenkolb who nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the 8th graders the advantage at 7-4. After taking the momentum, Tipton’s 2-3 zone defense rose to the occasion by shutting out Southern Wells in the second quarter for an 11-4 halftime lead.

As the second half began, Tipton looked to be in command of the game but the Raiders would not go quietly as they went on a 6-2 run to close the gap at 13-10 heading into the final period. Southern Wells seemed to have the momentum but it would all change when Degenkolb hit a 3-pointer from the right baseline that sent the Tipton bench and crowd into a frenzy.

From that point on, Tipton switched into their trademark 1-3-1 trap defense that would prove to be the difference maker. “Kyle [Etherington] made a great call in the last quarter with our defense that helped put them in some very difficult situations by speeding up the game’s tempo,” said Tipton Head Coach Don Etherington.

Tipton would score ten more points in the quarter as the Lady Blue Devils would take the invitational championship with a final score of 26-13. Leading all scorers for Tipton was Degenkolb with 16 followed by Shaffer with five, Friend and Schulenburg with two apiece, and Elston with a free throw. “Lindsay [Nichols] played a tremendous role for us as well,” added Etherington.

After the game, Etherington praised his players for the victory. “Our team formed an identity this afternoon. They refused to let any obstacle stand in their way,” he said. “We have some things to work on but we are ecstatic to get our season off to a good start.”

Tipton (2-0) will again be on the road as they have a rematch with Alexandria on Wednesday.

Let's Play!

Our first game is tomorrow and I am more than excited! I know that I won't be able to sleep this evening. The last time that happened we won it so that is something to keep in mind. Of course, when have I ever been able to sleep the night before a game?

I had my student teacher orientation meeting today and it had to be the first meeting at IUK that I actually enjoyed. I can "see the light at the end of the tunnel" so to speak. Plus, I am really excited that one of my university advisers was a middle school social studies teacher for over 30 years. He seems like a really great person and is highly regarded by many people. It will be a good fit.

The first proof of the basketball program came in today. Overall, it looked awesome even though there are a few things that will probably be changed. I know that I could never do something like that.

Well, I am off to parts unknown as I wait for the games to begin tomorrow. I will keep you updated on how the girls do. Excited does not even cover how pumped up they are for tomorrow! It will be a great day regardless of how the games play out.

It's finally time to play some basketball! I leave you with a pep talk from Coach Holtz which is fitting for our upcoming invitational this weekend.

The Actions of Others

Sometimes I don't know why certain things happen the way that they do. Anymore, the actions of others seem even more complicated than the math that some of my basketball players have to do on a daily basis.

But although I can't control the actions of others. I do know that I can control my actions. That gives me so much more satisfaction and piece of mind than anything else.

Below is a video of Lou Holtz giving a pep talk to the New York Knicks. I think that I am going to try to transcribe this speech because it is absolutely amazing! I mean, after hearing the speech, I was ready to play for the Knicks and I love the Celtics!

The Girls are Improving

I'm back! After taking a few days off from blogging, I have realized that I am getting tired of writing blogs that resemble chapters in a book or articles in a newspaper.

They are so long that even I get bored reading my own material anymore. I think that I am just going to type until I run out of things to say and then maybe it will sound a little more interesting than a post that I spent an incredible amount of time on. The little things in life are so much more fun to read about anyway.

A friend of mine recently asked me how the basketball team was doing. But, instead of actually talking to them or even doing the normal thing of writing a wall post to them on Facebook, I think that I will just share this little tidbit of information.

This evening my Dad and I were going through our notes to prepare for our two hour practice tomorrow. We are going to be putting in the rest of our offense, special plays, and defense this last week before our first game so we need to make sure that we are on top of things even more than what we already are.

As of Saturday, we are now on practice number ten since the season began. At the beginning of each practice, we do this one drill called 8 minute layups in which the players continuously shoot layups on the right and left side for that amount of time. There is a lot more detail involved but I would need slides and a clipboard to do so.

So far this year, the players have done very well by averaging around 140 to 150 made during this drill. The highest has been 164; give or take a few.

Often times, my Dad and I worry about how we as coaches and as a team are doing on these drills. Well, I don't think that we will be doing too much of that anymore. At least on this drill anyway.

My Dad found our sheet from practice number ten last year and to say that we were shocked would be an understatement. Under 8 minute layups, we listed our goal of 90 for the same practice last year.

Simply put, the girls have come a long way in a year and are improving quite well.

Go Hoosiers!

Wild and Crazy Weeks

It has been a wild and crazy couple of weeks! Alright, let's just skip the chatter and get right into what I have been up to since my last post which was way too long ago.

Well, first of all, I have been completing my high school practicum experience at Kokomo High School since Monday of last week. I only have three days left and has it been a career-changing ride. I started it with no experience whatsoever in a high school classroom and am now leaving very comfortable with the idea of not teaching in a middle school.

That being said, I still think that I am looking to find a middle school teaching job just because of the atmosphere of the school itself. However, let's see what I say in a few months when I actually have to to start looking for one. But despite not wanting to continue within the high school, I have learned a great deal that will no doubt help me for the future.

Also upon the horizon (less than 6 days to be exact but that is only if you are counting), basketball season is about to begin! After months of waiting and endless countdowns on Facebook, it is finally here! Up until last evening, I have never been able to understand why I enjoy coaching this sport so much. Last evening, I finally got my answer.

I was watching the IU basketball game on Monday evening and, during a break in the action, the cameras turned to Kelvin Sampson's father. Interestingly but not surprising at all, Sampson's father had been a great basketball coach himself in the state of North Carolina.

After talking about the great success that he had, they talked about something that helped me understand why I get so hyped up about teaching a simple little game.

The sportscasters stated that Sampson's father was never always blessed with the most talented players in the state. In fact, his teams were never really picked to do well during many of his seasons. However, he was able to get the most out of his players when they were facing incredibly difficult odds. In other words, his players usually performed their best when they were the underdog.

One of the sportscasters then went on to comment that the fun thing about coaching is that you get to take a group of kids and turn them into a team over the course of just a few months. The cool thing is that you yourself are taken along for the ride and get to see each kid grow and develop throughout the season as a person and a basketball player. At season's end, it is always the most marvelous thing to see just how far the kids come in that short amount of time.

I think that the sportscaster hit the nail on the head with this comment. When I look back on all of my coaching experiences (even though I have many more ahead of me), the fun part is looking back and seeing just how far a team has come from where they started.

Also, the games and matches that I most remember might even surprise some people. As a wise coach once told me, coaching is not about winning the games that you should win. Coaching is about winning the games that you shouldn't and are not supposed to win. When I look back on all of the great games that I have been able to coach, the games in which we were truly the underdogs stand out most in my mind.

I have written about them before so I am sure that it is pretty easy to guess what games I am talking about. However, when I think about the incredible odds that were overcome in those games, I am indeed thankful and gratified to have been apart of them and to have shared it with such great kids.

Honestly, when your team wins a double overtime thriller while shooting 16% from the field against an opponent who beat you by over 20 points just a month earlier, you tend to remember it. Even though I will see plenty in the years to come, I highly doubt that I will ever be involved in a miraculous experience like that ever again. No matter how old I get or how far I travel, the picture taken from that experience will always be close by because it was that special of an event.

As I said, it has been a pretty bumpy ride these past two weeks and to be honest it doesn't look like things will be slowing down anytime soon. But, I do know that I wouldn't have it any other way because I am confident that I will have a few more pictures taken of miraculous games in my lifetime.

Over 6,000 Miles and still counting . . .

As Willie Nelson once said, "I'm on the road again!" This time my travels are taking me to Rochester, Minnesota, for the 12 & Under Girls AAU National Basketball Championships.

The weather has been absolutely wonderful so far and I plan to make a trip to the famous Mall of America real soon while I am in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Even though I am having a wonderful time up here, I cannot help but think about all the traveling that I have done these past few months.

In total, I have traveled over 6,000 miles and visited 11 states this summer! Of that, I have spend over 2/3rds of it in the car which included a cross-country trip with my brother from Los Angeles, California, to Kokomo, Indiana.

But despite these great accomplishments, I still have more traveling plans for myself over the next few years which include a visit to the Northwestern and Northeastern parts of the United States and Europe.

There is a great deal out there and I want to see it!

Finishing the Race

I went down to Tipton last evening for a track meet that some of my basketball players were participating in.

I had a great time and my players did very well. I was very proud.

Their perseverance is what impressed me the most. Even if they did not clear the high jump bar or stumbled on the hurdles, they picked themselves up and pressed on to finish.

Afterward, I thanked them for letting me know about the meet and that I had a wonderful time despite the fact that it was freezing outside.

I also told them that in life it is not important if a person falls down. The important thing is that a person gets back up and finishes the race.

With that in mind, here is a little video of one of my favorite movie speeches of all time that deals with that very thing. Enjoy!

Regret: My Greatest Fear

Anymore I feel as if I am talking to a brick wall.

I explain things to this wall and talk to it but for some reason it doesn't seem to respond or give me any kind of advice other than the typical, "Well, what are ya gonna do."

Even though it is a very popular phrase to use in conversation, I absolutely hate it. Basically, to me, it is saying, "Well, you have hit rock bottom. Tough luck. There is nothing that you can do to change it."

Maybe I feel this way because I am not listening as well as I used to, or maybe, just maybe, I have forgotten how to listen completely.

But, I have been listening my entire life. I get tired of always being the one to listen and then having to do the responsible thing. I am sick and tired of it.

In a previous post, I talked about choosing to do the responsible thing over the right thing. Instead of going to an important basketball game, I did the responsible thing of going to class where I could have lost a letter grade for my absence.

Once again, I am being forced to chose a class over a coaching position that I would enjoy and pays very well. Once again, choosing responsibility over right.

Back when I wrote the first "responsible decision post," I stated that my main fear was regretting my "responsible" decision. As I sit back in thought on both of these decisions, my greatest fear has indeed come true.

After all this time, I greatly regret my first responsible decision. I am sure that this second "responsible decision" will be no different.

Good Feeling

Not even a week has gone by since basketball season officially ended and already I am starting to miss it. As it has turned out, the return back to the real world has not been what I thought it could have been.

The benefits of the basketball season greatly outweigh just about everything that the real world has to offer. These past few days, I begun missing the little things that made the season as special as it was.

As crazy as it sounds, I miss waking up early on Friday for morning practice. No more shooting around in the gym by myself for twenty minutes until the first players begin to show up.

No more of my players challenging me to an impromptu game of HORSE and no more of us laughing at each other when either one of us airballs a reverse layup. But, the practices are not the only thing that I miss

I miss the good feelings that I got when I would wake up on a day when we had practice or a game. Waking up on a day when you have a game or practice always made my real world stuff tolerable because I had something to look forward to.

The good thing is that I can escape to this basketball world every now and then by watching the highlight video. That is one thing that I am most proud of simply because as a kid I always wanted one.

When I was younger, I would constantly watch NBA Highlight Videos of Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Dominique Wilkins just to name a few. Afterward, sometimes my brother and I would go shoot hoops while listening to the very same music that we had heard in the videos of our favorite ball players.

Personally, I had always wanted a little highlight video for myself. For whatever reason, either the technology was not available or it had not even been thought of, it never happened. I think that gives me the best feeling of all that the team now has something that I, as a kid, would have never thought possible.

Maybe that's why it gives me such a good feeling because I was able to give them something that I never had. I can't quite figure out why exactly but I do know that I miss that little escape. Even though as I get older I should never wish any part of my life away, I would be lying in saying that I can wait until next season.

I am a Blue Devil

It is safe to say that I have been neglecting my blogging duties after taking a week off along with receiving a few complaints from loyal readers. The past few days have been very fun for me so I will do my best to update you on what has been happening.

Last Friday, I got the opportunity to play in the student/faculty basketball game at the Tipton Middle School pep session. Going into it, I was quite nervous especially when I air balled my first jumper in warm ups. Plus, when the entire school (not to mention your entire basketball team) is watching you, the pressure goes up just a little bit more.

The exciting thing about it was that I played very well. I scored six points, garnered two rebounds, and dished out an assist in just six minutes of work even though I was dead tired by the end of the game. I think I did pretty well for being as nervous as I was.

Along with the same lines, our team had our awards program last evening. All I can say is that it was an honor to be there to celebrate how well the girls did this year. They most certainly deserve the best and I think everyone involved did a very good job of giving them just that.

The most surprising thing about the evening was a speech given by one of the parents at the start of the program. Simply put, it blew my dad and I away. His kind words really set the tone for a fantastic evening and made it very tough for either one of us to follow him. It was wonderful!

After the speech, we all crowded around the big screen to watch the highlight video that apparently has gotten a lot of people talking because of how much they enjoy it. For me, I think I have watched it over a hundred times but it never gets old. I am very glad that I made it even though it took a lot of time and patience to get it just right. But as good as people say the video is, it in no way can truly express how much fun this season was.

After the video was completed, Dad and I gave our review of each of our seasons. We were so appreciative just of the effort that our players gave this year that the wins did not seem to matter in the grand scheme of things. To be completely honest, we never really put too much focus into winning. We were much more concerned with how well we played the game and having fun as I think it should be for all sports.

It was pretty emotional for dad I am sure especially for him to remember that the girls asked him to be their coach this season along with finding out that it had been a lifelong dream of mine to coach with him one day.

We then gave out the awards with each girl receiving a "goodie" bag complete with the highlight video and other things that we had gotten them. After that, we concluded by thanking all of the parents for their support this season as they made it an absolute joy for us. It was indeed an honor to coach their daughters this season especially with them behind us.

With that, the awards program had concluded but this did not mean that people were ready to leave just yet. This had to be my favorite part of the evening as each one of the girls gave my dad and I hugs at the end along with requesting to take pictures. Words cannot even describe how great that felt.

This experience has indeed lifted me to a better place and these girls have made me a better person for which I am truly thankful. In retrospect, coaching these girls with my dad this season is the best thing that I have ever been apart of or ever done. I think their best quality is that as good as they are as basketball players; they are even better people which make them a fun group to be around. I am proud to have been their coach and cannot wait to coach them again next year.

Pride is a funny thing, in a way, for I am not a graduate of the school in which I coach. It is true that before this experience my colors were Red, White, and Black as I was a Western Panther.

Despite these facts, I know our team will rest assured when I say that I have always felt much more comfortable wearing the Blue and White of Tipton. Even though I am a Western graduate, I very much prefer and am proud to be known as a Blue Devil.

Responsibile Decisions and Basketball

In life, we don't always get to do everything that we want to do. Tonight was especially difficult for me as I missed seeing my basketball team win their sixteenth game of the year to complete an undefeated season.

Instead, I chose to go to my Indiana History class this evening. Not only would I have missed the first days information, as it is an accelerated course, but my absence would have caused me to lose 7% of my final grade because of the class attendance policy.

I really did not think that it would bother me as much as it did but that all changed when I was asked to put away my laptop.

As many professors are starting to do these days, my professor did not allow me to use my laptop to take notes. While I was unplugging my power cord and putting my laptop back in my bag, my mood began to change as I have always felt more confident in my typing abilities than my writing abilities.

I then began searching my bag for something to write on for I had no paper and did not expect to write my notes. The only kind of papers I could find was the packet that I should have been using this evening. The packet of papers that I had found was my basketball plays.

It was the first set of plays I had drawn up for my "B" team at the start of the season. In the margins were dozens of notes that I had scribbled down throughout the year in hopes of improving my players and myself as a coach. Notes that would soon be replaced with new notes about the state of Indiana.

So as I proceeded to fill my paper with notes on the Forts, Fur Traders, and the French, I received a text from dad confirming that the perfect season did in fact occur and it filled my stomach with a sick feeling.

I greatly fear that I will come to regret this decision even though many will say that it was the responsible decision. But, even though it may have been the responsible decision, I am still lost in thought on whether or not it was the right decision.

I am sure it was but at this juncture I still feel as if I missed out on something great because of my "responsible" decision.

A Tale of Two Games

It's a very blustery day on this Friday afternoon. I have never seen it this windy without snow.

Last night and this morning were both bittersweet. Within the past 24 hours relatively, I went to my last basketball game and practice of the season. Unfortunately, I will not be able to go to our final game on Monday because it is imperative that I go to my excellerated class that starts on the same night.

From my perspective, I thought it was probably one of the most physical games that I have seen us play in this season. It was possibly second only to the Frankfort game when we had a couple of really bad injuries.

If our game was a chapter in a book then I think it's title could have been "A Tale of Two Games." The first half was about as tight as one could imagine. Looking back, I think there were over twenty fouls called total in the first half which led to some of our players getting into foul trouble.

It was the first time this year that we were faced with this problem so I could not be too upset but it was a little troublesome coming out of the locker room. Many of our starters already had their second and third fouls.

Of course, I was momentarily put at ease after I noticed I had a cheering section last night. A few of my friends decided to take in our game that evening along with preparing a sign that said, "We love our Coaches!" It meant a lot to see them there especially since one of them is an alumnus of a rival school.

But, as I said before, this was only momentary because this was when the second tale of the game began. This was because very few fouls were called during the second half of our game last night. If we couple that with an already physical and intense game this leads to potential problems and possible injuries.

In fact, it got so bad at one point that one of our players got scratched up pretty bad on her shoulder. Imagine our shock when she was called for the foul on the play. I am still trying to figure that one out.

She walked to the bench holding her shoulder but I still could not figure out to what extend the cut was. After she sat down, I noticed that it looked pretty bad. Not as bad as seeing one of my teammates dislocate a finger in one of my own seventh-grade AAU games (which is an entirely different book) but it definitely looked painful.

As the final buzzer sounded, I have never been more relieved. I wanted to see a quick end to this game because I was afraid that more people would get hurt. Right now, we are still undefeated with one game left to play in the book that is our season.

Hopefully, the final chapter of the season will end as the previous fifteen. Either way, if the book on this season is ever written, I know for sure that I will be the first one to buy it.

A Very Emotional Saturday

This Saturday was arguably the most emotional day for me since Election Day 2006 when Joe Donnelly won his Congressional seat. It was a day that I will never forget.

On Saturday, my basketball team traveled to Zionsville for it's "B Team" Invitational. It was a four team single elimination tournament and in the first round we drew a very good team that had beaten us by over 20 points one month earlier. However, I knew that we were a different team from the last time we played them. We had just come off of two very convincing wins plus our game psychology had been getting better with each passing day. As dad always says, "There is a difference between playing basketball and playing the game."

With that in mind, I shared with our team a week prior to the tournament that my goal was to win the invitational. They had worked so hard and come such a long way since November that I knew we were capable of being competitive. As usual, the night before the invitational was a very difficult one for me as I absolutely could not wait for the games to begin.

Saturday morning could not come quick enough as I spent most of my day and evening watching game film in hopes of finding just the right strategy for our first game. After watching the same game at least 10 times over the course of the night, I had completely lost track of time. It was 3 o'clock in the morning and I had to get up in two hours so I "quit early and called it half a day" as a former President once put it.

Before the game started, I reminded the players that it would be a physical game but that we could not allow intimidation to be a factor. In what became a recurring theme this day, the games would be decided by who wanted it more.

In the first half of our first game, our bench rose to the occasion. We had some early foul troubles with a couple of our players so we had to go to our bench so that our starters would not pick up their third and fourth fouls. Our defense also picked up in this game. For a good part of the season, I have been expressing the importance of talking on defense and they picked the best time to begin doing so. Not only does it help from a communication standpoint but it picks up the intensity of a defense like few things can.

It was a total team effort and I could not have been happier with them as we were only down two points at halftime. The team was also excited especially with the job they had done on defense. In fact, one of my player's said, "That was fun," when I asked them about how it felt to finally talk on defense. Before we left the locker room, I asked them, "Who wants it more?" In response, I heard "We do!"

The second half was much like the first half except that we were able to stay out of foul trouble. It ended in a 10-10 tie which set us up for our second overtime game of the year as we only allowed four points in the second half. It was a very low scoring game overall. It wasn't that our offense was playing terrible though. We had created an abundance of good shots but we just were not able to convert on them. It set up the two most memorable overtime periods I have ever seen as a coach.

The first overtime was a difficult pill to swallow as we could not convert on offense. Luckily, our defense was at its best as our opponents did not score as well. As the period ended, we were in uncharted territory as we headed toward the second overtime. All we needed to do was to keep playing the game our way by continuing to pressure them on defense while patiently waiting for our shots to fall. There was really only one thing to say, or in this case ask. "Who wants it more?" Again, I heard, "We do!"

The second overtime was beginning to shape up like the first one did as both teams struggled to put any points on the board but halfway through one of my players was sent to the free throw line for two shots. As she stepped to the line, I tried to rest my voice and began consuming my third bottle of water because I was so tense. My player, as cool as a cucumber, stepped up and ripped both free throws to give us a lead for the first time in the game.

We now had the daunting task of protecting it. Our good fortunes continued as the defense held firm while we were able to clear the ball out on the rebound instead of getting tied up in a jump ball. We patiently walked the ball up the court as we needed not be in a rush with our two point lead. All we had to do was work the ball around and wait for them to foul or put the ball in the basket if a good shot arose. We did exactly that as the same girl who hit the two free throws earlier drilled a jumper that would put the game out of reach as we won 14-10 in double overtime.

The locker room was electric as we had just played the best and most exciting game of the season. On the outside, I tried to remain calm as we still had one game to go and we needed to rest especially after such an emotional win. On the inside, I was ready to jump out of my skin as my team had finally played up to their potential and won a very close game against a very good team.

During the break, the team wanted to go get lunch somewhere so we headed to McDonald's as it was the nearest place possible. I am sure that health experts will shriek at the very idea of going to McDonald's but it turned out to be the best thing for us as it gave our team a chance to go over our plays with what has now become the famous "French Fry Diagrams." Forget basketball camps, just go to McDonald's and order some french fries and chicken McNuggets. It worked like a charm. Afterward, we headed back to the school to play in the Championship game.

We were all pretty emotionally and physically drained so I spent a good part of the first half subbing the girls in and out. I wanted to give them a chance to rest as they had just played six quarters of high intensity basketball just four and a half hours earlier. Even though our ball handling was a little sloppy, we held a five point lead at halftime. I can definitely say that I was a little calmer this time. All we needed to do was take care of the ball and we would be able to prevail.

After such an emotional win like the one we experienced, most coaches will expect a let down in the next game. That turned out not to be the case as our offense, which had been held in check all day, exploded in the second half for our best performance of the season. Every player contributed and it was a beauty to watch especially to see the smiles on their faces with each basket scored. On the other side of the ball, our "chatter box" defense was at its best which led to a couple of kids from the other school in the stands yelling at us to quiet it down. To them it might have been a nuisance but it was music to our ears.

The game ended with us way ahead. As they have done all year, they handled it with class as they wished the other team a good game and graciously accepted the trophy. I was beaming. As I said before and told them after the game before the pictures began, I was so very proud of them for the strides they had made and for their efforts. It was the perfect end to a very emotional Saturday that I will never forget.

Goodbye DJ

Dennis Johnson

9/18/54 - 2/22/07

As if things could not get any worse for the Boston Celtics this year, they have lost another one of their own.

The former point guard Dennis Johnson, better known to players and fans as "DJ", passed away today at the age of 52.

As a player, Dennis Johnson was well respected throughout the league during his 13 year career which included five NBA All-Star selections, nine NBA All-Defensive Team selections, and most notably three NBA World Championships (Seattle '79 & Boston '84, '86).

But what DJ will most be remembered for was his tireless effort both on and off the court. He was a great friend to his teammates as well as a true role model for every kid who is not blessed with natural athletic ability.

He will be missed. Thanks for the memories DJ!

Mid-Week Vacation

Well, it looks as if my mid-week vacation is coming to an end. School will be starting up again tomorrow after cancelling two days of classes.

I find it highly unlikely that they would cancel for a third day. It does, however, make me wonder how everyone is going to make it into Kokomo with all of the snow emergencies in the surrounding counties.

This little break has been much appreciated. I really needed just a few days of nothing to collect my thoughts. Basketball has been going very well but after an emotional win in our invitational this weekend my brain needed a couple personal days.

We played better than I have ever seen us play this weekend. At times, I forgot that I was supposed to be coaching instead of just watching us because it was an amazing site to see.

It's pretty bad when one of your players comes to the bench saying, "Coach this is fun," and you retort, "I get to watch this. It's awesome!" Not really my finest authoritative moment but a lasting memory nonetheless.

Also, it is another year and another campaign has started. I am looking forward to this one most of all as it has been creating a buzz in my hometown since the Spring of 2006.

Hopefully, this election will be met with the same results of the last one. Once you win a campaign, you want to win another one and as soon as possible.

Good night and good luck shoveling the snow off your cars.

No Energy to Change the Channel

I always hate the evening before a morning class. It seems as if the minutes and seconds go by quicker every time. I really doubt I would feel this way if it was a different subject.

I feel very much like the junior high kid who dreads going to school because he hates his math class. That pretty much sums up my attitude about my psychology classes. I am grateful, however, that I will not have to write a report in those classes.

Writing a report in a class that I do not like is like asking Robin Williams not to be funny. It just is not possible.

I am just glad that the basketball season has been so enjoyable. It has truly been an escape from the reality of being in college. But when your team is undefeated with a 10-0 record, I guess it is supposed to feel that way.

Right now, I feel as if I have my bags packed and my plane ticket ready but the plane has been delayed for a couple hours. I know what I want to do but for some reason Father Time is not cooperating with me.

I don't want to wish my life away but is there some way where I could possibly speed up the next few years without anyone getting older or anything changing? If you know of anything or anyone that could help, please let me know.

Well, I have finally gotten the energy to change the channel on the television. No channel changer here. Either I like living in the 1950's without the clicker or I am very irresponsible with my channel changers. I'll take the former for now.

Moving out from under the Rock

My one and only test this week is complete! I think I did much better than what I thought I would do but we will have to wait for the results.

For lunch, my brother and I went to Mike's Pizza for some breadsticks, sausage pizza, and new jokes that he learned. There are some good one's in there that I will have to tell you about Mike.

More good news from the basketball team, we won last night 20-4! That is our third win in our last four games. We were only up 4-2 at the half but the team played a lot better in the second half especially on defense. I still think we have a long way to go with improving how we take care of the ball and our game psychology.

It's one thing to play basketball but it's another thing to play the game as a great coach once told me. We know the game but we need to become more familiar with the thinking aspect of it. I've got faith that they can do it.

Well, I am off to watch American Graffiti. Apparently, I live under a rock because I have never seen it so I am hoping to be one step closer to moving out from under it after I watch this movie. Wish me luck!

"Boring" Stuff is Necessary

I was surprised yet again today. It was just when I thought that my college education could not get anymore interesting. In order to study the nervous system, we watched a segment from Schoolhouse Rock. Enough said.

Anyway, today is game day. After I wrap up my class here in about 40 minutes, I will be traveling down to Tipton. We play Elwood this evening so I am sure that the crowd will be fired up for this game.

The team is doing really well. The "A" team is undefeated still at 7-0. The "B" team is 2-5 but I think we've got a good shot of improving it over the next few weeks.

I really have very little to write about today. I cannot quite think of anything really. I do know that I am tired of being a student. Also, I am tired of being told what to learn.

So many times I have noticed that the instructor is more worried about finding something that will interest the kids instead of trying to find ways to make those "boring" subjects more understandable to the kids.

Granted, teaching kids about the Fourth Amendment of our Constitution is no picnic. When kids hear search and seizure I am pretty sure that they are thinking, "We never had seizure's when we searched for something." But maybe we could make it a little more interesting if we discussed one thing that is very important to a young kid - their room.

Instead of talking about British soldiers entering a colonists house, let's first talk about Mom, Dad, or Grandma coming into a kid's room and messing with their stuff. It can be little things from messing with the posters on the wall or big things like deleting songs on their Ipod. "Oh heck no!" is what they would say and then I think we could introduce the "boring" stuff.

I believe that the true difficulty and great challenge of being a teacher is trying to make kids understand the things that they consider boring. Also, just because a subject may seem boring does not mean that we cannot and should not teach it.

We have to remember what it was that made it boring for us as kids and put a new twist on it so that our kids will not have the same experience. We might surprise ourselves.

Let's Hope and Pray

I hate not being able to sleep on the night before a game. I can’t sleep for two reasons. The first being that we are going against my alma mater. The second is that I will be late to the game because I have class that I cannot miss.

Several people have told me not to worry and that I will get there when I can but I just do not think it is fair to the kids. Let’s hope that I am able to make it there on time.

Special thanks to Mike for the link that he posted on his blog for me today. I enjoyed it and thought it was very funny.

Good news from the basketball department: The "A" team won their sixth game in a row last night to remain undefeated on the season. Things are going very well plus we got to play in a gym that was a throwback to Indiana basketball history.

It was Sheridan's old high school gym that looked like it could have very easily been taken from the movie Hoosiers. It was really neat to play a game and coach in a gym such as that one.

I think the girls were a little surprised at just how much we knew and how excited we were to see that gymnasium. We were able to let our guard down that night since we played the first game.

During most of the second game, we sat up in the stands and had some really funny conversations with our players. I think they got to know us a little bit better and we got to know them better as well.

Well, that is it for me for now. I am going to finish working on my presentation for the class that I cannot miss this evening. Pray that it goes well and so that I can get out of there quick enough so I do not miss any of my game.

Our First Win

We won our first basketball game last Tuesday evening. I cannot even describe how great a feeling it was. It is something that I will never forget.

I was very nervous as I was walking into the locker room before our game. The varsity team's game was very physical which led to two of our players getting injured. My players are the most important thing to me and to see anyone of them in pain is very difficult as any coach will tell you.

Two nights prior, we had taken a very good team down to the wire before eventually losing in overtime by a single point so I knew that my team had it in them. We had had a good practice the day before so my confidence was beaming but I was in for a memorable night.

We came out a little flat in the first half. We had trouble running our offense plus I think we were a little timid as well. I cannot say I blame them for that after having watched the varsity team get beaten up for an hour.

However, our defense and rebounding was strong. We managed to hold the other team to only a single basket while just scoring one ourselves. As we headed into the locker room, I knew that we could play better.

I knew that they were capable of playing much better than they had shown in the first half. We came out of the locker room and headed straight to the bench. If we could come out with intensity on defense, I thought that we might be able to pull this game off but when you have never played basketball before like many of my players just stepping out onto the court is a victory in itself.

Before we began the second half, I asked each and every one of them to look at me. These girls have given so much to me these past few months that I just wanted them to win this game so badly. "This is your time," I said.

I do not think that I could have coached or they played any harder than we did in that second half. We came out firing and played the type of basketball that I knew these girls were capable of playing. Our defense was terrific and our bench really stepped up to the challenge.

One of the more inexperienced players even hit a 15 foot jumper toward the end of the third quarter that sent our bench into a frenzy. Very few times in life are we able to see something great like that happen. Just seeing one of my players hit a shot like she did was amazing. At that point, it did not matter to me who won or lost. We had finally become a team.

In the fourth quarter, our defense was the key. We had a big lead and all we had to do was stop the other team from scoring. The clock seemed to take forever to get under a minute as each second slowly ticked away.

With only a short time left to play, the opposing team had the ball out of bounds and we were ahead. I shouted, "Don't foul! Play smart!" I really did not need to in retrospect. After committing three personal fouls in the first half, one of my players did not even come close to picking up her fourth in the second half. I was proud.

As the final seconds ticked away, I looked up at the clock as the buzzer sounded with us leading. I wish I could have a picture of our bench when that happened because there were smiles all around. We had won.

Mentally and physically, I was completely exhausted. I had wanted us to win so badly that I wore myself out. I entered the locker room to hear shouts of celebration. I was so happy that I did not feel the need to X and O anymore tonight. Let the kids enjoy the win tonight and get back to work the next day.

Before I left, I called the team together. We had come so far in the 30 practices we had had this season. When we first started in November, many on the team had never even played organized basketball before let alone run an offense or played help side defense. Myself, I had only coached four basketball games prior to the one I coached that evening. We both had come so far.

The only thing I could really say was "Thank you." We had won our first game and I could not think of anything more appropriate than that. They earned it and gave me a lasting memory.

Pregame Motivation

I greatly enjoyed my day off from school today. It is hard to believe that I was writing a speech for Martin Luther King Day at this time a year ago. It is amazing how time flies.

I had practice this evening as well. It was a ty