Are You Stuck on Good? A Look at 2011

Do You Dream of Greatness?

For me, it has been a turbulent yet exciting and fast paced year. I went from having the best senior year in college anyone could ask for to looking for a job in business, to making a major life change in deciding to pick up and move to get my teachers certification and masters. I have learned a lot about myself throughout this past year; some good and some I want to change.

One thing I enjoy doing each day is reading a blog post or two on leadership & change from popular leadership blogs. One that I stumbled upon last week revolved around the idea: "Are You Stuck on Good? What Is Holding You Back? ” The thesis of this article analyzed the one key difference that makes good leaders great. That key element is the “willingness to change and challenge oneself.” Good leaders are happy with the status quo. Many times they resist change. The great leaders embrace new opportunities and they challenge themselves every single day. Below are several things I want to improve upon this 2011 to make myself into a better, more suited person for my family, friends, and my job.

1.       Like many of you, waking up in the morning can be a daunting task. Most of us are grumpy and say to ourselves many times over this is going to be a long, crappy day. This is the wrong attitude! What if we woke up every morning with ten positive thoughts for every negative one we had? Instead of telling ourselves how bad the day will be, we need to tell ourselves that we are going to make a difference today, learn something new, meet a new friend, and share a lot of laughs. By changing our attitude we change ourselves.

2.       We have a lot on our minds all the time. One thing that frustrates me is that throughout the day, I always forget the dream(s) I had the night before and many of them were pretty interesting. One of my goals this year is to keep a log by my bed and record all my dreams when I wake up. Through this, I feel I can someday write a book that has never been written. People, I dream some crazy stuff!

Like me, I know you have a lot to share you just never write it down. I strongly encourage you before bed to take some time to write about things you learned that day, things that frustrated you, or things you would like changed. Trust me, it takes a lot of weight off your chest and relieves some much needed stress!

3.       I grew up around pasta, fatty lunch meats, and lots of yummy snacks. As I begin to get older, I am starting to realize my body can’t handle all the “goods” anymore. This year, my goal is to eliminate one of the “bad” things from my diet each month. By 2012, I should be able to say NO to prosciutto, fried chicken, Doritos, Oreos, and many more! Along with this goal to eliminate some goodies, it is my goal to continue to push my body to places it has never been before. By February 28^th, I wish to be done with the whole Insanity program. It will be tough but I have to do it! In reality, most health issues we have can be cured with a good diet and plenty of exercise. Many of us just find it to darn hard to do both of those consistently!

4.       For you that aren’t spiritual, you can ignore this one but I really need to get more in tune with my spirituality. At church this Christmas, our priest made an excellent point. Why do all of us come to church on Christmas but many of us throughout the rest of the year forget to celebrate Jesus and his teachings? What are we so scared of? We feel like many times we can do everything on our own, but if we took a moment or two and let him into our hearts, I feel like our lives would be much fuller! This year, I want to practice more random acts of kindness like Jesus did. Give for no reason, and find ways to make new friends.

5.       It is amazing how much we can learn by simply listening and observing others actions. One thing I have learned this year is that I am obviously not always right and it is important to always look at things from other people’s perspectives. A great saying that I love is that “you should never judge a man unless you have walked in his shoes.” Throughout this New Year, I want to make sure I listen and observe before I make haste judgments.

Some other things I want to try and improve are:

*Encouraging others to reach for things they never thought possible.

*Be a better coach and teacher through studying my craft.

*Spend more valuable time with my family.

*Be more adventurous and try new things such as cooking new dishes or visiting a place I have never been before.  

*Read for at least 10 minutes a night before bed. Finish five books this year. Knowledge is power.

*Learn something new every day from a person, article, book, or adventure.

As the New Year is upon us, I encourage you to take a look at yourself and ask: “Are You Stuck on Good?” If so, how can you make yourself and the World around you a better place?

HAPPY 2011!!

-RD

Leading to Perfection: Dallastown Football

10 - 0 Undefeated Div I Champions

Last month, November 2010, the Dallastown football program did something it hasn’t done in 30 years; win the Division I York-Adams title outright and pitch a perfect regular season. I couldn’t be more proud for the district, coaches, players, and community. I know it was a truly special season for all that were involved and the team will go down in history. What people don’t realize though is what it took to get to that Friday night 38 -36 win over Red Lion to go undefeated.  

Five years ago, 2006, I graduated from Dallastown as a member of the football team. It was Kevin Myers first year as the head varsity coach. We went 1 – 9, were laughed at by opponents, and the program was all over the place. The next year, the varsity went 1 – 9 again. The kids played very hard. Competed in a lot of games, but the result was the same.

In 2008, the team started 0 – 3. Parents and community members questioned if Kevin knew what he was doing. They questioned his character, they questioned his staff. The questioned everything about the football program. I remember talking to Kevin over the phone after that third loss. He was upset that the team lost, but you never heard any negatively or defeat in his voice. Their next game was against the powerhouse South Western whom Dallastown hadn’t beaten in a very long time. The team had two options: Quit like they usually did or work harder. I remember that week being the toughest week of practice I ever saw. There was high intensity, hard hitting, and the kids competed.  The senior leaders stepped up. They were tired of being associated with losing. That Friday night, they pulled out a 20 – 17 win over South Western which in my opinion was the game that changed the program’s culture. From that game on, DTown never looked back. They went on to win the last 5 out of 6 games to finish 6 – 5 and make the postseason for the first time ever. Since then, the program has had a winning record every year, most notably this year’s undefeated season.

Through being associated with the program over the past four years through coaching, I saw many great things that I believe changed the football culture and made Dallastown into a respected program once again.

1.        In leadership, anytime you want to change something, you have to have a plan or vision. Kevin had a plan for success in which he believed in. He had to handle a lot of unjust criticism but he stuck with his plan until it came to fruition.

2.       He surrounded himself with knowledgeable, credible people that had integrity and class. He put together a coaching staff that he knew would do whatever it took to not only win and make the kid’s better people, but carry out his vision.

3.       Many people don’t understand this, but in a high school football program, it starts from the bottom up, not top to bottom. Kevin did something that was never done before in the program. He developed a great relationship with its feeder program, the Cougars. Before Kevin took over, the Cougars and Wildcats didn’t coordinate together very well. Part of his plan was to get the Cougars to run his offense/defense and instill his philosophies. Many programs don’t do this because it takes a lot of work but the payoff is awesome.

4.       Coaching isn’t all about X’s and O’s, it is about the Jimmies and Joes. There is nothing more important as a coach than investing in people and having compassion for others. Kevin and his staff do a great job investing in the kids, making them into better people, and motivating them.

5.       I had an opportunity to coach at a well respect school district this year in Mt. Lebanon in Pittsburgh. One thing that I missed very much was the family atmosphere. Kevin made sure that all coaches no matter what were welcome to practices, games, clinics, etc. I personally feel that feeling of family amongst the coaches trickled down to the players.

6.       I like marketing a lot so I have to point this out. When I played, we had beat up uniforms and a timid Wildcat on the helmet. Kevin rebranded the Dallastown Wildcat; from the DT logo, to the helmets, to the jerseys. I hate to say it but those little things make kids want to play. Also, he connected with the community like no other coach or person I ever saw.

7.       Lastly, I have to give credit to the players. Coaches constantly preach hard work, responsibility, respect, attitude, etc but if the players don’t take leadership to do them, it is all wasted breath. The program has been fortunate to have a lot of great young leaders which I know will continue because of the coaches that instill those positive characteristics in them.

Life is a continous learning process. I have been blessed to have learned so many great things from not only Kevin, but the coaches I have coached with and the players I coached. The Dallastown community and football program is a truly special place. The bar has now been set. Now it is time to continue a tradition of excellence!

-RD

Facebook Etiquette: Plase Raed Cafurly

It is no secret that we on average spend one to two hours daily on Facebook checking statuses, chatting, viewing pictures/video, and commenting/liking other people’s posts. I, like many of you, enjoy using Facebook to keep up on friends and family. Lately though, I have noticed some  disturbing trends that I personally feel people that use Facebook need to be aware of and think about. Some of these things just bug me and I need to get them off my chest. 

1.       When posting a status update or comment, please check your grammar unless you are trying to make an error on purpose. People don’t realize that others will judge you on something as simple as your grammar. Check before you post.

2.       Please DO NOT post an update everyday that you went to work then came home ate dinner and went to bed.  Personally I don’t care and many others don’t either. Try and make yourself a person of value and post meaningful, thought provoking posts or quotes, links, movies, etc. I am not saying it is bad every once in a while to say, “Excited to see Harry Potter tonight,” but don’t bore the rest of us with your monotony.

3.       In my opinion, over 70% of the status updates I see are negative such as, “I hate school,” “my life sucks,” “I hate my job,” “This isn’t right,” etc. People please,  understand that others aren’t sympathetic with you, most are glad you have problems. The more you tell yourself things suck, the more they do. The more you give yourself positive self talk and have a bright outlook on things, the more vibrant the world seems.

4.       Lastly, it is amazing how much time we waste on social networks. I had a teacher in high school who taught me a lot about maximizing our time. Many of you like me have very busy schedules with a lot to get done. Instead of checking Facebook, Twitter, email every fifteen minutes, use that extra time to get your paper done or take time to read a book or article.

If you have a comment  and want to share your opinion, I would love to hear your thoughts. As always, thanks for reading RD’s Readz!

-RD

Lessons Learned Through Football Translate To Life

This time of year, fall, I get a chill down my spine. It isn’t because the weather is changing, it is because I can smell football in the air; the smell of hard work, sweat, victory, tears, and pride. I can hear the roar of the crowd, the band playing, and the elation after a hard fought victory. Ever since I was a young man, there hasn’t been a season I haven’t either played or coached the great game they call football. Football is different than many other sports in that it is a “true" team sport. “Individuals play the game, but teams beat the odds.” Isn’t life a team game? I can’t go back and strap the pads on again, lay a big hit, or make a great catch, but I can do one thing…continue as a coach to teach the life lessons football teaches us all.

Here are some of the life lessons I have learned from this game:

*Work Ethic: “If it were easy, wouldn’t everyone do it?” Football, like life, is a physical and mental game that beats you up at times. Coming to work every day with a solid attitude ready to get better than your competition is more than half the battle. Every day, someone is out there working harder than you to beat you. “If you can dream it, you can do IT.”

*Perseverance: Life is full of peaks and valleys. “The peaks inspire us, but the valleys mature us.” Being able to persevere through a tough loss or an injury translates to life. Nothing in life is perfect but learning how to cope and persevere with issues will ultimately make you a winner. Two great quotes that I love are: “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react.” “Always choose to rise one more time than you fall and you can’t lose.”

*Character: Most coaches say you need to be a person of strong character, but many kids don’t know what that powerful word entails. It means “what you are inside as a person and human.” Are you driven, humble, and a person of integrity? Do you have a good attitude and give to others? “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think of you."

*Leadership: Not everyone has to be the quarterback or stand out player to be a leader. Many leaders are people of humility who do things right 100% of the time. They are people twho are willing to serve others and lead by example. “A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not.”

*Goal Setting: What is the point of going through life if you don’t ever set goals for yourself? Do you always want to be average or do you want to be great? One of my favorite coaches always used to say to the team; “You either get better or you get worse, you never stay the same.” Setting goals allows you to “reach for the stars, if you miss, you still land on the moon.”

*Teamwork: “There is no “I” in “TEAM.” Learning how to work with others and being able to accept that you are not always right or it isn’t all about you says a lot about your character. Football is a game of sacrifice as is life.

*Respect: For other cultures, races, etc. Deep down, we are all human and want the same thing: To be happy and successful in our own rights. It is the old golden rule: “Treat others as you would want to be treated.”

*Take Nothing for Granted: There isn’t a day I don’t think about playing one more football game on Friday night with my friends. Life passes us by very quickly. Treat everyday like it is your last because life is fragile and you never know when your time is up. “Family, Faith, Focus.”

If football has taught you something that I have missed, please feel free to share. Good luck to all the teams this fall especially my hometown Dallastown Wildcats!

“Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose.”

-RD

The Solution - Div 1-A Football Playoff

How should this be awarded?

Last week, ESPN The Magazine put a poll out to 135 Division 1-A players regarding the BCS system versus a playoff system. They were asked three questions. The first was “Do you want a playoff?”62% of the voters said they did. OK great, so we know it isn’t just the fans that want it, it is the players as well. Second question, “Would you rather have an FCS-style, 16-team playoff (no bowls) or the current system?” 70% now say they would take the BCS system over a 16 team playoff. Makes sense, we want a playoff but don’t want the bowls to be done away with because if we have a decent season, we don’t get any reward for it. Third question, “Would you rather have a college football career with three bowl trips or one playoff trip?” An amazing 77% said they would take the three bowl trips instead of the chance to be crowned a national champion or maybe re-write the history books with a big upset! Hmm….now this once confused me or should it? In an interview with the players on why they would take the three bowl trips, most of them said they got treated like kings with gift baskets and it was a nice reward for a long, tough season. I understand that, but I would be upset if I was the fifth ranked team in the nation, our goal was to get to the championship game, we lost one game because of a last second field goal and now I can’t have the opportunity to show the nation that we are true champions. That would eat at me as a person and player.

Anyways, I want to thank ESPN for their poll because it gave me new insight on what should happen in regards to division 1-A playoff football. Personally, I think the BCS does a great job getting the team rankings right. It isn’t error proof, but it works. Everyone loves the bowl games, even the players. OK, let’s keep them and the BCS ranking system. Next, let the conferences keep the way they determine their conference champion. Most have a game between the two best teams at the end which I love, some like the Big Ten don’t. OK, leave it up to the conference to decide that. I also get that the big bowl games are all about money, that doesn’t have to go away either. Here is how you solve this whole mess and make everyone happy. You keep the thirty or however bowl games there are for division 1-A. The teams that had decent seasons, you reward them with a nice trip to a sunny bowl and they can have their gift baskets; everyone except the top eight ranked teams in the nation at the end of the season. These eight will be entered into a three week playoff for the national championship. Seeding will be determined by the BCS rankings. Why eight teams? Two reasons, any more than eight, I don’t think they are worthy to be called a national champion. Secondly, it would make the season way to long and that is a huge fear of the players/coaches already. The big bowl games would just be added into the playoff. The Rose, Orange, Sugar, Fiesta. etc. Teams travel to each stadium to play and don’t tell me fans won’t travel because they will and the stadiums will be packed. Also, these top eight teams would still get their gift baskets and treated with royalty...

This system gives teams that may not be at the top of the BCS system such as TCU and Boise State an opportunity to compete for a national championship. It also eliminates the issue of the number three of forth ranked team being left out of the picture with having the same record as the second ranked team. Put the best of the best in the fire and let them dance. If the number one ranked team is worthy of that rank, they will prove it through three awesome playoff games and be crowned champion. These are my thoughts on the whole debate. Please feel free to share your opinions. Thanks for reading.

RD

The Content of Our Character: Ten Essential Virtues

This summer in one of my grad classes, my professor gave us an article on the "Content of Our Character" by Tom Lickona, Director, Center for the 4th and 5th Rs (Respect and Responsibility). As a coach and future teacher, we always want our students to exemplify "good character," but I never truly understand what that all entailed until I read Tom's article. He gives and explains ten essential virtues that should be practiced in order to be considered a person of strong character. My goal is not to analyze every detail of each virtue, mere give a sentence or two description from the article of what it is and how you can practice it as a person.

1. Wisdom - Wisdom tells us how to put other virtues into practice - when to act, how to act, and how to balance different virtues when they conflict. Wisdom in summary is utilizing good judgement. "We cannot do right unless we first see correctly." Practice wisdom by learning from others triumphs/mistakes and use them to make good choices and be a positive role model for others to follow.

2. Justice - Justice means respecting the rights of all persons no matter their color, race, ethnicity, etc. One can practice justice by simply being civil, honest, respectful, responsible, and tolerant.

3. Fortitude - Fortitude enables us to do what is right in the face of difficulty. It is the inner toughness that enables us to overcome or withstand hardship, defeats, inconvenience, and pain. Being courageous, resilient, patient, persevering, enduring, and maintaining a healthy self-confidence are all aspects of fortitude.

4. Self-Control - Self-control is the ability to govern ourselves. It enables us to control our temper, regulate our sensual appetites and passions, and pursue even legitimate pleasures in moderation. Being in control is having the ability to resist temptation, to wait, and delay gratification in the pursuit of higher distance goals.

5. Love - Love is the willingness to sacrifice for the sake of another. Being a lover is being empathetic, compassionate, kind, generous, and loyal. "Selfless love that expects nothing back is the most powerful force in the universe." It is being not only a giver, but a "humble giver."

6. Positive Attitude - "If you have a negative attitude in life, you're a burden to yourself and others. If you have a positive attitude, you're an asset to yourself and others. A positive person has hope, a sense of humor, enthusiasm, and is flexible. "Most people are about as happy as they make their minds to be." -Abraham Lincoln.

7. Hard Work - There is no substitute in life for hard work. John Wooden once said, "I challenge you to show me a single solitary individual who achieved his or her own personal greatness without a lot of hard work." Hard work includes the virtues of initiative, diligence, goal-setting, and resourcefulness.

8. Integrity - Integrity is adhering to moral principle, being faithful to moral conscience, keeping our word, and standing up for what we believe. "Integrity is different from honesty, which tells the truth to others. Integrity tells the truth to oneself."

9. Gratitude - Gratitude, like love, is not a feeling but an act of the will. We choose to be thankful, just as we choose to love. It moves us to count our everyday blessings. Take time in life to reflect and be thankful what you have, not be upset with what you don't.

10. Humility - Humility can be considered the foundation of the whole moral life. Humility is necessary for the acquisition of the other virtues because it makes us aware of our imperfections and leads us to try to become a better person. "Humility is recognizing both our inadequacies and abilities and pressing our abilities into service without attracting attention or expecting applause."

As I go through the days and try and better myself as a person, I try and practice these virtues as much as I can. They are to hard to practice all at once, but if we try and implement one at a time, not only will we become a better person, but the people around us will become stronger and happier. Please feel free to comment or share. Thanks.

-RD