~:[CH11 - Day 304]:~ I Scream

 
~:[CH11 - Day 304]:~ I Scream

Halloween is always a great day, hectic, but great. I love seeing how creative students and staff are with their costumes and while sometimes it's a bit of work to get it all together, when it unfolds, it's magical. As usual, our school had our annual costume competition and I loved seeing what everyone came up with, especially with the groups. Their creativity was amazing. This year, I decided to rep two former students as I started as Ben from Umbrella Academy then switched over to Jae (eaJ) in the afternoon. It was fun to watch my athletes come out and show off their costumes as well. Since our regular season is technically over, we had an optional day and it was amazing to see so many show up for the contest. Ultimately, we picked our cat cafe maid, Wednesday, a soldier and BBQ girls for our winners. I quickly changed and  headed over to the Bopomofo x Boba Ice Cream event hosted by Wong Fu Phil and Amber Liu. It was great to interact with everyone and the Boba x Ice Cream was definitely incredible! It's always great to see Amber and I was super happy to see Tricia. In the end, I didn't come home with a raffle win, but they did hand me a few pints of their wonderful ice cream since they liked my large boba cup with their logo. it was strange having such an eventful Halloween as it hasn't been like this since I used to setup the haunted front lawn back in high school, regardless despite all the craziness and chaos, it definitely was one for the ages. What is your favorite Halloween memory? 

~:[CH11 - Day 303]:~ Tea with the Grind

 
~:[CH11 - Day 303]:~ Tea with the Grind

Sunday is my normal stop at Tapioca Express. Some week's I'll do my grocery shopping before and others, it will be my only stop of the day. The rest of the day ... grinding. I got to work soon after getting my drink and worked through the entire day. I had a lot to catch up on and this was the first day in awhile I had to simply focus on getting things done. From grading to photos and other work in between, it felt good to get things off my to-do list. I think when you face your busiest moments, you begin to appreciate those moments of doing nothing. While editing and grading are not necessarily doing nothing, it definitely is better than running around without a chance to sit down. By day's end, I finished most of what I had hoped for as I looked forward to a week that is a little less chaotic than the one before. What do you enjoy doing on your downtime?

~:[CH11 - Day 302]:~ Every Second

 
~:[CH11 - Day 302]:~ Every Second

Like the grains of sand at the beach, there are countless number of seconds in our lifetimes. Nobody counts their time in seconds, yet some don't realize how precious those seconds are. We were at the beach for practice when I got news from Itaewon. Just over a year ago, I wandered those same streets, taking photos of World Food Street and the surrounding areas when they area was empty. That night in that very area, people gathered in that area to celebrate, but sadly the night ended in disaster for so many. It's moments like these where these precious seconds become our reality. Many, especially those who are younger, think their time in this world is endless, however, we never know when our time on this earth will come to an end. We don't know if our seconds will be as endless as the beach or will be counted like grains in the palm of our hand. From disasters, accidents, natural causes and more, anything can cut our time on this earth short and so I hope we can treasure every little second we have knowing that it could be the final grain. After the run, it was a joy to watch the athletes run around and play around, enjoying the time they had together and making the most of every second they had and I hope that they realize just how precious each second of these moments are. In life, we never want to lose a loved one, but losing one in our lifetime is sadly inevitable. Thus, I hope we always keep in mind that instead of saying, I wish we had more time together, that we treasure every second we have and treat each grain of our day as a precious one. 

I pray for all those who lost their lives and the others who suffered through the tragedy or lost a loved one. Sending my deepest condolences. Prayers for Itaewon.

~:[CH11 - Day 301]:~ Breaking Free

 

~:[CH11 - Day 301]:~ Breaking Free

After finishing up work, I headed out to LA to catch the MAX concert. While MAX is an amazing musician, it probably isn't a surprised that I mainly went to the concert to support Jae. With his move to his solo career, it's been nice to see him learn and grow. There definitely have been some bumps in the road along the way, but for some reason, tonight, I felt that he had broken free of some of the shackled that had been holding him down. Each individual person knows what that is in their own lives and I hope that tonight's performance was a signal of just that. The crowd soaked up his energy and went wild when he literally closed out as one with the crowd. There are no words to express how proud and overjoyed I was to be there for this moment and hear so many supporting him, loving him and encouraging him as he continues on his journey. It seems like this is definitely just the beginning for Jae and I definitely hope that he continues to launch himself into a world where he can be himself and truly love what he does. We all face a similar path as we find ourselves chasing our dreams, but something seems to be holding us back. I just hope we can all break free from those things binding us, so we can have our moment in the spotlight. 

~:[CH11 - Day 300]:~ Traditions

 
~:[CH11 - Day 300]:~ Traditions

When I first started coaching at Cerritos, a tradition was started and we've done our best to keep it going. While this year, it was a bit more of a chaotic turnaround than normal, it was nice that we were able to get a photoshoot in and do our traditional run. As commonplace as it is for us to be in CIF, this day is always a reminder of them that we should never take the opportunity to advance for granted as you never know when that opportunity will disappear. Eventually, we will do a second photoshoot with our CIF shirts, but for today, we enjoyed our time together, celebrating another successful season. I hope that we all appreciate our opportunities today as tomorrow is never guaranteed. 

Congrats to the Ohana 2022 on keeping up the tradition!

~:[CH11 - Day 299]:~ Almost Perfect

 
~:[CH11 - Day 299]:~ Almost Perfect

My boys varsity lineup PRs coming into the year were 17:15, 18:13, 19:07, 19:31, 19:36, 21:10 and a freshman for the boys. My girls had a stronger resume up front, but still had two girls in the 21s and 22s and two more who were freshmen. It was a battle, but also a fun year to work with athletes eager to get better and who were moldable once you could get them on board. Our girls varsity team made improvements (almost four minutes in team time), finished with a perfect 15, and all were first-team all-league athletes. My JV girls had five in the top seven and shaved off ten minutes as a team since the first cluster. Our JV boys lost a heartbreaker by two points, finding that less than five seconds could have won them a share of the title, however, in the first cluster, they lost by 37 points, shaving five minutes off their team time. The varsity boys lineup that averaged those times above ended up with a team time average around our fastest boy's PR. Sadly, the also ended up losing in a two point thriller, but there is no way we can fault them, as the work they put in, helped them get to where they are. Our theme this year was The Wave of Momentum and the season was perfectly summed up by the theme. Every week it felt as if more and more athletes were engulfed in the wave as things began to click and they also started to find their way. Success is infectious and while we still have a ways to go, the team took a rebuilding year and made it into a year where they gave themselves and opportunity. I hope that this wave continues into next year as while we lose a few key seniors, we return a large portion of our top athletes, but as is the case every year, the weight of those decisions lies on their shoulders. This year, they focused in and did what they needed to do and if they hope to continue the upswing, they'll need to keep pushing on. For now, however, we'll celebrate this victory. While some are a little sad of missing their goals, I hope they're minded of just how far they have come. It was easy to see that every athlete, from top to bottom, gave their all and left it all out on the course and with each one of them doing it, they made a wave that could not go unnoticed. 

~:[CH11 - Day 298]:~ The Final Practice

 

~:[CH11 - Day 298]:~ The Final Practice

Today marked our final regular season practice. With league finals tomorrow, we took one final picture with our seniors. Many of these seniors joined at the start and were apart of this program prior to the pandemic and they lasted through. Much credit goes to them for sticking it out through those tough times and I am glad to have worked with them throughout. With this group, we carry so many memories from a CIF Finals berth to the clean hands group, an athlete who kept falling and couldn't finish a race who became a scoring athletes and another who showed so much heart on the track at league finals. Every one of these athletes will always contribute a piece to this large puzzle that makes up our ohana and no matter what times they ran, they've made their contribution. One of the best things about this sport is that nobody ever sits the bench if they're ready to go for a meet and to be able to battle alongside them over these four years, I am grateful. I know we lost so many things along the way, but just being here until the very end has so much value. I am forever grateful for all you've contributed and look forward to our final hurrah together at league finals. Ohana RNR

~:[CH11 - Day 297]:~ Moving Day

 
~:[CH11 - Day 297]:~ Moving Day

My best friend moved to a new classroom, luckily it's a little closer to my room. As construction continues on campus, various teachers moved rooms. Some moved from class to class while others moved to the new portables on the blacktop. I felt bad for those who had to move as they had to pack up everything and reorganize things in the middle of the year. Doing so at this time of the year would be chaotic for me with cross country and MUN starting up, so I couldn't even imagine having to do this. I stopped by to take the first shot in this new room and while I arrived while he was away, I got to check out the new layout. I guess we can't always keep things the same. Sometimes, as much as we don't want to, we'll be forced to move or change and we just have to adapt. We could complain and groan about it, but in reality, we're just wasting time we could be using to adjust to that change. I feel for those who had to move, but just hope that they can adjust quickly. I can't imagine how you dealt with this inconvenience, but I definitely commend you all on dealing with the chaos.

~:[CH11 - Day 296]:~ Glaringly Beautiful

 
~:[CH11 - Day 296]:~ Glaringly Beautiful

The last thing I wanted to do today was to get up, however, I was a little excited to be shooting at an event, albeit outside. It's always tough controlling the light when the sun is glaring, however, it also has its benefits. My shoulder was dead by the end of the day as I walked back and forth across the fairgrounds, but I did so soaking in all the great things around and people enjoying the OC Japan Fair. The event was well organized as the stage always had something going on, there were lots of vendors and wonderful food choices. It was a beautiful sight to see people enjoying their time together listening to music, laughing and cheering. It was beautiful to see things becoming more normal and seeing people be able to enjoy things we took for granted in the past. As I stood by the stage and captured each of these moments, I soaked it all in as just being able to experience this is all was truly glaringly beautiful. Let's continue to appreciate all these beautiful moments.

~:[CH11 - Day 295]:~ Nostalgia

 
~:[CH11 - Day 2935]:~ Nostalgia

There's something about Mt. SAC that makes it amazing. The nostalgia that surrounds this place is incredible. While much pain is associated with this course because of how challenging it is, especially during hot weather, almost every athlete I have coached has run this course at one point or another in their career. Returning this course, as different as the facility may be, reminds me of those very moments. As I think back to my first coaching days celebrating advancing to the state championships, having an individual qualify to CIF Finals or even earning my own medal on this course after a long night at Homecoming, the nostalgia of this place never fades. We approached this race as a workout, trying to learn the course and focusing on staying health for our league finals next week. Regardless, we still found a few athletes who had solid races and we learned a lot about the course and how to approach it with this team. There were definitely some positive vibes that came out of the meet with this year's team and so many more memories that returned while I was there. There are places in our lives that we go that will always have a special place in your heart and for me, Mt. SAC is one of those mainly because of all the ways it connects me back to almost every athletes I've coached in my career. In the end, we left with a health squad ready for league and another year of memories in their heart.

~:[CH11 - Day 294]:~ Old School

 
~:[CH11 - Day 294]:~ Old School

We've been limited on the types of things we could do and have lost some of our traditional activities due to COVID. As they slowly come back, we finally had a regular pre-race gathering. Although it was an outside event, it still kept the same wonderful vibe that makes the experience so special. One thing I enjoyed most about this event was how it became one with less technology and more just old school type experiences. Board games were spread throughout, a few Nerf guns and just some chatter and food. It was a little weird to have everyone bring their own meals, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment as the athletes enjoyed each other's company and it was one of the most joyous environments we've had with our team all year. A few left before this shot, but was glad to have a sold showing at an event where we are beginning to get back to our old ways that made this program as special as it is today. I hope for many more, but for now, I will definitely look back and remember this evening, as hearing the laughter and screams and seeing them joke around, reminded me of all of the great moments I've had over the years. 

~:[CH11 - Day 293]:~ Where They All Go

 
~:[CH11 - Day 293]:~ Where They All Go

Fellow teachers may realize that when we work with athletes, we learn to deal with them coming and going. It's a constant cycle of amazing individual passing through and then riding off into the sunset. Sometimes you wonder what they are up to and hoping that they are successful. Every once in awhile, you get the chance to run into them and catch up and see how they're doing. It's great to share old stories, even if they were trouble makers in high school and see how things changed. I am always interested to learn in the lessons they learned from high school and the things they realized. As I reconnected with another alumni as he was setting up for OC Japan Fair, it was great to see how he's doing. I am always so happy to see updates online and even happier when we get to run into each other. Although I don't always get to see people in person or don't always respond, I am glad to come across updates and just know to my former students and athletes. I am proud of you and I hope you keep pushing forward towards all you hope to accomplish. For now, I'll wonder where you all are and what you are all up to, but hopefully, one by one, I'll get to catch up with you all soon.

~:[CH11 - Day 292]:~ Don't Hide

 
~:[CH11 - Day 292]:~ Don't Hide

I think one thing about high school that makes it tough is that you try to fit in. I think in life, fitting in is something that we try to do. There are some who could care less, but many think about those things when choosing to do things. As we get older, I think we realize that just be our authentic self is okay and we will find a group of people that accept us. Although he was just trying to shade himself from the heat, this picture reminded me of that. I am lucky to get to work with students and one of the most amazing things about doing so is seeing how unique each one of them are. One of the things I like to say the most is, if you want to do something, do it and don't make your decision based off what your friends are doing (or not) all the time. It's not easy to be authentic in high school, but at the same time, I think these students are lucky to be at a school where they can feel more free to be themselves. Sure there still will be issues here and there, but especially with the students who I get to work with, I love when they are themselves as they figure out who they are. To everyone, I hope we can all have the courage to be our true authentic selves as that is when we are all the most wonderful.

~:[CH11 - Day 291]:~ Voice of Change

 ~:[CH11 - Day 291]:~ Voice of Change

When do we use our voice? Often times we can keep things under wrap and deal with it, when in fact it would be more healthy to express our thoughts and opinions and at other times, it may have been better to keep something to ourselves. Knowing when to use your voice is important in life and it's something that I have to encounter daily as I think about what I should say and when. Rolling back into rhythm, I faced a busy day right when I got back with class, the newsletter, practice and Nationals tryouts. As I listed to the students speak, I thought about how much they have grown from freshman year, but also thought about, how do they use their voice? Especially as students, it's easy to use your voice in the wrong way, however, in an academic settings, time after time, I am proud of how many of these students use their voice to speak up for what they believe in or to guide others as leaders. At times, they need to learn how to use their voice and when, but that comes with experience and even then, I don't know if many will ever master that art. In the end, I hope that their voices are used for good as in this world filled with so much hate and divisiveness, I hope they'll use their voices to bring people together and lift those around of them up. We definitely need change in this world and I just hope that these young adults can be the voice of change for this next generation.

~:[CH11 - Day 290]:~ Life in Slow Motion

 
~:[CH11 - Day 290]:~ Life in Slow Motion

It's a fast-paced world and New York is a fast-paced city. My life often follows the fast-paced formula, but when I travel alone, things do tend to slow down for me and today it slowed down even more. It's great when you have friends who can do just that. As I normally plan my scheduled in a tightly packed package, today the day started off with me waiting and the remainder of the day followed that pace. It was strangely nice, as I thoughtful decided what I wanted to eat as I decided upon a Singaporean street hawker stall called Prawnaholic Collection in the new Urban Hawker food hall while my friend chose the popular Hainan Jones for their wonderful chicken. We both ended up with something from Lady Wang. After venturing uptown, the pace remained comfortable through the park, watching the tourists, nature, and just soaking in the crisp air around. Time went wasting away, but not a minute was wasted as while life was in slow motion, I welcomed the easily digestible pieces allowing me to soak in the day. In the end, nothing notable was accomplished, but that's exactly what made it notable, as a day was enjoyed without the need of something spectacular other than the beauty around us and a wonderful friend to keep me company. Today was authentic. I appreciated how normal the day was and know that while we look for all the great things we can do on a day away, that sometimes beauty can be found in the simplicity of a day. It definitely was a whirlwind 36-hours, but as I jumped onto the freeway, back to the fast-paced life, I reflected back on the day and though how I will look forward to when my days revert back to slow motion.

~:[CH11 - Day 289]:~ Beyond What's Visual

 
~:[CH11 - Day 289]:~ Beyond What's Visual

I was lucky to be able to get invited to catch the preview for KPOP the musical. I had to figure out if I could make it with a meet on Saturday, but the timing worked out perfect and so I decided to attend. I was impressed with the feel in the theater as it gave off the feel of a Korean music show. The music and dancing was wonderful and I was amazed that the groups were able to dance in such a small space. The overall stage design and effects made scenes more impactful and while sometimes the dialogue was hard to understand, I think it brought more authenticity to the show. For those who enjoy KPOP, I think the show would be an exciting one for you to catch as the singing and dancing makes you feel like you're at a show and there's a lot of "concert-like" moments. If you're a fan of Luna of f(x) or Kevin Woo, you also may want to catch it. I think it told a great story helping fans see even more into the dark struggles that artists go through and how much they sacrifice to try and make it big, which is never guaranteed. It's definitely a show that reminds us of a few things such as celebrities are people who actually have to risk and give up mpre to get where they are and it also talks about how we can open our eyes to just how much people (such as parents) sacrifice in order for someone's dreams to become a reality. As I wrapped up the night, I had dinner with a friend, explored the city with another before crashing from the fatigue of the day. As I continued to think about the layers of the story told through the musical, I definitely was reminded that everything in life is not always so visual and hope we can understand that within those layers we don't see is the information that can help solve some of the misunderstandings.  

~:[CH11 - Day 288]:~ Simplicity

 
~:[CH11 - Day 288]:~ Simplicty

Life often offers these extravagant days and amazing opoortunities, but sometimes the greatest things in life are found in the simplest things. I woke up early for our race, we enjoyed the awesome performances and then enjoyed a post-race meal together. While we haven't eaten out together as much this season, it made something more simple and routine into something more special. It was nice to eat and chat and have a moment of relaxation before the exhausting schedule ahead. The meal was simple and sweet and that's what made it so wonderful. Have a wonderful weekend.

~:[CH11 - Day 287]:~ Fun & Games

 
~:[CH11 - Day 287]:~ Fun & Games

We got to relax a bit today. In class, we had a workday doing maps, I was able to upload pictures that the athletes were asking for and we enjoyed our last food run of the regular season. When the kids came back, they found a branch on the ground and used that as their flag as they ran back to school. It was a day that ended with fun and games and while there have been so many days we've had to stay focus, it was nice to watch them just enjoy the day, which would be one of their last of the season. We officially start the countdown with ten more days of practices and races until we move to CIF. The season passed by so quickly and while we have our goals to achieve, there always is time and a need to enjoy ourselves. When you take yourself too seriously all the time, you'll find yourself a little less capable than those who learn how to take a break for themselves to enjoy what's around them. As my friends and I always talk about, as much as it's great to have a high paying job, the money is not worth it if you don't have the time to enjoy it. Sure, there may be time for that later, but keeping a balance between the two just might be the best way to finding true happiness. Let the fun and games begin. 

~:[CH11 - Day 286]:~ It's Lit

 
~:[CH11 - Day 286]:~ It's Lit

It was a short turnaround. We were scrambling after finding out Tuesday that our rally would be Thursday. With a meet in between, there wasn't really time to prep. Amidst the chaos, I forgot that most of these athletes have never been in a rally due to the pandemic. As they ran out, they didn't toss the shirts and candy and when they finally did, they did it from the center, so it didn't go so far. Regardless, it was still an opportunity for them to receive a moment in the spotlight for all the work that they put in. The rally was a neon theme and I liked how they decorated it. Later that night, they had a neon dress theme for the game. Although I was planning on going, I laid down for a bit and woke up much later, missing the whole game. I found out later that they had won, plus I got a much needed rest. While I know that some of our athletes weren't happy with how things went with their rally, just the fact that they had the opportunity was lit. While we always hope that things will pan out perfectly, I hope we can still appreciate the moment and opportunity when they don't. Today definitely had its ups and downs, as I missed the game and the obstacles with the rally, but as I said, there are many moments, even as simple as they may be, that deserve the spotlight. Instead of focusing on all that went wrong, I'll definitely be focusing on what truly made this day lit.

~:[CH11 - Day 285]:~ Speeding Up

 
~:[CH11 - Day 285]:~ Speeding Up

Coming into the season, we knew it would be tough, especially for the boys, as we lost a large group to graduation. However, the group was cohesive and worked hard and while the results were not the best I've had, the work they put it was impressive. They pushed their limits day in and day out and I love to watch their interactions. They had a little bit of competitiveness with each other, which helped them improve. It's been great seeing them progress each year and they truly exemplified this year's theme of The Wave of Momentum as they continued to use past success to build on their future success. We are hoping to squeeze out the last of their great performances in the next few weeks, but as I stand here today, I am so proud of the progress they have made. As always, there is still work to do, but it's hard not to admire this masterpiece in the making. Keep up the great work ohana!

~:[CH11 - Day 284]:~ Celebrations

 
~:[CH11 - Day 284]:~ Celebrations

It's been an exhausting stretch, but things like today are things that keep me going. We are in the second day of a three day stretch of birthdays. With a large team, at least once a week, we have an athlete who has a birthday, this week just happen to have consecutive ones. Having such a large team has its downsides with the work involved, but the upsides are moments like today where an athlete gets to celebrate with a hundred of their peers who they see six days a week. It's pretty cool. While some are more like me and rather not have that spotlight, just the thought of having people around you brings you a sense of community and support that can bring you comfort. As we prepare for our big day tomorrow, it was nice to be together and celebrate, as we hope to be celebrating once more tomorrow. 

~:[CH11 - Day 283]:~ Round of Applause

 ~:[CH11 - Day 283]:~ Round of Applause

It's great when things fall into place. We came across info for the competition, an alum filled out the form and we ended up in second with less than a week to the who process. Missing an email or seeing the voting info too late could have meant that our athletes would miss out on this great opportunity, however, we ended up having everything fall into place. We are lucky to have such a supportive community who helped in the process by giving a few minutes of their time to help the program out. In life, we find ourselves in situations such as this where get lucky enough to have things fall into place and everything just seems to work out. I don't know about you, but on those days, it feels like we are floating on air. It's easy to get caught up in this wonderful feeling, but I hope the next time we find ourselves in this situation, we always remember those who helped us get there. As often we look for help when we are struggling, but we should also look to celebrate with those same people who answered our calls when it's time to celebrate. So today, thank you to all those who supported us in this venture and I am also grateful to those who have been there at different points in my life in all the things that I do. As much as I get credit for the end results, it could not even be possible without the contributions of so many who sometimes go unnoticed and today, I want to send you my loudest round of applause. 

~:[CH11 - Day 282]:~ The Seventh

 
~:[CH11 - Day 282]:~ The Seventh

I think most MUN advisors and others who are active in school are used to it. The daily grind of education doesn't end at the bell, as after the school day ends, the other responsibilities come into play. I am used to six day weeks, but every once in awhile, I have those weeks with the seventh day. For some, it would be exhausting, but somehow, these days are quite energizing. Yes, there are other things I could be doing, but sometimes, those things including lounging around and wasting the day away and in most cases, I rather at least be doing something productive. As I sat there after the conference, I kind of thought how the beginning of the year has been and much like most  years, it's starts out pretty rough. Some ask, aren't you tired after planning the conference? For one, as I said before, the students do most of the leg work and two, it feels like planning is so much part of my job that it has become such a routine at this point. From camp to Cow Run, De La Salle to conference, almost every other week has had an event and so a conference where I have a colleague plus student officers who are taking the lead, it makes the conference day feel so much easier than the previous weeks where I was at the forefront. The weekend definitely had its moments and yes, I am glad it's over, but if you asked me if I would rather be resting on this seventh day of the week, I'd pick being at the conference almost every time. Tomorrow will be tough due to the conference hangover, but it will be great to chat with my freshman to see how things went. In life, we can get quite busy, but when you enjoy what you do, you really don't think about it, even if it's your seventh day working for a particular week.

~:[CH11 - Day 281]:~ Planting the Seed

 
~:[CH11 - Day 281]:~ Planting the Seed

Yay, I finally had a Saturday without a cross country race, of course, it was because we were hosting our MUN Conference. I always enjoy this conference despite the stress of planning it all. While we leave much of the responsibility of planning with the students, just doing this and that always keeps us on our toes and the hard labor is exhausting, although I enjoy it as I feel like I worked hard. What I like most about this conference though, is that we begin planting the seeds for these Model UN students. I think as of late, the program is underrated by freshmen parents and students as there are a lot more attractive classes. However, I think in the long run, the students we get from the start are able to plant their seed early and find the growth that they can make over the course of their four years. The confidence I see grow within them, when they begin to open up more to each other, and just their knowledge and their ability to analyze information are part of the transformation I see as they progress through their four years. One of my IAs was one of those who made a huge transition and while he grew slowly his first few years, truly sprouted last year. I think as teachers, many of us are witness to that growth, but because we spend so much time with these students inside and outside of the classroom, I think we get an even greater opportunity to see this process and truly enjoy the fruits of our labor. I was exhausted by day's end, but I was also happy that if I spent my time working, at least it was something worthwhile. I look forward to what the future holds for this group of students, much like I have had with every group in the past and know that at some point, we'll see all the great things that will come out of the seed we've nurtured since day 1 this year. 

Amazing job to all those who participated today and thank you to all those who helped make this conference possible!

~:[CH11 - Day 280]:~ Twitch Way to Go?

 
~:[CH11 - Day 280]:~ Twitch Way to Go?

I originally was going to stop by TwitchCon, but timing (and other things) didn't work out. I still made a quick trek down to SD, hung out at La Jolla and was able to grab a late dinner with some cool people. We were able to find a spot despite the parking being terrible and enjoyed the night with large portions. Although I missed the chance to go to TwitchCon, it was nice to see people I haven't seen in awhile and also connect them since they go to the same school. I often thing that people prioritize these celebrities and influencers when the best meet and greets are with the people that are right around you. I headed home to an empty freeway and I am glad, because my alarm was set for an early 5am wakeup call. 

~:[CH11 - Day 279]:~ Flying High

 
~:[CH11 - Day 279]:~ Flying High

It always is my least favorite day of the year, but somehow, this day didn't go so bad at all. Speeches were excellent, I got a lot of work done, our new canopy frames arrived, and picture day went smoothly. Strangely enough, the process was quick and painless and we rolled right through the day and even ended on a great note. This team is pretty hilarious and their "small" group photos turned into large ones. While we had picture day, we were delivered some great news that we finished second in the national coaches' day voting, which meant, we get a decent amount of apparel for the team! I was excited and thought of what we would get the team. I thought the day couldn't get better, but of course, it did. Although we got off to a sluggish start, we were able to hold tough on defense. While down 6-0 almost the whole game, the team exploded for 21 unanswered points including this run by the QB to take the exciting victory. It was a little chippy, but at the same time, I like the competitiveness and the fight they showed today. In the end, the team and the fans celebrated, much like I did most of the day with my own ohana and even our MUN freshmen who exceed expectations. There are days like this that you just wish you could bottle up and keep forever, but of course, knowing that these types of days are special, it's always good to appreciate them as much as possible, knowing that you'll never know when the next will come. For now, my heart will celebrate and tomorrow, I come back ready to get back to work. 

Thank you again to all those who support my team in voting and for all the supporters who came out to the game tonight to make this win possible! Let's keep flying high together!

~:[CH11 - Day 278]:~ Cruisin' at the Marina

 
~:[CH11 - Day 278]:~ Cruisin' at the Marina

We had our annual Cerritos Invitational, but this time it was at Marina. Due to construction at our school, our only on campus race went off campus. While there aren't any high stakes for the team competition, our athletes aim to PR at this race and they sure did cruise to great times. It was nice to see so many PR as 41 athletes met new career PRs and another ten had season PRs. It was a combination of better weather and a fast course which led them to such a wonderful day. I was definitely exhausted by the end of it all, but I had to keep focus as there's a lot ahead through the weekend. If I survive this week, I'll also be cruisin' for a little while as well! 

~:[CH11 - Day 277]:~ Stranger Things

 

~:[CH11 - Day 277]:~ Stranger Things

I don't need to watch the show to see stranger things, I just have to show up to my practice. Just kidding. However today, the team was the youth being the youth. I've said before that the youth sometimes overload themselves with so many responsibilities or shut themselves out using the digital world and lose that ability to just enjoy their youth. It's moments like these that I yell at them to make sure that they're stretching, but inside, also am smiling because I enjoy the fact that they appreciate each other's company. After we wrapped up practice, a group was just sitting around chatting and it was nice to see them just spending together, not stressing about schoolwork, but rather just kicking back. Some would see this as a waste of time, while I see it as an opportunity to build social bonds and learn how to connect with one another. Yes, they will need to learn how to be responsible and get work done, but they also should have the opportunity to just hang out. Sometimes that means I have to witness some of their strange antics, but I don't mind it at all because that's just part of growing up, I should know.

~:[CH11 - Day 276]:~ A Proud Moment

 
~:[CH11 - Day 276]:~ A Proud Moment

I wasn't really planning on going to the Enhypen concert, but somehow, it worked out that I attended. With it being in Orange County, I ended up meeting up with a friend I've been meaning to meet up with, but just couldn't fix a day to meet. I was so glad it worked out. It was wonderful catching up and even better to enjoy the music together. We both aren't "engines," but we studied up before the concert to be familiar with their songs. It was quite enjoyable and fun to see the crowd so engaged as they always are. Of course, the main reason I didn't end up selling off my tickets was I wanted to see the performance of two songs Tamed Dash and Attention Please because of the wonderful people who wrote/produced these songs. It's great to hear the work of people you know and eve better to hear so many people love the songs. Both songs were so catchy and I just was so proud to be sitting there in a packed Honda Center listening to people cheer, chant and sing along. I can't even imagine how they both felt knowing their song is being appreciated by so many. Although it would have been wonderful to enjoy this with them, I was happy to share this moment with them through the video and I hope that they know that I am beyond proud of what they accomplished and excited what's on the road ahead. Of course, it's great to appreciate these moments in the spotlight, but I hope that we all understand and appreciate the work that goes behind the scenes. The struggles, the rejection, the failures and more are part of the process in making it to this point for them and for all of us. On stage, we see the glitz and the glamour, but in the process, I hope that we see all the work that gets put into that very moment. As while I was proud that so many appreciate the evening including these two wonderful songs, I was more proud knowing all that went into writing and producing them. Amazing job and congratulations.

~:[CH11 - Day 275]:~ A Little Sweat

 
~:[CH11 - Day 275]:~ A Little Sweat

My friend had me start this little exercise routine to help with my flexibility a bit. With all the editing time I've had at the computers because of a few new projects, it's taken a toll on my mobility and so I figured I'd make some time to do a little stretching and more. They say a little sweat never killed nobody, but I was a little sore after the workouts which encompassed more than I had imagined. Regardless, until my body tells me to, I'll keep at it and wake up a little sore in the mornings. I think in the long run, I'll become more agile, but for now, I'll be in survival mode, hoping to get through. After finishing a pile of work, I looked at the list of things ahead as our conference approaches. As while I may be sweating a little from these short workouts, by next weekend, I'll be working even harder until the conference wraps up next week. If you see me walking around like an old man, you don't have to ask why, just know that if you pat me on the shoulder, I may let out a little yelp. Let's do this!

~:[CH11 - Day 274]:~ Dust it Off

 
~:[CH11 - Day 274]:~ Dust it Off

In high school, I was running on a trail and fell flat on my face. My camera was around my neck and I destroyed it. It was definitely embarrassing. Today. I was running to the next coaching spot and I fell again, face first into the dirt. I quickly got up and got to the spot on time. Years apart, I think experience helps us find a way to pick ourselves up when we stumble. For my freshman girls, this was the first race that we had a scoring team. They're talented, some improved and some got healthy. We weren't 100%, but still this was a first step in the right direction. Ultimately, my first freshman finished second despite going the wrong way a few times and being completely lost and our fifth girl crossed the line to give us a scoring five. Overall, we found a lot of progress in a season marred with sickness and some injuries. Regardless, we've stumbled out of the gates, but we've learned to pick ourselves up, dust it off and keep moving forward. It's hard to do when we face more serious falls and I know since I've had my shares, but although it takes a little bit more time and possibly a bigger towel, we'll shake it all off so we can start again. Although at the end of the day, we may feel like we're weighed down by the dirt and mud that covers us after a tough stretch, just know that under it all, we're still the same person underneath it all and most likely even stronger after carrying that weight on our shoulders. If you feel like you're covered in mud, just remember that and if you need help dusting yourself off, I'll be there with a brush and a towel ready to help.