~:[CH14 - Day 130]:~ Every Ounce

 

~:[CH14 - Day 130]:~ Every Ounce

It was a tough day. The forecast kept rising, so we knew we needed to prepare. We warned our athletes to get things organized and for the most part, they did. I thought I had enough drinks, but halfway through the meet, we were already out of water and most of the Gatorade. A parent helped us with more ice and water, but that was quickly gone. By the time the meet was over, we consumed nearly 150 bottles of water and Gatorade. Insane. The temperatures hovered in the high 90s most of the day, but by meet's end, we survived. We didn't get the performances we may have wanted, but they competed. They braved the temperatures while others enjoyed the AC at home, and put it out there. They gave our team every ounce until the last meet and for that, I am so proud. We ended up scratching our last race due to an illness, injury, and a no show, but otherwise, we survived the day, including a new PR and a few athletes on the bubble of qualifying. Our season ended here today, but there's no doubt in my mind that I can close the season out proudly. We qualified an athlete in every area and they went out there and did their best. That's all you can ask for as a coach, especially in the competitive division 2. In life, we'll face the toughest of conditions, but I hope that in every instance, we go out there and give every ounce possible. Just like at league finals, I had a group who went out there and did what they could, even if they weren't at the best condition. They competed smartly, but also, they gave it what they could. For all of us, we may be discouraged that we may not have accomplished what we hoped, but we should applaud ourselves for all that we gave in the process because at the end of the day, that what truly matters. 

~:[CH14 - Day 129]:~ Everlasting

 
~:[CH14 - Day 129]:~ Everlasting

It's always cool to end the night look at this year's Escudo de Oro class and also look back at all the seniors called to the stage. While we may forget what awards and recognitions we received, just being there and getting honored will be an everlasting memory. For these nine students, they reached the pinnacle of what it means to be a Don, as they hit all aspects to be honored among the many other deserving students. I was proud to know that I have worked with six of these students. Four of these students finished all four years of MUN, two I had in cross country, three in track and field, and one I worked with in basketball. It makes me realize that amazing students I get to work with year after year, who do so much for the school and leave an everlasting impression on the school. I think that is one reason why this photo means so much. It captures a group that represents each class and as a collective, they are what makes up the history of this campus. For each of us, there is something that will be that everlasting memory in our lives. Whether it's a competition, a project, or just a moment while hanging out afterschool, high school can be one of the best times of your life if you make the most of those years. There are so many opportunities to explore, to learn, and to evolve. However, the most important thing that high school can provide is everlasting memories. I was chatting with one of my seniors today about this trend of high school students look towards testing out and moving on to college or their careers as soon as possible. While for some may not have much of a choice, for those that do, I hope they see the importance of high school, a chance to spread your wings, to falter, to connect, to succeed, and to fail. There are so many experiences you lose out on, as when you arrive at a moment like tonight, you see all that you did over these four years, which now have become an everlasting part of your future. To all my seniors who survived the ups and downs of high school, I applaud you, as all of you are truly golden.

~:[CH14 - Day 128]:~ Every Little Bit ...

 
~:[CH14 - Day 128]:~ Every Little Bit ...

We haven't done an ice bath in awhile. The ice factory we used to purchase our ice from closed down and the weather also hasn't cooperated. With the warm weather hitting at the right time, we were able to get the coolers together and have a team round of ice baths. I know that many people's nightmares have come from this moment in the sport, but the reality is, it gives you the best shot at recovering fully in a short amount of time. As we prepare for CIF, I've been a bit overwhelmed with everything that I need to take care of. I strangely was working on our banquet list information even before we started CIF and of course, we're almost at the end of the year, thus, banquet and award season is already on its way. As while there will always be something on the to-do list, I know that if I plan and organize, I can take care of it all and do it well. No matter how overwhelmed you get, just focus on getting a little bit more done. Take life in small bite-sized pieces and then it will be a lot less overwhelming. Even when you feel like you might be outmatched, do everything you can to do your best and give nothing less than that 100%. With less than 48 hours until race time, we'll focus in on doing every little bit to get us prepped and after that, we let go of our control and just hope that we did all we could. 

~:[CH14 - Day 127]:~ One of Those Days ...

 
~:[CH14 - Day 127]:~ One of Those Days ...

I should have prepared myself for the worst. Typically when I have a lucky day, it's followed by a day that is mediocre or just plain terrible. Somehow, I messed up my scheduling and it left me flustered all day. I never was really focused as my mind wandered thinking of what I missed, but I knew that at this point, there was nothing I could do. I wrapped up classes and got everything together to prep for practice with our upcoming CIF competition coming up. Additionally, I just made sure I had everything for our CIF dinner late that evening. After one of our last practices of the year, we headed over to Sweetee Thai and had our annual CIF dinner. This year, we had someone from almost every event qualify, with such a range of athletes. It helped me move past the struggles of the day. Life comes at you fast and it doesn't really wait when it knocks you down. The reality is, you have to be ready to roll with the punches and get back up when you get hit. These types of days always happen, you just have to enter with the mindset that you can overcome the challenges or at the very least, you need to focus on moving forward. I could spend all day trying to figure out where everything went wrong, but at the end of the day, there's not much I can do, but make sure I focus on what's ahead to avoid the mistakes I made in the past. Improving, learning, and growing, as we make mistakes, we are given opportunities to learn about how we can get better. While for the short term, there will be a struggle, in the long run, when we have one of those days, it's an opportunity for us to learn and grow. Welcome these challenges with open arms and while we will never wish for them to constantly reoccur, we embrace these moments as opportunities if we approach these situations with the right mindset! Having one of those days? Just know, that you have what it takes.

~:[CH14 - Day 126]:~ Luck On My Side

 
~:[CH14 - Day 126]:~ Luck On My Side

Originally, I was supposed to go to the board meeting at night, but for some reason, there was a bit of a schedule change that I found out about last minute. I didn't mind too much, as this week was quite a busy one. Instead, I ended up picking up a box of the Team Glory, seeing that I didn't want to open the ones in the case I got. I secured it and went home, deciding if I should open it. I did. I went through the packs, in awe of how many packages I had to open with only five cards each. It was quite tedious. There weren't too many exciting moments, but just as I was figuring out what the chase cards were, it hit. I got the top chase card, which is quite cool. In life, things happen for a reason. While fate may not have brought me to this card, maybe fate was bringing me good fortunate despite the change in plans. Maybe the change in plans is what brought luck on my side. Just like a pack of Pokemon cards, we may feel hopeless as we open up pack after pack that is unsuccessful, but at some point, when we keep putting in the work, we allow luck to be on our side. My philosophy has always been, the harder I work, the luckier I become. Let's work hard and increase our chances of success, as while we may not all be chasing that special Pokemon card, we all are chasing that something that stands out from the rest and if we believe we can do it and word towards it, we'll have the best chance and landing that one things we are chasing. Best of luck to us all.

~:[CH14 - Day 125]:~ In Control

 
~:[CH14 - Day 125]:~ In Control

I passed on the classroom to my freshmen. It's that time of year where the freshman take over the class and teach about the Cold War. I inherited this assignment and continued to use it since it is fitting for freshman MUN students. The program itself teaches you so many things and teaching a class for a period puts many of those skills on display. From researching to speaking, organization and planning, the array of skills that carry over is amazing. It's great to watch the students who improv when they need to and even when they falter a bit to see how they handle the situation. For the most part, the presentations were solid and there wasn't much worry in my eyes, as they all seemed to be in control. We'll see how the next week goes, but for now, it looks like the classes will be in good hands!

~:[CH14 - Day 124]:~ Imagination

 

~:[CH14 - Day 124]:~ Imagination

I am backlogged on a lot of albums and so I sad down and got to work. I was testing out a few new tools I have access to and it was cool to see what I was able to create. I opened up an album I had shot about three weeks ago and while I had already completed the albums, I got a request to edit a few of them. I finished it up and then got an idea for another edit. As I head into the summer, I am trying to active the creative side of my brain as a lot of the work I do requires my imagination. I have to try and figure out what my client wants and then try to create it from the resources I have access to. I think a world of imagination is exactly what the youth of our generation need. They need the opportunity to be creative, to think for themselves, and to find a path of their own. Too many times, I get asked, what do I need to do to get an "A" on this assignment. I think it's a valid question from a student who wants to succeed, but while it may get them that "A," it won't necessarily help them succeed beyond the walls of the school. Structure and following directions is good, but allowing the youth to explore and to create is often better. I think one of the reason why MUN students are successful in other areas is because they have to be imaginative and creative. Sometimes I get on them for stepping a bit too far outside the lines, but for the most part, their creativity is what  helps them understand the possibilities out there. I hope that in our daily lives, we allow ourselves a moment to create and imagine. From decorating a wall to coming up with an ingenious gift, using our creative mind is a great keep in keep us open to the endless possibilities out there. As while I hope to keep pushing the youth to imagine and create, as adults it's something we must continue to do, especially in a world where the responsibilities in life are overwhelming. Continue to imagine; continue to dream.

~:[CH14 - Day 123]:~ Intangibles

 
~:[CH14 - Day 123]:~ Intangibles 

It's easy as 1, 2, 3. It's the 123rd day of this year and it's a sad one. My plan for the weekend was to catch up on all the work I needed to (or at least chip away at it), then watch the game. I originally planned to go to Intuit to watch the game, but I didn't set an alarm (on purpose) and decided to just rest. As I watched the game, it started off well, before the game was out of hand to start the 2nd half. I was disappointed to see a team quit so early, but in some ways glad, as their bench played with more fight, so much so that the Nuggets had to put their starters back in just to make sure they kept us in check. However, the season should never have come down to this game. When I coached basketball, one of the things we talked about were the intangibles. I've written about this before and it's still true today. Had we boxed out on the offensive board TWO times in two separate games, we could have won. Even one more box out would have gotten us to OT at home. These are small fundamental things that are taught at a young age, but they are just as important when you get to the highest echelon of the sport. Taking care of the ball, making free throws, and hustling are a few other simple things that could have helped. In basketball, these things are vital, yet not emphasized, but I also think in life, we sometimes lose sight of those things. In the hectic world, sometimes I catch myself forgetting about these intangibles. The thank yous, the I love yous, and even just the basic respect that you show to people are sometimes forgotten. People are focused on the victory, on reaching their goals, on getting into the spotlight, that they forget about these simple things that are more important than anything else. Often times when a love one is lost, they aren't always mentioning what could have been with their accolades, rather they wish they had one more hug, one more chance to say something to them, or simply one more chance to hear them breathe. Doing big things in life deserves to be applauded, but it's the intangibles that we cannot forget about, as without them, we might be failing in the most important area of our lives. Thank you everyone who has been apart of my journey and who has added to my ability to get to where I am today. It is because of all the things, both big and small, that have allowed me to accomplish all that I have and more importantly, all those small words of support, moments of times, and even just being there, are the intangibles that have been the glue that has kept this whole thing together. <3

~:[CH14 - Day 122]:~ Just a Second

 
~:[CH14 - Day 122]:~ Just a Second

Sometimes you accomplish what you want and sometimes you fall short. In either case, it didn't mean you failed. Entering into league finals, I always know there will be ups and there will be downs. We were already down with our best girls frosh/soph athlete out due to a family emergency, two more who didn't show up, and a few athletes here and there who were injured. It's part of the territory. Running the meet, there is never a dull moment as I have to make sure that everything is taken care of, but at the end of the day, it's nice to be able to look back at the end of the day knowing the meet went as smoothly as possible. Of course, my meet was complete by the first few events on the track as one of my seniors reached his goal. He told me that since freshman year, his goal was to break five minutes. Most years, he got off to a great start and then faded towards the end with an injury or illness derailing his season. This year, he had a few shots at it, being on pace during the first half of the race, only to fade. With a blistering start, I knew the fast pace might hurt his chances of hitting his goal and he was fading at the end of the race. I watched him pushing through with everything he had as the lactic acid built up and as he crossed the line, I couldn't look at the time. With the last look at my watch, I thought he made it, but it was confirmed when I heard the crowd roar and a few of his good friends screaming out in joy. You root for that person who really wants that goal and works towards it. In practice, his splits showed he should be running 4:50, but when it came to race time, he always faltered. Today, he did not. With less than a second to spare, he crossed that line under five minutes. To some, it may not seem like an incredible feat, but there are only a handful of moments that could match this moment that I could think of off hand. While we had our moments of stress through the night, I celebrated the ups and dealt with the downs, trying to keep the athletes focused until the very end. The girls frosh/soph lightened the load on my shoulders as despite not winning, they did what they needed to do to secure the league championships, nearly knocking off the top team despite the loss of about 30 points from the missing athlete. I wish a few more people qualified, but that is part of the sport as mere seconds separate those who qualify and those who do not. In the end, these athletes will remember these moments that for some will be just a race that lasts for seconds, but they will be a trophy on their mantle that they can tell stories to their grandchildren about in the distant future. You don't fail when you don't PR, you don't qualify, or even if you don't finish; you can only fail when you quit, you don't put in the work, or you don't even give it a shot. Most people think that someone who finishes last should just have quit since they didn't have a chance to win, but those who put themselves out there knowing that are truly winners in my book. They don't get discouraged and they put themselves out there to see what they got. There are many seconds in our lives, let's be sure to give ourselves a shot with those seconds and instead of second guessing if we're good enough, we should just put ourselves out there and give it our best shot. A little freshman four years ago wasn't sure if he'd ever get there, but today he did and I hope that you can as well. 

~:[CH14 - Day 121]:~ Another One Down

 
~:[CH14 - Day 121]:~ Another One Down

It's always weird to think about the fact that with each one of these events, we are one day closer to the end of the school year. Time quickly passes, yet at the same time, it feels like forever since the first day of school. As we approach the end, there is a bit of excitement for what's ahead, but also the thought of the end coming soon makes you realize that there still so much to do. I think life is like that. We think we have so much time, but when the end of our time on this earth draws near, we begin to think of all the things we didn't do and do our best to try to fit in as much as we can. Like I tell my students, don't wait to do something you want to do, when the opportunity comes, grasp it. I took on that philosopher awhile back due to a fortune cookie and it's taken me to places I never thought I would be and made me connections that have catapulted me forward. I think for all of us, doors will open when we take those chances we've always wanted to and while some will shut in our face, many more will open for us to walk to. Thus, as another day in your life passes by, make sure to make the most of each passing day and make sure that when the next one is complete, you can look back and smile knowing you did just one more thing you wanted to do before you reach the finish line.