Finally a Full Schedule

I think that I'm going to have an interesting semester. The reason I say that is because almost all of my classes have weekly assignments to do based on a lot of material. For example, my honors college class only meets once a week, but we need to read over 100 pages and write a short essay every week. Not that that is overwhelming in and of itself, but I have found that all of my classes have a similar setup. Therefore, I need to remind myself that although it might seem like I don't need to do homework all week, I really need to because that would be a very intimidating stockpile of work to do over the weekend. It is interesting because I've never really had my classes lineup like this, and I need to remember that fact. Now that I have had all my classes, I can say that it looks like it will be a good semester. I have a wide variety of classes, so I guess I am getting that liberal arts education that the honors college insisted that everyone desperately needed during our freshman seminar. Anyway, we will see how it goes, but it looks like fun.

Photo by zappowbang on Flickr

Omaha Change

Just as a little side note, most of you will notice that the Phillies won last night while the Braves happened to lose. Could there really be much better news than that? Now, I guess the better news would be the Phillies passing the Braves for first place in the East. However, we are only one back now, so I think that we will get ahead of the Braves very soon. Anyway, enough about that. In college, you dream of playing in the College World Series because, let's be honest, that is the only time most people ever hear about college baseball. I don't know why, but it is the truth. Anyway, there will be a new location for the World Series from here on out as Rosenblatt Stadium played its final game last night after hosting both the Omaha Royals and the College World Series for about the past 60 years. It is always a shame to see an old stadium torn down, but there isn't much you can do to fight with time. I hope that whatever the park looks like, it doesn't lose the charm that Rosenblatt held for so many college athletes and people on the verge of being called up to the Royals.
Photo by jondejong on Flickr

Izzo Stays at MSU

I am glad to say that Tom Izzo is staying at Michigan State rather than making the jump to the NBA. Personally, I think the college game is so much more intense than the NBA. I think that there is more intensity because the NCAA is sort of like the minor leagues for the NBA (I realize that there is the development league, but the NCAA also keeps track of players who are waiting to make the jump). Because everybody in the NCAA wants to make it to the NBA, they are trying to impress various coaches and general managers, the media, and the fans to support them in this venture. Once you're in the NBA, you don't need to establish your name because it has been established by being drafted and offered a contract. There are thousands of NCAA players who are all driving towards the same goal, so each one knows that he must step it up and outplay almost every other player on the circuit to advance. Also, the same goes for women's players and the WNBA; I'd much rather watch the NCAA for the same reason.

Being enrolled at a Division I university, I have known a number of athletes. I must say that I admire how they can study and be highly competitive athletes all at once. Once you're a professional, you don't need to worry about studying anything but your opponent. This ability to multitask also makes me more impressed by the college game. I know that if I were a coach, this is the level I want to be at.
Photo by Kind of Bruin on Flickr

Coaching Legend John Wooden Passes On At 99

As I am sure most of you have heard, my coaching inspiration passed away. John Wooden died at the age of 99; a nice number that just barely eclipsed his UCLA teams' record streak of 88 consecutive victories. He had the most successful run of any NCAA coach winning ten out of twelve NCAA championships as well as seven in a row between 1963 and 1975. Not only that, but he was elected to the Basketball Hall Of Fame as both a player and a coach.

However, I personally think that his talents extended beyond the basketball court. Having read many of his books, I think that it is safe to say that he was able to communicate his philosophy with basketball as well as life as well as any other coach I have ever read. Some people write great basketball strategy books, and some people write great moral books, but it is rare that one author is able to do them all. I think that he was from a different era, but he was still able to communicate lessons as well as strategies that remain relevant in today's basketball game.

UCLA was a truly unique program when John Wooden was coach, and I think that this legacy will continue to live on despite the fact that its originator has passed on.
Photo from: http://ffbsccn.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/john_wooden_pyramid.jpg