Cross Country Runners

When you first start a position you get easy work to see if you can handle it. 

When it comes to academic advising you get to help Cross Country. 

No sport could possibly be easier to advise than Cross Country. 

Ever notice what team gets all the 4.0's among athletes?

So basically my advice to all of the athletes was.  Good job, keep it up and I am sure you will be fine.
The hardest part of the whole meeting was how to open it up.  All of a sudden they got the intern.  Nothing says you are on cross country or a small sport when they switch you to the intern for your meetings.

They are lucky I am the intern, but they don't know that yet.

To take off the awkwardness for the first meeting I came up with a great line.  Occasionally I have them.

I said.  "Well, I have never advised before, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night."  Glad the room erupted into laughter.  Guess I delivered it perfectly for once.

The other one I wanted to use was "Don't worry, I'm a limo driver."

Fairly certain these kids are too young for the Dumb and Dumber reference.

On a tangent, I am also pissed off that in my adventures looking for a car that I didn't introduce myself as "Jerry Lundegaard" to a salesman.  Will have to do that one... That's a Fargo reference.

Anyway, the meeting went fine and it's because it's cross country.  Never heard of cross country runners who struggle academically.  Maybe some struggle getting that 3.99 GPA.  It's nice to work with a few easy athletes to start with.

My theory as to why Cross Country athletes are so easy to deal with academically is because of the self discipline required to run everyday.  I think that self discipline and need to individually challenge themselves everyday carries over into the classroom.  I also think that cross country runners typically come from more affluent homes.  That might be wrong, but it's an impression I have.

Speaking of which, two athletes I had meetings with were from Kentucky.  Not sure I have ever met people from Kentucky before.  They seemed normal.   It's obvious they aren't from West Virginia. 

Speaking of athletes, it has only taken me three weeks to figure out who the crazy athlete is.  She is a hurdler on the track team.  She's nuts.  She wore a tiara for her birthday.  She also studied during study hall with her feet up on the table and her ass hanging off the seat.  Couldn't have looked any less normal, especially when she said she hadn't showered for a week.  Maybe she meant a few days, hope that wasn't literal.  She also tried to convince me to buy Crocs.

How about, No?

Getting Educated about Lightening

I got to see the weather map at an athletics event today.  I was very curious about lightening and how that effects operations and the clearing of fields.

I wonder what would make me interested?

Forget about the past.

But, I saw what was the weather channel map on steriods.

Here is the website for the program.  http://www.telvent.com/en/business_areas/environment/solutions_overview/sports_rec/index.cfm

The weather map has rings around the location of the event that extends out for about 18-20 miles.  These rings help show where lightening strikes are occurring and how close they are to the location of the event.

Lightening strikes within six miles of the field means that the game has to be delayed.  Now there is a difference between cloud to cloud lightening and cloud to ground lightening.  Cloud to cloud lightening does not necessarily mean that a game has to be delayed.  Cloud to ground lightening means that it does if it is within six miles.

A referee can see lightening but can be told that it is beyond six miles out and the game can continue.  Operations people can have some discretion.  Obviously if the lightening is headed towards the game, then it will likely be delayed if a referee sees it.

The weather map program also keeps tracks of cloud to cloud lightening and cloud to ground lightening strikes within the last three minutes and three to fifteen minutes.  These can be viewed in a table and the table can automatically restart the thirty minute clock that determines when a game can resume.

So this is what I learned today about lightening strikes and sporting events.  I hope to learn more.    

Marching Sound Machine

Here is a you tube video of the Marching Sound Machine, the North Carolina Central University Marching Band.

They are really good.  They make me realize just how much having a good band can help make an athletic event fun and entertaining.  They are probably more of a reason to come to a game than the football team. 

I'd start watching around 11:40

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWaTRr1uoxQ

Watched Highlight Video

So I have been able to watch the webcasts of the last four UCWS games.  It inspired me to watch parts of the highlight video of last year tonight...albeit using a lot of fast forwarding. 

I know the video too well.

I don't think I ever really explained the ending of it.  It was artistic for me.  Figured I would explain it since it was really different.

I liked the song.  I didn't over analyze the lyrics.  I rarely listen to them.  The word "Paradise" is what mattered.  Hopefully when the players leave and pop in the video randomly one day they will think back to their years in college and the UCWS program and think of it as paradise. 

They should, because college is really some of the best years of your life. 

I took every goal celebration from every game and fast forwarded them.  Those were happy moments.  I also took atleast a huddle or clip from every game no matter result.  Every day of the season was represented. 

Then I went and put together a clip of every player smiling or laughing. Hopefully when you think of your teammates you think of them laughing and having fun and smiling.  I think athletes miss more of the down time and time away from the field with teammates than the games, although they do love the games. 

Then I went on to go through all of the goals scored by seniors and or highlights of seniors. 

That was a lot of film. 

I fast forwarded everything for a few reasons.  One was so it would all fit in a timely manner, but mostly the reason it was in fast forward is because time in college and with the program goes by really fast.  The whole season feels like it goes by as quickly as the ending of the video.  Lastly, when you think back on things, and a career or season, you can only remember bits and pieces of it.  You can't remember all of it, and you can't have it back.  By fast forwarding the film, you can't see what happened, you only can see bits and pieces of it.

I actually thought about putting a weird meaning into the end of the highlight video.  About time I finally explained it.  

Mich

It's been awhile since I wrote about memories of a player.   I am also so busy that I may really forget stories or things, but I will try to write something. 

Over the summer I was reminded of Mich.  I was networking with an assistant AD and she gave me a great compliment and it was that I was personable and easy to talk too and that she knew because of that, that I would find a job and do well.

This reminds me so much of Mich, and what I think of her.  She has a great personality and will succeed because of it. 

Now at first I didn't know she had one.

I thought she had no personality because of all the players in the spring of 2010, she was the only one never to say hello, or wave to me when she walked by.

Maybe I got an awkward stare.

To be fair she had just joined the team and was probably intimidated.

It didn't take long for her to get comfortable.

I think she will succeed in business, and a lot of that goes with her great inter-personal skills.  She is also confident.   

I also often side with her on twitter when she gets into arguments with Cory.  Mich gets it, and Mich is usually on the right side of the argument. 

When someone I know pretty well was thrown in goal, Mich would be sure to give them directions on what to do and not to do.  Sometimes it was intimidating, but always helpful.   She would also point out good things as well.

My favorite story about Mich involved the rivalry that her and Riley had when they played against each other at Oakwood.  I can't remember if they got physical with each other or not, but they might have.  Regardless I know their teams were physical with one another.  I will have to check the interview I did one day to see exactly what happened, but I know Riley and Mich were rivals in their club years.   

One thing that really impressed me about Mich is how far she came in just one year.  She went from becoming a walk-on to traveling for our trip to Syracuse.  Then she made the roster for the NCAA tournament.  She deserved it.  She worked hard, and was always fit. 

Now Mich has played some and I know is someone who can be relied on to play solid defense.

Those are some random thoughts and stories on Mich.  It's a good thing she walked-on.  UCWS was definitely very lucky. 

Been a month

Been a while since I posted last.
So I'll talk a little bit of Women's Soccer...since I am in the Women's College Soccer Capital of the World, North Carolina.  (Can you really argue with UNC...and then Duke and Wake?)

Duke is for real.  They can score.  They are impressive to watch. 

Summer Green on UNC can play.  I think UNC is ranked too low.  I think they are better than the 12th best team in the country. 

Marquette looked overmatched against North Carolina.  Was not even close.  They had half a chance at best when I was there. My favorite player on Marquette is number 17...what a shocker... Rachel Brown impressed me though. 

Not quite sure how Cincinnati managed to tie a team in it's first game that had a forward playing in goal...

I heard that the Florida State coach thinks his team is stacked and going all the way this year.  

And most importantly.  UConn is still the best.