| All-American Effort (March 2009) |
Action by NCCAA players lives up to the award's traditional image
By Randy Waldrum
It seems like today all we hear about are the negative things in society. Murder, rape, theft and drugs seem to dominate the headlines. A victim often is treated worse and afforded fewer rights than the criminal. As for our athletes, it seems the only ones portrayed are the ones involved in steroids or drugs or who are the prima donnas seeking attention. It’s no wonder that our society as a whole has deteriorated, and that many young people can’t or won’t take responsibility or be accountable. However, just when I begin to feel like things have been going downhill, a story absolutely restores my faith in young people.
During our Convention in St. Louis, Mookie Barragan Williams had an experience that she shared with us at the national office. In her own words:
“Late last evening, I had the great fortune of meeting two young All-American athletes that were being honored at the Luncheon. Long story short…I was walking to my hotel alone and noticed I was being followed by two men, one of whom seemed to be lurking in a shadow. I became extremely frightened, and with no taxi in sight, I saw a group of four young men walking toward me. I ran to them and asked them to please stop and talk to me for a minute to deter these two men. Within about 20 seconds of meeting them, they took it upon themselves to decide/insist that two of them were going to walk me to my hotel, a mile away, in 15 degrees, and one of the young men didn’t even have a coat on.
“I own a novelty football (soccer) t-shirt company and happened to have some schwag on me that I gladly gave them, but it’s not enough. Joel Trainer and Christian Davis from Indiana Wesleyan University should be commended for more than just being 2008 All-American athletes. They saved me from a situation that I’m sure was about to go south very quickly. They are very classy young men and represent the values All-American athletes used to possess in the 1950s, sans the letterman jackets. I tell you, boys like this didn’t go to my college…I sure wish they had.”
As a coach, winning is important, but it’s moments like this when you realize you’ve made an impact with your players, and that there are some things that are more important than winning a game. I’m sure the parents of Joel and Christian are very proud of them, and special thanks go out to them for the character they have instilled in these young men. I also want to take time to commend Indiana Wesleyan coach Mark Castro, who couldn’t be more proud of his players. It’s a great testament to you and to your university, and everyone affiliated with IWU should be extremely proud of Joel and Christian. I know we at the NSCAA are very proud of them and extremely thankful that they took the time to do a very honorable deed. Joel and Christian, you truly embody the spirit of an All-America!
Invest in yourself during difficult times
On another note, I want to take a moment to encourage all of our coaches to invest in themselves through our coaching education programs. It’s very easy during these tough economic times to look for ways to cut expenses. Too often, I think, many look at taking a coaching education course as a luxury item. I want you to think about this in a completely different way. I believe you could make the argument that by investing in yourself through education, you in fact improve your value to your employer, thus making yourself less of a target should position cutbacks take place. In addition, I feel continuing to educate yourself positions you very well for advancement once the economy starts to turn around. In essence, this is the one area that you in fact don’t want to shortchange yourself. Becoming a better coach and gaining additional experience will only enhance your overall profile.
So cut back on those lunches out, those extra sodas or expensive coffees, and find other ways to save during this time. Just don’t sell your own progress short – sign up now for an upcoming NSCAA course.
Finally, I want to give a big thanks to Rob Robinson and all the NSCAA Convention Committee members for their work in producing another successful Convention. There are countless volunteers that I also want to thank for the many hours they committed to make our convention what it is today. To all of the national staff, who put their lives on hold for a few weeks to make sure the convention runs smoothly, I thank you as well. We have an amazing association, and there is no better example of this than our convention.
I want to thank Jeff Tipping, Doug Williamson and all the Academy committee members and staff for bringing us another top class group of clinicians. At the end of the day, we’ll only be as good as the product we put on the field, and as usual, you guys are champions in this area.
It was great to see you all at the St. Louis convention, and best of luck in your upcoming seasons!
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