We hosted a Blood Drive at work yesterday. I had never given blood before, but know how important it is for groups like the Michigan Community Blood Center and American Red Cross to have adequate blood supplies. I like the thought of spending 30-40 minutes doing something so simple yet it can go a long way in helping to save someone's life.
I signed up to donate at 4:00pm. I entered the Blood Mobile right on time and was immediately given a donor form and a pen. That was followed by another form with 17 questions regarding where I've been and what I've done over the past few years. I was instructed to answer these questions by coloring the dot, completely, next to my answers. Answer the first 17, but do not proceed further until instructed to do so I was told. "Wow", I thought. This is a very strict operation. I guess that's good given the fact blood it a pretty important part of daily life. These questions didn't require much thought and I breezed through the majority of them. I did have to slow down, however, when getting to the consecutive questions regarding pregnancy. Not because I didn't know the answers, but rather, I spent a considerable amount of time wondering if the questions really had to be worded this way, and if so, why? Who in the past has screwed these up?The first question asked "Have you been pregnant in the past 8 weeks?". In parenthesis next to the question were the words "Men answer No". Then, the next question said "Have you ever been pregnant?" and again "Men answer No." Are you kidding me? Did some guy really mark one, or both, of those questions yes? Let me guess. It's one of those guys who, when his wife gets pregnant, runs around telling everyone "WE'RE pregnant!!". The same guy who will stay at home when his wife hosts a Lia Sophia party "just to see what's new." If you're a male, and you answer yes to one or both of those questions, you should be kicked out of the Blood Mobile on grounds of pure stupidity. If not, your blood could go to a perfectly intelligent person.
After completing the first 17 questions I was told to take my clipboard and questionaire and wait in "the room". This room is one of two in the back of the Blood Mobile where they check your blood type, take your temperature, check your blood pressure, and help you complete the last 8 questions that you are off limits from answering until entering "the room" and being instructed to proceed. This room is roughly the size of the old phone booths and I took up most of the space on my own. I didn't see how another person was going to fit in there with me.I sat alone in the room, just me and my thoughts, for roughly 10 minutes or so. Looking around the room I noticed a laminated card hanging on the wall. This card had the remaining 8 questions listed just as they were on my sheet. The card indicated these questions were related to HIV and sexual history. I wondered why I couldn't just answer those with the other 17, but figured there was some good reason and I'd be finding that out shortly. I knew I had at least one question of my own and couldn't stop thinking about how some guy marked that he had been pregnant.
I glanced onto the main floor and watched other donors in action. Not really in action, I guess, as there's not much to do except lay there and wait. Nobody looked uncomfortable or in any type of pain so I wasn't nervous about my first time donating. My thought of "how could that idiot say he had been pregnant?" was broken by a pleasant "hello" from a woman named Mary. She entered "the room" and said down next to me explaining she would be checking my blood and helping me complete my questionaire. She stuck my finger, collected a small blood sample, and while waiting for the readout she checked my temperature and blood pressure. Upon completion she slid my questionaire in front of her and quickly scanned my answers. There was one question related to recent exposure to a contagious disease, in which I had answered yes, and Mary wanted to know the scoop. I told her my wife had recently been diagnosed with Swine Flu. With that, Mary reached down under the small table and consulted a manual to determine what to do next. I was surprised she didn't immediately know what to do as the Swine Flu is relatively serious and not really all that knew to the area. Whatever she read in the manual didn't convince her it was okay for me to proceed so she called a woman named Patty into the room.Keep in mind, as I mentioned before, this room is really only big enough for me. With me and Mary in the room it is very tight quarters. Now, for confidentiality reasons, Patty is going to join us and close the door behind her. If you've ever been in an elevator packed with people you know well the uncomfortable silence that makes a 15 second ride feel like forever. Shrink that elevator space down to the size of a phone booth, put a guy who's 6 feet tall and a million pounds in it, and add a couple of women who are complete strangers....that, my friends, creates the epitome of uncomfortable silence.
Mary informed Patty I had been exposed to the Swine Flu. Patty immediately backed into the door and opened it as if Mary had said I had Bubonic Plague. Getting over her initial shock Patty came back into the room and again closed the door behind her. Patty asked me if my wife and I had shared a sandwich. In a nervous moment, gut reaction, I said "Ever?". Patty looked at me like she was thinking I had probably marked "yes" to the pregnancy question. She explained that she meant to ask if we had shared a sandwich while my wife had the Swine Flu. I'm not exactly sure why anyone would do that, but I just confirmed to her that we had not shared any food or drink since she was diagnosed. Following a brief conversation it was decided those that were exposed to Swine Flu were treated the same as those exposed to the "regular" flu and that meant I could proceed with donating, but I had to call them immediately if I developed symptoms.
Mary informed me she would be helping me with the final 8 questions and she removed the laminated card from the wall. She told me she would be reading the questions and then I was to mark my yes or no answer on the sheet. Mary began reading the questions quickly and I was having a tough time keeping up because I'm very anal and each dot had to be completely filled in before I could move on to the next question. Unfortunately, along with being anal, I neglected to buy Evelyn Wood's speed reading course when I had the chance and I was falling further and further behind as Mary blew threw the questions. As you can imagine, questions intended to determine your risk of having the HIV virus are quite personal. Although my answer to each one was a resounding NO...as indicated by the dark black, completely filled in, ink breaking through the bottom of the paper mark next to each of the eight questions it was very uncomfortable to have a complete stranger ask these questions of you out loud. I marked my last answer, well after Mary had read the questions, and I posed a couple of questions of my own. The first was, "Mary, why did you have to read those questions to me? They're right here on the paper and I could just read them myself and mark the answers." Mary said it's their policy because those questions, depending on how they are answered, could require more in depth conversation. As if this whole process doesn't present enough uncomfortable situations. My second question was "Mary, did some guy really answer yes to the pregnancy question?" Mary informed me there had been more than one. Unbelievable.
Questions completed, uncomfortable silence now a thing of the past, I was led to a bed and given a small bottle of water. Now Kathy was rolling up the sleeve on my left arm and looking to find a good vein. She was rubbing, tapping, and sighing with frustration as no good vein could be found. After a few minutes she decided it was best to try my right arm instead. Finding a "great vein" she wiped a couple of different liquids on my arm, rigged the collection bag and clamp, and proceeded to stick me. I thought I was underway, but it soon became apparent that although I had a needle stuck in my arm no blood was flowing into the collection bag. Kathy apologized several times and said we needed to switch back to the original bed and try the left arm. Kathy applied the rubber strap tourniquet, started rubbing and tapping again, and oohed and ahhed at the vein she had found. She called Mary over to see what she thought. At this point, I have two women whom I've never met, rubbing my arm and oohing and ahhing at a vein they've found. My assumption that all uncomfortable moments were behind me was now proven false. I could feel my face turning red and began to wonder why I signed up for this in the first place.
Finally, Kathy was successful in getting the needle into the perfect position and blood flow was underway. She would stop by every couple of minutes to see how I was doing and each time she'd apologize for having to stick both arms. She knew I was a "first timer" and felt bad that it had gone the way it did. After 10 or 15 minutes Kathy informed me I was almost done. She told me that I could donate again in 8 weeks if I wanted to. I wondered if regular donors still had to answer all of the questions. The actual process of donating blood is a piece of cake, but I'm not that excited about being in that tight space again with complete strangers asking me very personal questions.
After being un-clamped, needle removed, and band aid applied I was told to move to the front of the Blood Mobile for a glass of juice and some cookies. I sat down and opened the bottle of water I was given earlier. Mary came to the front and threw me a t-shirt. "Here." She said. "We want you to have this for being such a good sport your first time." I thanked her and asked if I was okay to leave. She asked me how I felt. I knew she was asking if I physically felt fine after donating a pint of blood, but I wanted to be honest. I wanted to tell her that yes, physically I felt fine. Mentally, not so much. I'll probably have nightmares about becoming pregnant. Or, I'll have recurring dreams about sharing lunch with my wife and developing Bubonic Plague.
I exited the Blood Mobile thinking about how bizarre some of that experience was. At the same time, I felt good about what I had done. Hopefully, my donation makes a difference in someone's life down the road. If so, the uncomfortable silence will speak volumes.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Pay To Play: Cuts Costs or Cuts Enthusiasm?
The following is a column that was published in the Daily Mining Gazette (Houghton, MI) regarding schools instituting pay to play programs to cut expenses.
Midland Public Schools are grappling with higher education costs, declining enrollment and a budget deficit for 2008-09. They are now contemplating a pay-to-play fee of $50 per athlete charged for each sport they participate in. Troy Public Schools is facing an $8 million deficit. The school board figures by closing their middle school pools, providing transportation to sporting events (parents would pick students up from these events) and instituting pay-to-play for their athletes, the school district will save $3.73 million during the next fiscal year.
The pay-to-play program is not a new concept. According to Scott Smith, an associate professor of sports management at Central Michigan University, it began in the 1970s and spread quickly in the 1980s and '90s as school fiscal budgets began to tighten. A USA Today poll surveyed state high school sports associations and found that in at least 34 states, there were districts charging athletes to participate in athletics at the school. The survey also found that 16 states still did not have schools that charged this fee.
In 1993, 1 in 10 Michigan school districts imposed fees for extracurricular activities. By 2007, this figure had risen to over 55 percent. In 2007, 88,000 students in southeast Michigan participated in pay-to-play extracurricular activities, generating revenue of over $10 million for their schools. Fees can be a flat annual fee per student, such as Clarkston schools $200/year rate to as much as $700/year at Northview High School in North Fulton County Georgia. It can also be levied by individual activity: $160 to play football at Romeo High School, $750 to play hockey for Royal Oak High School or $700 to be in the band at Vista Murrieta High School in California. These fees cover expenses such as team camp fees, equipment, pre-game meals, team uniforms and apparel, travel costs, event costs such as referees and timers and end of the year banquets.
Penalizing students whose family does not have the financial ability to pay for these sports has been a concern with the fee-for-participating concept. A study done by Diane Hoff, associate professor of education at University of Maine, found that there was a 35 percent dropoff in participation in athletics when pay-to-play policies were instituted. Further research found that this dropoff occurred when fees rose above $300 annually. Typical fees range between $75 and $100 annually.
Administrators and communities are grappling with ways to balance the benefits from athletics with the rising curriculum demands. Local author Chris Givens' book titled "More Than The Score" illustrates the life lessons learned through sports. His athletic experiences produced meaningful personal reflections such as: be willing to make sacrifices to achieve your goals, take responsibility for your actions, give respect and earn respect, along with many other insightful observations. "More Than The Score" illustrates how the cost of sports cannot be measured in dollars and cents. The lifelong lessons learned in the preparation, participation, and addressing the outcomes of competition are ones whose impact on future achievement are shared in magnitude with the successes garnered in the classroom.
Editor's note: Steve Patchin is Director of Youth Programs Outreach and Engagement at Michigan Technological University.
Midland Public Schools are grappling with higher education costs, declining enrollment and a budget deficit for 2008-09. They are now contemplating a pay-to-play fee of $50 per athlete charged for each sport they participate in. Troy Public Schools is facing an $8 million deficit. The school board figures by closing their middle school pools, providing transportation to sporting events (parents would pick students up from these events) and instituting pay-to-play for their athletes, the school district will save $3.73 million during the next fiscal year.
The pay-to-play program is not a new concept. According to Scott Smith, an associate professor of sports management at Central Michigan University, it began in the 1970s and spread quickly in the 1980s and '90s as school fiscal budgets began to tighten. A USA Today poll surveyed state high school sports associations and found that in at least 34 states, there were districts charging athletes to participate in athletics at the school. The survey also found that 16 states still did not have schools that charged this fee.
In 1993, 1 in 10 Michigan school districts imposed fees for extracurricular activities. By 2007, this figure had risen to over 55 percent. In 2007, 88,000 students in southeast Michigan participated in pay-to-play extracurricular activities, generating revenue of over $10 million for their schools. Fees can be a flat annual fee per student, such as Clarkston schools $200/year rate to as much as $700/year at Northview High School in North Fulton County Georgia. It can also be levied by individual activity: $160 to play football at Romeo High School, $750 to play hockey for Royal Oak High School or $700 to be in the band at Vista Murrieta High School in California. These fees cover expenses such as team camp fees, equipment, pre-game meals, team uniforms and apparel, travel costs, event costs such as referees and timers and end of the year banquets.
Penalizing students whose family does not have the financial ability to pay for these sports has been a concern with the fee-for-participating concept. A study done by Diane Hoff, associate professor of education at University of Maine, found that there was a 35 percent dropoff in participation in athletics when pay-to-play policies were instituted. Further research found that this dropoff occurred when fees rose above $300 annually. Typical fees range between $75 and $100 annually.
Administrators and communities are grappling with ways to balance the benefits from athletics with the rising curriculum demands. Local author Chris Givens' book titled "More Than The Score" illustrates the life lessons learned through sports. His athletic experiences produced meaningful personal reflections such as: be willing to make sacrifices to achieve your goals, take responsibility for your actions, give respect and earn respect, along with many other insightful observations. "More Than The Score" illustrates how the cost of sports cannot be measured in dollars and cents. The lifelong lessons learned in the preparation, participation, and addressing the outcomes of competition are ones whose impact on future achievement are shared in magnitude with the successes garnered in the classroom.
Editor's note: Steve Patchin is Director of Youth Programs Outreach and Engagement at Michigan Technological University.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
You're More Than Welcome
That's the new slogan for Hyatt Hotels. It's all built on their great service and how, after your stay with Hyatt, you'll leave saying "there is a difference between a hotel and a Hyatt." I haven't stayed with Hyatt for over a year, but will do so this weekend as part of the MIHL High School Hockey Showcase in Trenton, MI. We'll be staying at the Hyatt Regency - Dearborn as they are the host hotel. So far, just within the reservation process, there is definately a difference between a hotel (pick one) and this Hyatt. I'm not sure the corporate mucky mucks would be happy though.
The initial call to the hotel was to reserve a block of 13 rooms for Thursday and Friday nights. Unfortunately, we were told, the hotel cannot block that many rooms under one reservation. Instead, we could block 3 rooms under a single name so using the names of 5 different people......you've got your reservation. Okay, that could work, but why does it have to be that difficult? We've spent nights in hotels all over the state and nobody has said they couldn't block 13 rooms under a team block. Typically, you email a rooming list to the hotel, show up with your check or credit card and the school's tax exempt form, the keys are ready, and you're check in is complete.
I contacted the hotel to inquire why the 13 room block could not be accomodated. The answer I was given was that it could not be handled that way through the corporate reservations system, but could be done if working through the hotel directly. I asked if I could send a rooming list for the 13 rooms, have confirmation numbers returned, and then exchange form of payment for room keys at check in and be on our way. I was told that could absolutely happen and that all I needed to do was send the rooming list directly to the Group Reservations Manager and she would make sure it was taken care of. She would also handle cancelling the original reservation placed through the corporate system.
Our rooming list was emailed to the GRM with a note asking for confirmation numbers. Later in the day I received a return email with our confirmation numbers......along with confirmation numbers for the other 200 people checking in on the same day. I couldn't help but wonder what the thought process was before sending that email. It was 8 full pages so it obviously took some effort to put together.
Hyatt: "Let's see, the coach wants confirmation numbers for each of his 13 rooms. I'm going to go ahead and send that to him. You know, why don't I also send him confirmation numbers for the other 200 people checking in at the same time. That's very interesting information and I'm sure he will appreciate receiving it."
Me: "Yes, thank you very much for sending me the information I requested along with the information I have absolutely no use for. It is quite interesting, however, and I plan to peruse it after taking a gander at the video of my Aunt Gert's colonoscopy."
Aren't they violating some type of privacy laws within the hotel industry? I wonder if Mrs. Hockey from Peoria would be interested in knowing our rooms were $20 per night cheaper than hers even though she's coming in for the same event and all rooms are supposed to be the same price. Hey, I've got her phone number now so maybe I should call her and let her know she can get her room for cheaper. I can give her the confirmation number to be used with her reservation along with the room type....I can make it very easy for her to communicate with the hotel. It seems as though they could use the help.
I can hear the response already. Just go stay somewhere else if it's such a big problem. That's true and I would do that, but if you don't stay at the host hotel they charge your team a $550 fee. The Showcase is a prestigious event and we are honored to be included. It would be nice, however, if the partner hotel would handle their business in a manner that reflected better on the event.
Last week, our team reservations coordinator received several emails from the Hyatt stating they were "seven days to arrival" notices. These notices were tied to five names, each name with three rooms under the reservation. What happened to our 13 room block? Several long phone calls later we had everything straightened out...again.
Yesterday, our reservations coordinator received a new set of confirmation emails. Again, five names with three rooms per name and now the check out date was changed from Saturday to Sunday. We're leaving for home after our game on Saturday so we won't be checking out on Sunday. But again, what happened to our 13 room block? Needless to say we are expecting quite the check in fiasco upon our arrival at the Dearborn Hyatt tomorrow afternoon.
Maybe someone within the Hyatt Corporate family will read this entry. To them I say, "You're More Than Welcome."
The initial call to the hotel was to reserve a block of 13 rooms for Thursday and Friday nights. Unfortunately, we were told, the hotel cannot block that many rooms under one reservation. Instead, we could block 3 rooms under a single name so using the names of 5 different people......you've got your reservation. Okay, that could work, but why does it have to be that difficult? We've spent nights in hotels all over the state and nobody has said they couldn't block 13 rooms under a team block. Typically, you email a rooming list to the hotel, show up with your check or credit card and the school's tax exempt form, the keys are ready, and you're check in is complete.
I contacted the hotel to inquire why the 13 room block could not be accomodated. The answer I was given was that it could not be handled that way through the corporate reservations system, but could be done if working through the hotel directly. I asked if I could send a rooming list for the 13 rooms, have confirmation numbers returned, and then exchange form of payment for room keys at check in and be on our way. I was told that could absolutely happen and that all I needed to do was send the rooming list directly to the Group Reservations Manager and she would make sure it was taken care of. She would also handle cancelling the original reservation placed through the corporate system.
Our rooming list was emailed to the GRM with a note asking for confirmation numbers. Later in the day I received a return email with our confirmation numbers......along with confirmation numbers for the other 200 people checking in on the same day. I couldn't help but wonder what the thought process was before sending that email. It was 8 full pages so it obviously took some effort to put together.
Hyatt: "Let's see, the coach wants confirmation numbers for each of his 13 rooms. I'm going to go ahead and send that to him. You know, why don't I also send him confirmation numbers for the other 200 people checking in at the same time. That's very interesting information and I'm sure he will appreciate receiving it."
Me: "Yes, thank you very much for sending me the information I requested along with the information I have absolutely no use for. It is quite interesting, however, and I plan to peruse it after taking a gander at the video of my Aunt Gert's colonoscopy."
Aren't they violating some type of privacy laws within the hotel industry? I wonder if Mrs. Hockey from Peoria would be interested in knowing our rooms were $20 per night cheaper than hers even though she's coming in for the same event and all rooms are supposed to be the same price. Hey, I've got her phone number now so maybe I should call her and let her know she can get her room for cheaper. I can give her the confirmation number to be used with her reservation along with the room type....I can make it very easy for her to communicate with the hotel. It seems as though they could use the help.
I can hear the response already. Just go stay somewhere else if it's such a big problem. That's true and I would do that, but if you don't stay at the host hotel they charge your team a $550 fee. The Showcase is a prestigious event and we are honored to be included. It would be nice, however, if the partner hotel would handle their business in a manner that reflected better on the event.
Last week, our team reservations coordinator received several emails from the Hyatt stating they were "seven days to arrival" notices. These notices were tied to five names, each name with three rooms under the reservation. What happened to our 13 room block? Several long phone calls later we had everything straightened out...again.
Yesterday, our reservations coordinator received a new set of confirmation emails. Again, five names with three rooms per name and now the check out date was changed from Saturday to Sunday. We're leaving for home after our game on Saturday so we won't be checking out on Sunday. But again, what happened to our 13 room block? Needless to say we are expecting quite the check in fiasco upon our arrival at the Dearborn Hyatt tomorrow afternoon.
Maybe someone within the Hyatt Corporate family will read this entry. To them I say, "You're More Than Welcome."
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Saving The Best For Last
Yesterday was the first day of the 2009 Special Olympics Michigan State Winter Games held here in Traverse City. Two of the events, figure skating and speed skating, are held at Howe Arena. With the figure skating competition set to begin at 8:00am several of the participants began to filter in to Howe Arena just as we (Traverse City Central High School) were finishing our hockey practice at 7:15am. By the time all of my guys had showered, changed, and seated themselves for breakfast in the Howe Arena lobby, the ice had been taken over by figure skaters.
I locked our lockerroom and weaved my way through skaters waiting to take the ice. Passing through a group of young ladies waiting to enter the ice surface from the visitor's bench I made eye contact with one of them. She smiled at me and asked, "Are you a hockey player?"
"No," I said. "I'm just a coach."
"For what team?" she asked.
"Traverse City Central High School," I answered.
"Is your team good?" she said, still smiling.
"Yeah, I think we're pretty good," I said.
"Better than the Red Wings?" she asked.
"Well, we're not THAT good. But I'd say we're pretty good." I answered.
"That's awesome!!" she yelled and offered a high five.
I high fived her and made my way to the lobby.
My boys were in the middle of breakfast so I stood down the hallway a little way and watched the figure skaters warming up on the ice. I noticed there was a huge variance in the level of skating ability from one skater to the next. It was obvious some had been skating for a long time while others appeared to be very new to the sport. The one thing they all had in common was they skated with confidence and sheer determination. If they weren't practicing their routines they were skating, smiling, and sharing laughs with fellow competitors. The look of determination during their practice routines said they really wanted to win, but you also knew it wasn't the most important thing to them. Every time someone would stumble and fall there was immediately a fellow competitor by their side to make sure they were okay and to help them up. I had read an article about these games in the local paper and remembered someone being quoting as saying, "these athletes are accepted and celebrated regardless of race, gender, or ability." After observing these athletes for a few minutes I knew this to be true.
I was just about to leave Howe Arena when a young woman approached and dropped a duffel bag on the floor next to me. She looked at me, smiled, and began to take items out of the bag. Her skates, gloves, and a sweat shirt. She put the skates on her feet and called for her dad. A gentleman approached from near the front doors and proceeded to tie her skates. "Good luck," he said and winked at his daughter. She stood up and walked through the front doors to the visitor's bench and stepped out onto the ice. A very slow first step, then a second small stride, and then a third. Obvious now was the fact that she hadn't been skating very long. I kept thinking about how hard it must be to try to perform a figure skating routine when it appeared she had all she could handle just to keep her balance. I said to myself, "Wow. I give her a lot of credit for being able to go out and try that."
Her dad was still standing next to me and watched his daughter take to the ice just as I had. He was smiling as he watched her take those slow, calculated strides. He saw me looking at him and he nodded toward his daughter.
"She's always the happiest when she's on the ice," he said.
I looked back toward his daughter and she was making her way across the ice and toward the visitor's bench with a wide smile.
"She sure does look happy," I said.
We watched her step off the ice and make her way back toward the lobby. She stopped briefly to talk to the person in charge of the event, then came back through the main doors and down the hallway to where we were standing. She sat down next to her duffel bag and looked up at her dad.
"They said I won't be skating for awhile yet, but they'll let me know when it's my turn. I guess they must be saving the best for last," she said quite matter of factly.
Confidence and determination. If we could all approach daily life with the confidence and determination of these young men and women imagine what would get accomplished.......
I locked our lockerroom and weaved my way through skaters waiting to take the ice. Passing through a group of young ladies waiting to enter the ice surface from the visitor's bench I made eye contact with one of them. She smiled at me and asked, "Are you a hockey player?"
"No," I said. "I'm just a coach."
"For what team?" she asked.
"Traverse City Central High School," I answered.
"Is your team good?" she said, still smiling.
"Yeah, I think we're pretty good," I said.
"Better than the Red Wings?" she asked.
"Well, we're not THAT good. But I'd say we're pretty good." I answered.
"That's awesome!!" she yelled and offered a high five.
I high fived her and made my way to the lobby.
My boys were in the middle of breakfast so I stood down the hallway a little way and watched the figure skaters warming up on the ice. I noticed there was a huge variance in the level of skating ability from one skater to the next. It was obvious some had been skating for a long time while others appeared to be very new to the sport. The one thing they all had in common was they skated with confidence and sheer determination. If they weren't practicing their routines they were skating, smiling, and sharing laughs with fellow competitors. The look of determination during their practice routines said they really wanted to win, but you also knew it wasn't the most important thing to them. Every time someone would stumble and fall there was immediately a fellow competitor by their side to make sure they were okay and to help them up. I had read an article about these games in the local paper and remembered someone being quoting as saying, "these athletes are accepted and celebrated regardless of race, gender, or ability." After observing these athletes for a few minutes I knew this to be true.
I was just about to leave Howe Arena when a young woman approached and dropped a duffel bag on the floor next to me. She looked at me, smiled, and began to take items out of the bag. Her skates, gloves, and a sweat shirt. She put the skates on her feet and called for her dad. A gentleman approached from near the front doors and proceeded to tie her skates. "Good luck," he said and winked at his daughter. She stood up and walked through the front doors to the visitor's bench and stepped out onto the ice. A very slow first step, then a second small stride, and then a third. Obvious now was the fact that she hadn't been skating very long. I kept thinking about how hard it must be to try to perform a figure skating routine when it appeared she had all she could handle just to keep her balance. I said to myself, "Wow. I give her a lot of credit for being able to go out and try that."
Her dad was still standing next to me and watched his daughter take to the ice just as I had. He was smiling as he watched her take those slow, calculated strides. He saw me looking at him and he nodded toward his daughter.
"She's always the happiest when she's on the ice," he said.
I looked back toward his daughter and she was making her way across the ice and toward the visitor's bench with a wide smile.
"She sure does look happy," I said.
We watched her step off the ice and make her way back toward the lobby. She stopped briefly to talk to the person in charge of the event, then came back through the main doors and down the hallway to where we were standing. She sat down next to her duffel bag and looked up at her dad.
"They said I won't be skating for awhile yet, but they'll let me know when it's my turn. I guess they must be saving the best for last," she said quite matter of factly.
Confidence and determination. If we could all approach daily life with the confidence and determination of these young men and women imagine what would get accomplished.......
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Take Responsibility For Your Actions
That is the title of lesson #4 in my book. I was 10 years old when my dad first taught me this lesson. I learned it through a sporting event, but it always amazes me how much it comes up in everyday life. Some people take responsibility for their actions and some don't. It's funny how those that don't never seem to get anything accomplished. They never seem happy because they never get what they want, yet it's always someone else's fault.
I've seen this in my coaching. Some players will be in a slump and they will step forward and say, "I need to play better." Others will slump and say, "My linemates aren't playing well and it's affecting my game." The players that take responsbility for their own actions, are accountable for their play, are the ones who end up being the best players in the end.
Looking at a company, doesn't matter which one, you can quickly separate the good employees from the bad ones. Mistakes are made every day and things can go bad quickly. Deadlines are missed, orders don't ship on time, you have a bad day in production and poor quality gets past QC, irate customers call and complain, there are all kinds of issues faced on a daily basis. When things start to go "sideways" who steps forward and gets things done?
Is it the guy in QC who says, "I can't catch everything." Or is it the customer service rep who tells the irate customer "it wasn't my fault." These people will be the first to blame a co-worker for a problem or issue that could have been prevented and they are the people you can count on the least to get things done.
The best QC people take responsbility for their actions. They'll say, "It's my job to make sure the product that leaves here is of the best quality and I missed it on this one." They'll talk it through with the production teams and find ways to make sure they don't make the same mistake in the future.
Your best customer service rep will apologize for the problem the customer is having and do what they can to make it right. They are the face of the company and will take responsibility for seeing the corrective action through regardless of whether or not they had anything to do with the actual problem. They know the customer doesn't care whose fault it was and they certainly don't want to hear someone make excuses for themself or their company.
It's easy to blame others when things don't go your way or when you know someone is unhappy with you. Pushing blame onto others only makes things worse. Being honest and taking responsibility for your own actions can be the tougher road to take, but you'll be better for it in the end.
I've seen this in my coaching. Some players will be in a slump and they will step forward and say, "I need to play better." Others will slump and say, "My linemates aren't playing well and it's affecting my game." The players that take responsbility for their own actions, are accountable for their play, are the ones who end up being the best players in the end.
Looking at a company, doesn't matter which one, you can quickly separate the good employees from the bad ones. Mistakes are made every day and things can go bad quickly. Deadlines are missed, orders don't ship on time, you have a bad day in production and poor quality gets past QC, irate customers call and complain, there are all kinds of issues faced on a daily basis. When things start to go "sideways" who steps forward and gets things done?
Is it the guy in QC who says, "I can't catch everything." Or is it the customer service rep who tells the irate customer "it wasn't my fault." These people will be the first to blame a co-worker for a problem or issue that could have been prevented and they are the people you can count on the least to get things done.
The best QC people take responsbility for their actions. They'll say, "It's my job to make sure the product that leaves here is of the best quality and I missed it on this one." They'll talk it through with the production teams and find ways to make sure they don't make the same mistake in the future.
Your best customer service rep will apologize for the problem the customer is having and do what they can to make it right. They are the face of the company and will take responsibility for seeing the corrective action through regardless of whether or not they had anything to do with the actual problem. They know the customer doesn't care whose fault it was and they certainly don't want to hear someone make excuses for themself or their company.
It's easy to blame others when things don't go your way or when you know someone is unhappy with you. Pushing blame onto others only makes things worse. Being honest and taking responsibility for your own actions can be the tougher road to take, but you'll be better for it in the end.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thanks Hank!
I just received information from the Michigan High School Hockey Coaches Association on a new scholarship opportunity. Henrik Zetterberg, or "Hank" as he's known to his Detroit Red Wings teammates, is funding a new scholarship for boys and girls who play high school hockey in Michigan. This information states that "Zetterberg has a strong desire to get involved in educational athletics to improve the lives of hockey players who choose to play the game for their high school teams."
It seems as though in the past few years there has been a lot wrong with professional sports and less than stellar behavior on the part of many professional athletes. With that being said it was good to hear that Henrik Zetterberg, a very high profile professional athlete and one of the best hockey players in the world, is interested in providing this type of support. I think it says a great deal about his character. Thanks Hank!
It seems as though in the past few years there has been a lot wrong with professional sports and less than stellar behavior on the part of many professional athletes. With that being said it was good to hear that Henrik Zetterberg, a very high profile professional athlete and one of the best hockey players in the world, is interested in providing this type of support. I think it says a great deal about his character. Thanks Hank!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Got Perspective?
I've heard the claim that soccer parents are the worst, but I really can't say I have an opinion on that because my son only played soccer for one season. If I go by that one season I would have to say they weren't, at least here in Traverse City, any worse than the parents in other sports. Some of the parents on my son's baseball team last summer were much worse than those at the soccer games and quite frankly, some of the worst I'd ever seen. You know the ones I'm talking about. They'll talk every player through every pitch, every play, and help to make positional adjustments for the outfielders...all from the comfort of those wrickety metal bleachers behind the backstop. They'll yell for baserunners to keep going even though the coach has both hands up telling him to stop. They'll pick on a 14-year old umpire who's doing the best he can and just wants to make a few bucks in the process.
Now that we're in the thick of hockey season here in Michigan emotions are running high. If little Johnny doesn't have a great showing at the Frozen Tundra Pee Wee Tournament he may not get that scholarship offer from Michigan State. Granted, he won't be eligible for college for another six or seven years, but hey, you never know who might be watching. That's why his Dad will stand behind the glass at the "goal scoring end" (it's called offensive zone, dad) and scream for Johnny to "Shoot it!!!!!" every time he touches the puck. If Johnny tries to make a pass to a wide open teammate, one who is in a much better position to score than Johnny, and the pass gets knocked away or intercepted Johnny's dad will throw his hands in the air, shake his head, and yell "shoot the puck!!!!!". He tried to make a good play, dad, chill out.
Where is the perspective in these people? Has life been so easy for them that whether their son or daughter wins a game is truly the most important thing? Do they not have enough confidence in their child to just let them go and play? Why talk them through every single action? Let them try some things on their own and make some mistakes. They'll fall down, dust themselves off and get back at it. They're kids and they're tough. Let them learn some things on their own through trial and error. Sit back, drink a cup of coffee, and just enjoy watching your child play. Before you know it they will be leaving home for college and then they will be a professional. However, it will likely be in something other than sports.
Every time I observe one of these parents I want to tell them the story of Jeff McCullough. Jeff played hockey for the Traverse City Central Trojans and I was his coach. In June following Jeff's junior year in high school he was diagnosed with cancer. He first had cancer when he was just eight years old, but kicked it and had been "clear" ever since. Now, it had come back and the road was going to get tough again. Jeff and I talked a lot while he was receiving treatments at the hospital in Ann Arbor, MI. He always told me how he couldn't wait to get back on the ice and start his senior season. Jeff didn't know it, but his dad had already told me the doctors said there was no way he would be able to play hockey. The cancer was back with a vengeance and the doctors didn't know how long Jeff had. It was eating him up and it would only be a matter of time.
By the time October rolled around Jeff was in very bad shape. On one last cold, frantic night Jeff's condition became the worst it had ever been. His parents carried him to the car on a makeshift stretcher they put together using bed sheets. Jeff wasn't strong enough to walk, but they needed to get him in the car and make the drive to Ann Arbor in hopes the doctors could save him. Jeff was alive when they arrived in Ann Arbor, but he passed away two days later.
In the days following Jeff's passing I spent a lot of time with his mom and dad. We talked about the great times we shared during the hockey seasons and how much we'd both miss that now that Jeff was gone. His dad told me some things about Jeff I never knew, some of which he followed up with, "Jeff would kill me if he knew I told you that." He was so proud of his son. Proud of the way he handled himself when he was a healthy, strong teenager and proud of how he handled himself when the cancer had taken almost every ounce of energy he had.
Jeff's dad often said he would do anything to have Jeff back to play just one more shift in a hockey game. He wouldn't have to score and wouldn't have to be considered the star of the game. In fact, he didn't even need to touch the puck. Just give him 30 seconds to go out and play, however he wanted to, and let his dad enjoy the moment. Jeff's dad doesn't have much patience for over zealous parents that take sports so seriously. In a way, he considers those parents lucky for having a life so easy they don't know any better. He also thinks it's sad they take their child's opportunities for granted assuming they will be here forever.
We have a home game tonight against Petoskey. Before entering our lockerroom I will pass by Jeff's retired number 14 which hangs in the lobby of Howe Arena. I'll stop for a moment and say thanks to Jeff for giving me perspective. Next Wednesday we play Traverse City West for the Jeff McCullough Memorial Challenge Cup. Win or lose I will take great pride in having the opportunity to honor an outstanding young man.
Now that we're in the thick of hockey season here in Michigan emotions are running high. If little Johnny doesn't have a great showing at the Frozen Tundra Pee Wee Tournament he may not get that scholarship offer from Michigan State. Granted, he won't be eligible for college for another six or seven years, but hey, you never know who might be watching. That's why his Dad will stand behind the glass at the "goal scoring end" (it's called offensive zone, dad) and scream for Johnny to "Shoot it!!!!!" every time he touches the puck. If Johnny tries to make a pass to a wide open teammate, one who is in a much better position to score than Johnny, and the pass gets knocked away or intercepted Johnny's dad will throw his hands in the air, shake his head, and yell "shoot the puck!!!!!". He tried to make a good play, dad, chill out.
Where is the perspective in these people? Has life been so easy for them that whether their son or daughter wins a game is truly the most important thing? Do they not have enough confidence in their child to just let them go and play? Why talk them through every single action? Let them try some things on their own and make some mistakes. They'll fall down, dust themselves off and get back at it. They're kids and they're tough. Let them learn some things on their own through trial and error. Sit back, drink a cup of coffee, and just enjoy watching your child play. Before you know it they will be leaving home for college and then they will be a professional. However, it will likely be in something other than sports.
Every time I observe one of these parents I want to tell them the story of Jeff McCullough. Jeff played hockey for the Traverse City Central Trojans and I was his coach. In June following Jeff's junior year in high school he was diagnosed with cancer. He first had cancer when he was just eight years old, but kicked it and had been "clear" ever since. Now, it had come back and the road was going to get tough again. Jeff and I talked a lot while he was receiving treatments at the hospital in Ann Arbor, MI. He always told me how he couldn't wait to get back on the ice and start his senior season. Jeff didn't know it, but his dad had already told me the doctors said there was no way he would be able to play hockey. The cancer was back with a vengeance and the doctors didn't know how long Jeff had. It was eating him up and it would only be a matter of time.
By the time October rolled around Jeff was in very bad shape. On one last cold, frantic night Jeff's condition became the worst it had ever been. His parents carried him to the car on a makeshift stretcher they put together using bed sheets. Jeff wasn't strong enough to walk, but they needed to get him in the car and make the drive to Ann Arbor in hopes the doctors could save him. Jeff was alive when they arrived in Ann Arbor, but he passed away two days later.
In the days following Jeff's passing I spent a lot of time with his mom and dad. We talked about the great times we shared during the hockey seasons and how much we'd both miss that now that Jeff was gone. His dad told me some things about Jeff I never knew, some of which he followed up with, "Jeff would kill me if he knew I told you that." He was so proud of his son. Proud of the way he handled himself when he was a healthy, strong teenager and proud of how he handled himself when the cancer had taken almost every ounce of energy he had.
Jeff's dad often said he would do anything to have Jeff back to play just one more shift in a hockey game. He wouldn't have to score and wouldn't have to be considered the star of the game. In fact, he didn't even need to touch the puck. Just give him 30 seconds to go out and play, however he wanted to, and let his dad enjoy the moment. Jeff's dad doesn't have much patience for over zealous parents that take sports so seriously. In a way, he considers those parents lucky for having a life so easy they don't know any better. He also thinks it's sad they take their child's opportunities for granted assuming they will be here forever.
We have a home game tonight against Petoskey. Before entering our lockerroom I will pass by Jeff's retired number 14 which hangs in the lobby of Howe Arena. I'll stop for a moment and say thanks to Jeff for giving me perspective. Next Wednesday we play Traverse City West for the Jeff McCullough Memorial Challenge Cup. Win or lose I will take great pride in having the opportunity to honor an outstanding young man.
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