University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
ANYWAY
9/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2003
FROM THE DESK OF COACH - 09/17/03
ANYWAY
This is Coach Mike again, - Coach Stef decided to leave me in the game. It is probably the longest I've been in the game in a long time.
I love to tell this story "on myself" - when I was 12, I got cut during try-outs from my summer baseball team. When I was a freshman in high school, I played 1 minute and 33 seconds over the entire 30 game season on the freshman basketball team - don't worry, I kept track of every second. Then, I tried out for the football team at Teurlings but Coach (rightfully so) did not think a 133 pounder with no foot speed - he called me "SLOW tief" - would BEEF up the offensive line. You get the point - I am Michael Lotief and not Michael Jordan.
So as the story goes, I decided to get into coaching. I've been coaching since 1980 when I volunteered to coach inner city kids (Simcoe Street, Holy Family Apts, Municipal Golf Course area) in football. If you ask my mom, she would say I've been coaching since I was 12 - when I got cut, she bought the baseball equipment and we formed our own neighborhood team. We got together - all of my brothers (5 of us) and the neighborhood gang and we played EVERYDAY. We competed against each other and played because we enjoyed it; because we were friends. No trophies or press or glory - we just played the game - we played for innocence. I remember at night we would open the top drawer of the dresser and roll up a pair of socks and continue the basketball games until bed time. Our lives and our relationships revolved around "playing the game" - certainly NOT T.V. or the "play station" or the internet. We interacted with each other through sports and we also learned to compete. Last night, Chelsea (my daughter) and I used a jump rope stretched across the living room and a balloon and we played volleyball - watch out Coach Madden - she was diving and spiking and setting. Geaux UL Volleyball. We had a good time - the rematch is set for tonight. We also pitch (she is a lefty) and she loves to hit - we have 100 whiffle balls and she will hit everyone of them - and of course, Andrew has to have his turn too.
Those sandlot baseball games or pick-up basketball games or tackle football games in our front yard were the vehicle for my relationships with my brothers and my friends. And now, as an adult, coaching is still my vehicle for relationships and friendships. In fact, coaching gives meaning to my life - a chance to make a difference, a chance to teach, a chance to interact with young people.
I was blessed. I found out at an early age that my God-given talent was not my speed or my physical prowess BUT I still wanted to be on the TEAM. I know I impacted those teams - maybe not scoring points but encouraging the person who was scoring - and those experiences certainly made a difference in my life.
Did anybody watch the show "RUDY"? I love that movie. We are going to watch it this year on one of bus trips if we can get those "love stories and junk" out of the way or, better yet, I will probably have to wait till everybody is sleeping to stick it in the bus VCR or bribe the bus driver. I'll figure out a way. RUDY found a way to chase his dreams and use his talents and make the people around him better - he was a scout team lineman for Notre Dame football and never got to dress out. If you haven't seen it, go watch it and let me know what you think.
John Wooden said, "Don't let what you can't do interfere with what you can do".
Mother Teresa, who I got the honor of meeting, wrote the following piece called "ANYWAY"
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered; forgive them ANYWAY.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind ANYWAY.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; succeed ANYWAY.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank ANYWAY.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build ANYWAY.
If you find serenity and happiness, there may be jealousy; be happy ANYWAY.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good ANYWAY.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got ANYWAY.
One little bity lady, treating others the way she wanted to be treated - loving people, treating them with dignity, caring for the downtrodden and forgotten, giving of herself - and in the process, she changed the world.
Can we change the world?
It does not take talent to hustle and work hard. You can treat people "right" whether you can hit or not, right? You should care about the well-being of those around you and not just yourself. You know being on the team is an honor and privilege. You thank God for the physical ability to run by running and running as hard and fast and often as you can run with as much grace and beauty as he blessed you with - how many people cannot run and wish they could get up and go jog a mile right now. If you are an optimist, you think positive thoughts everyday and believe in yourself - and figure out a way to make a difference.
We say all the time, don't worry about what you don't have; be grateful for what you do have and make the BEST out of it.
If you took all your problems and put them in a paper bag and sat them on a table - and a group of 10 people did the same - and then each person picked another's bag - after reading the others' problems, you would gladly ask for your bag back.
How do players and athletes handle a situation when they do not get to start or play? Athletes are sidelined every weekend across America because of a coach's decision. What do they do next? Having a bad attitude does not help. Not giving your best in practice only hurts that player. Instead players should continue to work hard ANYWAY - stay involved and ready and wait for your opportunity. More importantly, if you are given a talent and a gift - it seems foolish not to utilize it to the best of your abilities. You can give glory by using your time, talents and treasures to make this a better place and you can always help the people around you to better people or have a deeper understanding or to enjoy a moment
What do you want your teammates and coaches and the fans to say about you and your attitude and the way you handle adversity? She has a good attitude ANYWAY or she acts like a big baby?; she works hard ANYWAY or she only works if she is going to start or benefit her otherwise she SLACKS?; she is coachable and she is a real team player ANYWAY or she is selfish and only worried about herself?.
It's not easy "sitting on the bench". It is doubly tough for athletes who are injured. An athlete either can do nothing OR use their time wisely.
Look at any team, and you can see the potential for competition. We have roommates going head-to-head to see who will be the starter and who will be the back-up. All people have hopes, goals and DREAMS - we all want to achieve. "COMPLETING ONE ANOTHER IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN COMPETING WITH ONE ANOTHER". We all have to realize that we are a team, working together and we can never allow competition between us to get to the point where it hurts the team or our relationship with each other.
A couple of Lady Cajun stories that are illustrative:
Erica Enright - played for us in 2001 and 2002. She had such bad luck with injury - separating her shoulder on 2 occasions. Despite her limited playing time, Erica influenced the team and its successes more than anybody else during her time. At the end of the 2002 season (her senior year), in the locker room after we lost out of Regionals, I overheard players, her teammates who came up to her one by one and hugged her and told her that her friendship was the reason they felt good about themselves as a person or they thanked her for supporting them and the team even though she was injured and unable to play.
Erica starting crying and she looked at me and said - "Coach, I had no idea how much I meant to this team" and I told her, "What you taught your teammates is far greater than any win or hit or catch. You gave them a part of yourself and they will never forget you". We shared those "MOMENTS" together and we will never forget them. In the media guide there may be a statistic or words about how the team performed that year, but the real statistic and the real story is in our hearts.
Carve your name on hearts and do not worry about the marble or the statistics or the media guide. Good things come to those who stay optimistic and are willing to persevere.
Right now during FALL practice, there is a lot of uncertainty for some, some (freshman) are trying to transition from high school athletics to college, some are transitioning from high school math to college math, some are away from home and their support structure for the first time in their lives (that's tough), some are wondering what position I am going to play, some are trying new positions, some are being taught to swing or pitch or train a different way, some are trying to do better or work harder than last year, some are dealing with injury and illness, some are fighting a tough school schedule, some are dealing with the loss/death of high school friends. It's tough sometimes.
We are so blessed with the Lady Cajuns to have people who take an interest in the spiritual well-being of our players; who work tirelessly and unselfishly and give with an open heart to make sure our players feel good about themselves and that they stay on the track. Softball has a lot of FAILURE in it - if you fail 7 out of 10 times - so you fail more times than you succeed - and the statistics say you are a .333 hitter and that is good. Our players are over-achievers and failure is tough to deal with and overcome and put in perspective.
When things get tough, we want to stand firm - we do not want to compromise or quit. Even when an individual struggles, they need to continue to solidly support their team and the team will be their for them. When adversity or hard times come - you cannot QUIT. It takes courage to carry on. Courage to walk down a path where others will not go. Courage of your convictions. You have to have persistence to keep believing in yourself - and resilience to keep picking yourself up after every loss, every stumble, every fall. THAT"s the ROCKY story Dr. George told us about. That's the reason my daddy would always say - you CANNOT QUIT something once you start. Follow through with your plans, your commitments, your dreams - even when everyone else is saying you cannot do it or WHY do it - that's courage. Don't let somebody else try to pull you down and don't be wishy-washy. Know what you are and what you stand for - and always say it and demonstrate it and mean it and stand strong in tough times.
The two guys and a lady who work with the Campus Outreach - Eric, Ryan and Melanie - Eric and Ryan always come by practice; Ryan hit a ball last week that almost hit Bourgeois Hall and Eric has been taking extra cuts. They meet with and counsel the players and host bar-b-ques and organize bowling parties and set up tail-gating events and all kind of fun activities; but most importantly, all of the events have the purpose of glorifying God and making sure that our girls have a balance to their lives and are headed in the "right" direction. We are blessed to have people you are there to help "COMPLETE" us. With others help and support, the players themselves now have Bible study and understand the importance of supporting one another.
On teams, you find players who are so preoccupied with looking out for themselves and seeking the "fame". Our players truly "complete one another" rather than just compete against each other. And that takes TRUST - assuming that the coach's motive or my teammates motive is pure and good and for your best interest - instead of always blaming and being suspicious. When somebody "gets on" a player here - the response should be, I need it and they are taking an interest in me and want me to be better versus they don't like me or they are always picking on me.
The spotlight this week is on two (2) players who played VITAL roles on our team - without them and their contributions we would not be complete - and players who wanted to be in the games more but helped and worked and hung onto the rope ANYWAY. The average fan would never know or notice how valuable their contribution is and was.
Last year, Tiffany Hebert and Leslie Pierce - despite the fact that neither one of them were starting the game - stayed very involved in the game, encouraging their teammates; in fact, working together they were so perceptive to pick up a tendency that the other team's pitchers had that tipped off her pitches. That helped their teammates have more success during their at bats. Or keeping the pitching charts and letting Joy or Brooke or one of the coach's know what an opponent batter's tendency is. Little things - CAN DO things that make all the difference.
Tiffany Hebert is from - well we do not know where she is from. She says she lives on the Nina Highway and technically she lives in Nina, but in the media guide or when she introduces herself she says she is from Breaux Bridge, and when she votes, she votes in Henderson and when she went to grade school, she went to Cecilia. Tiffany went to Teurlings (my alma mater) where her Rebels won two State Championships. Tiffany is a very gifted athlete and works extremely hard. She has a great attitude and if and when she talks - is very funny. She is another one whose hair color changes by the week - she must be trying out Joy's hair products. I remember the grand slam Tiffany hit off of Nicole Dennis (now at Oklahoma) in summer ball to propel LA Gold to win a tournament and I also remember at Gold Nationals, Tiffany playing half the tournament with a broken finger. She is tough and very smart (4.0/Commisioner's List in Exercise Science) and a competitor. She is working very hard this fall to make herself better and she is a "team" player - will do whatever is best for this team. She comes from a great family - Phillip and Rachael Hebert are her parents, I went to school with her uncle, Paul and have known her grandpa from his days at the post office since I was 10. Hebert is Cajun, huh? Good people and a great kid.
Leslie Pierce is from Pasadena, Texas and graduated from Sam Rayburn High School. She is majoring in Criminal Justice and wants to do crime scene investigation - which will take some post graduate work. It was Leslie's Birthday this weekend - Happy Birthday! Leslie played summer ball for her Uncle Bryan - and he "pushed" her because he wanted the best for her. In Colorado, I was sitting in the outfield and with her team down by a run, the coach brought Leslie in the bottom of the 7th with a runner on to pinch hit and guess what - she hit the ball straight to me. Homerun - walk-off. I told her daddy that was a sign that she was destined to be a Lady Cajun. She is the daughter of Toni and Eddie Varnell. She is a family person and is very close to her family - you will see her grandpa and her aunts and her momma and daddy at many of the games. Leslie worked extremely hard on her own this summer and I was talking to her and she told me that she has a "better" perspective this season and that she sat down and did some soul searching to figure out why she played the game and she understands that God has given her talent and she needs to maximize her abilities to give the glory back. Leslie is very active in Campus Outreach and has been awesome with helping some of the freshmen get adjusted to college life - another team player and hard worker and a kid with a big heart - chasing her dreams for the "right" reasons. More bombs/homeruns coming!
It is all about attitude and it is all about helping one another and supporting one another and using our time, talent and treasures to make a difference. All of our players ARE DIFFERENCE MAKERS and so many of you, the Ragin Cajun fans, make such a huge difference. Thank you for all you do.
When I think back on the 23 years of coaching, I think about the Turkey Bowls (12 and under football championship games) and Biddy Basketball tournaments and the double elimination Parish tournaments in baseball and the State Championships and National Tournaments in summer softball with the Image/Reflections; but more importantly, my memories are of the kids on those teams and the "MOMENTS" we shared together throughout the season. In fact, on the wall at my office are pictures of teams I coached for 23 years and as I pass in front of those pictures or just stand and stare, I smile. Those experiences "SHAPED" my life - they are my life - and I like to think that they impacted those kids' lives in a good way.
There are many more games to play and hopefully, many more pictures to hang; we will continue to find ways to do it better.
Geaux Cajuns!
P.S. To all the coaches and teachers who impact the lives of our kids on a daily basis, our society is indebted to you. Do not fret about the lack of money and the long hours, do not let your effort be commensurate with the number of thank-yous, continue to do the most for the ones who appreciate it the least - your toil and labors will be rewarded; continue to make a difference ANYWAY.
Talk to you next week if I'm still in the game. Look for a new feature next week called FAN FORUM!
-- Ragin' Cajuns --
