I can't resist putting my thoughts about the X-Games on "paper". I am a huge sports fan in every possible way. I love to compete myself, although I have no skills. I run road races, duathlons, bike rides, and will soon complete my first triathlon. I love to play basketball, soccer, lacrosse, and virtually any other sport I get the chance to play. As a teacher and coach, I can definitely see the value of sports in a young person's life. The lessons of trusting your teammates, being a trustworthy teammate, and handling winning and losing with grace are invaluable. The ability to find victory in defeat is crucial as well. (What did I do particularly well today? What did I learn today to make myself better tomorrow?)
The world of professional sports is an entirely different thing, though, and too often, youth sports seem to emulate that world. On TV we daily watch the desperate struggle to win, or to make more money than other athletes. Violence has become commonplace in professional sports, and we write it off as players' being emotional. All of us are emotional, but most of us don't get to punch somebody at work and write it off as really caring about our jobs!
This week, I've spent a lot of time watching the X-Games, and they always renew my faith in sports. Perhaps part of it is that there are very few events in the X-Games where people directly compete against others at the same time, but the sportsmanship is astounding. Simply thinking about the final night of the games on Sunday, there is plenty of fodder for optimism. I watched the Snowmobile Best Trick competition in which riders did insane things off a huge ramp with a snowmobile. Hoyer went for a trick that nobody had completed in competition previously - the double back-flip. Unfortunately, and somewhat gruesomely, he didn't complete the trick on Sunday, and instead crashed nose-first, with the 450-lb snowmobile landing on top of him. The injuries were bad, but not life-threatening. What really struck me about this situation, though, was the reaction of all his competitors, especially Heath Frisby. Frisby was also planning on trying a trick that had never been completed in competition - the front flip. Hoyer's failure greatly increased Frisby's chances of winning. Instead of celebrating his own good luck at Hoyer's failure, as many mainstream professional athletes would have done, Frisby dropped everything and sprinted for a monitor where he could see if his friend/competitor was all right. Later in the evening, when Frisby landed his front-flip, everyone in the crowd, including his competitors, went nuts. They were so excited about being witnesses to history, and so supportive of their friend's success, that nothing else mattered. In what other sport do you still see that kind of sportsmanship?
One other moment in that same broadcast of the X-Games really struck me as amazing. The games ended with the finals of the men's snowboard Superpipe, an event that Shaun White was expected to win. Not surprisingly, when it came down to White's final run of the night, he had already won the gold medal. He could have ridden straight down the center of the pipe without pulling any tricks at all and he still would have won. What did White do? He threw down the most difficult run in the history of Snowboarding! At the end of his run, when he was tired and had lost a lot of his speed, he combo-ed two tricks - one that only two people in the world can do, and one that only Shaun White can do - to finish his run. He wound up with a perfect 100, the highest score ever given in snowboarding. In the NFL, when a game is meaningless, the team sits its best players. In a similar situation, Shaun White took the biggest risk in his sport's history. I can't necessarily blame the NFL teams for this, because they have to be looking toward the future - they have a franchise to worry about. I do, however, appreciate the approach Shaun White took. This non-mainstream sport is still about the thrill and the love of the sport, not about winning championships and earning money.
In a world where sports have become a major business and fans have become jaded, the X-Games remind me of what sports are all about. A big thank you to Shaun White, Bobby Brown, and Sarah Burke for reminding me why I love sports and competition, and I can't wait for next year!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
My Favorite T-Shirt
I have a t-shirt that I bought in Gatlinburg, TN when I was there for a family reunion honoring my Grandmother's 90th birthday. On the back, the shirt says, "You don't stop exploring when you get old. You get old when you stop exploring." That has become my favorite cheezy saying.
I was thinking about that shirt while I was out for a run today, and it got me thinking about the year I have ahead of me. I turn 40 next week, and my kids love to remind me that I will officially be over the hill and old. Then I think about what's coming up. In March I will become a certified SCUBA diver. A week later, I will run my 4th half marathon. In June, I will compete in my first ever triathlon, then a week later, I'll be in Hawaii using that SCUBA certification for the first time. In the Fall, my daughter will start high school at the school where I teach, and my son will start middle school - big adventures for all of us. I'd be willing to bet money that my wife and I will finish our first Century ride together this fall as well. 40 sounds pretty awesome to me! If this is what it means to get old, then bring it on!
There is always something new out there to try - it doesn't have to be physical or athletic. Maybe the next year I'll start learning to speak Korean to better communicate with some of my students' families or take a class in a new area of math. I definitely plan on running the Spartan Race some day. Seemingly surrounded by writers these days, maybe I'll focus on writing that book I've always wanted to write. (No, I have no idea what it would be about.) I'm embarrassed by how many museums there are in this city which I've never visited. Maybe I'll finally learn to sail like I've always wanted - the classes are pretty cheap. I have a pretty thorough knowledge of the Southern Pennsylvania and Central Virginia sections of the Appalchian Trail; that only leaves about 2100 more miles to check out.
You don't stop exploring when you get old. You get old when you stop exploring. I resolve to NEVER get old!
I was thinking about that shirt while I was out for a run today, and it got me thinking about the year I have ahead of me. I turn 40 next week, and my kids love to remind me that I will officially be over the hill and old. Then I think about what's coming up. In March I will become a certified SCUBA diver. A week later, I will run my 4th half marathon. In June, I will compete in my first ever triathlon, then a week later, I'll be in Hawaii using that SCUBA certification for the first time. In the Fall, my daughter will start high school at the school where I teach, and my son will start middle school - big adventures for all of us. I'd be willing to bet money that my wife and I will finish our first Century ride together this fall as well. 40 sounds pretty awesome to me! If this is what it means to get old, then bring it on!
There is always something new out there to try - it doesn't have to be physical or athletic. Maybe the next year I'll start learning to speak Korean to better communicate with some of my students' families or take a class in a new area of math. I definitely plan on running the Spartan Race some day. Seemingly surrounded by writers these days, maybe I'll focus on writing that book I've always wanted to write. (No, I have no idea what it would be about.) I'm embarrassed by how many museums there are in this city which I've never visited. Maybe I'll finally learn to sail like I've always wanted - the classes are pretty cheap. I have a pretty thorough knowledge of the Southern Pennsylvania and Central Virginia sections of the Appalchian Trail; that only leaves about 2100 more miles to check out.
You don't stop exploring when you get old. You get old when you stop exploring. I resolve to NEVER get old!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Carpe Diem
It's been a long time since I wrote my last blog entry. Maybe that's why I only have two followers. :) I only write when I'm inspired by something and today I was inspired. I teach in a private, church-affiliated school, and our Friday chapel service is completely student-run each week. It's definitely the highlight of the chapel week. Today, one of my students spoke and although she didn't reveal the key fact until halfway through her talk, I knew from the beginning because I teach her. She spoke about going home from boarding school for Christmas break and getting together with her friends from her old K-8 school. They planned a reunion of a big group of friends and at the last minute realized they had not invited one girl they had known. They decided that, although they liked her and were friends with her, she would make the reunion awkward if she were there. (Admit it, you can think of exactly the person in your past who fits that description.) In the end, they decided not to invite her, because they could always invite her to a Spring Break reunion later. Two weeks later, they got the news that the girl they had not invited had died in a car accident. There would be no opportunity for a Spring Break reunion.
There are so many ways you could go emotionally in that situation, especially as a teenager - some of the most emotionally tumultuous years of life. I can say from experience that I would not react well. Listening to this student speak today, I was drawn back to the late 80s, when I was a teenager in high school. Throughout my youth, my best friends were my friends in the church youth group, even though I did not go to school with any of them. We had a very tight group that had been close friends since earliest memories, despite the fact that our ages ranged across several years. I was one of the younger ones in the group, so I was still in high school when many had gone off to college. Although we didn't stay in touch as well as we should have, there was still a tight connection. I still have vivid memories of the day I learned that one of our group had been killed in a car accident. She was already in college and was coming back from a service trip when the driver of the car fell asleep. I had attended a number of funerals by that point in my life, but this was the first time I had mourned somebody around my own age who had been a friend of mine.
The student who spoke today took such a mature and optimistic approach to the tragedy. (This seems like a good moment to throw out my mantra - TEENAGERS ARE AWESOME!) She spoke about taking advantage of the opportunities we have every day to enjoy life and to touch the lives of those around us. She put off inviting her old friend to the reunion and permanently missed the chance to do so. Rather than dwelling on that missed opportunity, she has used this tragedy to motivate herself and others not to miss those chances in the future. Every single day, we need to recognize, appreciate, and act on all the opportunities we have. Life is truly awesome and we waste so much of it being negative or apathetic. Even if we live to be 100 years old, we still have so many opportunities to fill that life with awesomeness that we pass up for no particular reason. The speaker today encouraged all of us to take advantage of those opportunities and to appreciate even the little things that we get to experience and enjoy every day.
I'm sure the similarities between today's chapel speaker and my own high school experience are pretty clear, but there's more. I attended my friend's funeral in high school, at the church where we had all spent so many happy hours together. While most funerals have one or two speakers who deliver a message about the deceased's life, this funeral was different, and far more meaningful and moving. Instead of a speaker, they played a recording over the church's sound system. Less than a year before, my friend had delivered the message at the funeral of a friend of hers. She spoke about the fact that this tragedy made her realize that every day could be the last. She resolved never to miss an opportunity to let the people around her know how much they meant to her or to make a difference in other people's lives, because every interaction she has with somebody could be her last. Most importantly, she followed through on that resolution. After that day, her life was a mission to make things better for those around her. Less than a year later, her time came, and she was the speaker at her own funeral.
Today's chapel speech reminded me of that day, 20 years ago. While there is no other way to describe the accidental death of a teenager in a car wreck other than as a tragedy, this student has found the meaning behind the tragedy. What a gift to realize at the age of 18 how awesome life is and how many opportunities we have to reach out to those around us! I get wrapped up in my own issues and stresses and lose track of the amazing privileges I have and the wonderful people who surround me every day. Today Tyler reminded me of Carrie, and of how lucky I am, and I really needed that. In January people tend to focus on what is wrong with their lives. New Year's Resolutions are all about fixing things. When you think about it, though, so much is right in our lives. If you are still looking for a New Year's Resolution, how about resolving to appreciate all the awesome little moments and people you encounter every day? Maybe if we all resolve to do that, we won't need tragedies to remind us of how great we have it.
In case I haven't said it enough yet - TEENAGERS ARE AWESOME - and I get to learn from them every single day!
There are so many ways you could go emotionally in that situation, especially as a teenager - some of the most emotionally tumultuous years of life. I can say from experience that I would not react well. Listening to this student speak today, I was drawn back to the late 80s, when I was a teenager in high school. Throughout my youth, my best friends were my friends in the church youth group, even though I did not go to school with any of them. We had a very tight group that had been close friends since earliest memories, despite the fact that our ages ranged across several years. I was one of the younger ones in the group, so I was still in high school when many had gone off to college. Although we didn't stay in touch as well as we should have, there was still a tight connection. I still have vivid memories of the day I learned that one of our group had been killed in a car accident. She was already in college and was coming back from a service trip when the driver of the car fell asleep. I had attended a number of funerals by that point in my life, but this was the first time I had mourned somebody around my own age who had been a friend of mine.
The student who spoke today took such a mature and optimistic approach to the tragedy. (This seems like a good moment to throw out my mantra - TEENAGERS ARE AWESOME!) She spoke about taking advantage of the opportunities we have every day to enjoy life and to touch the lives of those around us. She put off inviting her old friend to the reunion and permanently missed the chance to do so. Rather than dwelling on that missed opportunity, she has used this tragedy to motivate herself and others not to miss those chances in the future. Every single day, we need to recognize, appreciate, and act on all the opportunities we have. Life is truly awesome and we waste so much of it being negative or apathetic. Even if we live to be 100 years old, we still have so many opportunities to fill that life with awesomeness that we pass up for no particular reason. The speaker today encouraged all of us to take advantage of those opportunities and to appreciate even the little things that we get to experience and enjoy every day.
I'm sure the similarities between today's chapel speaker and my own high school experience are pretty clear, but there's more. I attended my friend's funeral in high school, at the church where we had all spent so many happy hours together. While most funerals have one or two speakers who deliver a message about the deceased's life, this funeral was different, and far more meaningful and moving. Instead of a speaker, they played a recording over the church's sound system. Less than a year before, my friend had delivered the message at the funeral of a friend of hers. She spoke about the fact that this tragedy made her realize that every day could be the last. She resolved never to miss an opportunity to let the people around her know how much they meant to her or to make a difference in other people's lives, because every interaction she has with somebody could be her last. Most importantly, she followed through on that resolution. After that day, her life was a mission to make things better for those around her. Less than a year later, her time came, and she was the speaker at her own funeral.
Today's chapel speech reminded me of that day, 20 years ago. While there is no other way to describe the accidental death of a teenager in a car wreck other than as a tragedy, this student has found the meaning behind the tragedy. What a gift to realize at the age of 18 how awesome life is and how many opportunities we have to reach out to those around us! I get wrapped up in my own issues and stresses and lose track of the amazing privileges I have and the wonderful people who surround me every day. Today Tyler reminded me of Carrie, and of how lucky I am, and I really needed that. In January people tend to focus on what is wrong with their lives. New Year's Resolutions are all about fixing things. When you think about it, though, so much is right in our lives. If you are still looking for a New Year's Resolution, how about resolving to appreciate all the awesome little moments and people you encounter every day? Maybe if we all resolve to do that, we won't need tragedies to remind us of how great we have it.
In case I haven't said it enough yet - TEENAGERS ARE AWESOME - and I get to learn from them every single day!
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