Some of you may be wondering where I have been. I have been right here at Mary Baldwin College, "Home of the Fighting Squirrels." However I have had a lot on my mind. As many of you know I am not a fan of the current and future president and I was terribly disappointed in the election results. The stress is terrible, that is one of the reasons I exercise, to relieve stress. The other reason is that I had to go to the dermatologist to undergo Moh's surgery for Basal Cell Carcinoma, that is a type of skin cancer. Basal cell is the least serious of the skin cancers and I am fine. I bring this up not because I want your sympathy, but I do want your attention.
In my lifetime I have lost friends and family members to cancer. I have also seen many survivors fight this terrible disease. Cancer can affect anyone, and leading a healthy lifestyle does not guarantee you a cancer free life; however, there are lifestyle changes that can reduce your chance of getting cancer. We all know about cigarette smoking, and yet I see many young ladies smoking. Please stop! I also see many young ladies at MBC with beautiful, golden tans in the dead of winter. Unless they are flying to Jamaica on the weekends I suspect they are visiting a tanning salon. Please stop!
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce released a report that indicated tanning salons are not providing accurate information about the dangers of tanning. The committee questioned several tanning establishments. When the salon owners were asked whether tanning posed a risk to fair-skinned teenage girls, 90% of those asked stated that there was no health risk. Further, 51% denied that this population had a risk of developing skin cancer. Teenage girls are are used in advertisements for these establishments. These girls look healthy and happy and they probably are, for now. The industry is targeting you.
The Skin Cancer Foundation's position is that ultraviolet light (UV) radiation is a proven human carcinogen. New research has shown that just four visits to a tanning booth per year increases your risk of melanoma by 11% and increases your risk of basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma by 15%. The sun and the tanning booth both produce UV rays that can be harmful to your skin.
When in the sun, protect yourself with sun screen having an Broad Spectrum SPF of at least 15. I don't want you to fear the sun just respect the sun. A great tan may look good now, but too much exposure will age your skin and could lead to skin cancer. You can not avoid the sun, especially if you are an outdoor athlete, but you can wear appropriate clothing, sun glasses and sun screen. A tan looks great, cancerous lesions do not.
Melanoma is a potentially deadly cancer which can start in the skin and spread to the lymph nodes and liver. This is the most serious type of skin cancer and can lead to death. Basal cell carcinoma, also know as a rodent ulcer (some of you may think I'm a rat, but that has nothing to do with the name), is a slow growing cancer which is usually found on the face. This cancer does not spread to other parts of the body. Squamous cell carcinoma is also a type of skin cancer which can become deadly if left untreated. Google these diseases, look at the pictures and educate yourself.
I am not one who wants to scare you. I just want to give you information. You are smart, young adults. You have the right to make poor choices. I urge you take the time to stay healthy. Enjoy the sun, enjoy your health and enjoy your youth. March on Squirrels!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
More Good Advice from Mom
Well, we have been here at Mary Baldwin College "Home of the Fighting Squirrels" for almost 2 months. We have now had time to pass around all the germs we brought from our home town, home state, or home country. Do you know anyone who is sick? Have you been sick? If you answered no, don't worry you will soon answer yes to at least one of those questions. Let's try to make sure you will only answer yes to the first question. Again listen to your mother.
At Health.com there is a list of 14 things you can do to help avoid colds and the flu. I will summarize the article and add some of my own insights.
1. "Wash your hands." You may have heard that once or twice in your life, usually right before dinner. But this time of year it is important to wash much more frequently. Wash your hands after class, after shaking hands and after going to the store. If you can't wash your hands, use a hand sanitizer.
2. Keep your hands away from your face. By touching your face you can transfer germs directly to the area of your body where they can gain the easiest access to your system.
3. Get 8 - 10 hours of sleep. I know, "this is college man we don't sleep." Most of you do have the time to sleep; you choose not to.
4. Get a flu shot. Easy, go to the health center. Don't tell me you are afraid of needles, I've seen the tats!!
5. Eat Healthy. Check out my last blog.
6. Work out. A good workout helps to boost your immune system.
7. Stay away from friends who are not feeling well. Bring them their chicken soup, then get the heck out of there.
8. Sanitize yourself. Use alcohol wipes on your phone, your mouse and your computer key board.
9. Quit smoking. I am not big on the government telling people what to do and I don't like it when people tell me how to live; however, I strongly recommend you stop smoking. The evidence is pretty clear, smoking is detrimental to your health.
10. No double dipping. If you dip your chips, only do it once. Also, stay away from reaching into a bag of chips or a bowel of candy that may be sitting out. The person that just reached in for a mouthful of M&Ms may have just coughed into their hand.
11. If you carry a cloth handbag or a cloth back pack, they are germ magnets. You often place them on the floor in the classroom, on the floor in the dining hall, on the floor in the bathroom and then you put them on the table. Keep the bags off the table and keep them clean.
12. Don't bite your nails. This is tough for me, but I am trying.
13. Smile. A positive attitude helps to keep you healthy. It is amazing to me how so many of you look sad and blue when I see you on campus. You may think life is pretty tough, but most of you have a full belly, a warm place to sleep and a chance to get a great education. Many people around the world have none of the above. Count your blessings, I gave you the first three.
14. Sneeze into the crook of your elbow not your hands. This will keep you from transferring germs to your friends, no biological warfare.
There are no guarantees that by following the above rules you will avoid a cold or the flu, but you have a fighting (squirrel) chance. March on squirrels!
At Health.com there is a list of 14 things you can do to help avoid colds and the flu. I will summarize the article and add some of my own insights.
1. "Wash your hands." You may have heard that once or twice in your life, usually right before dinner. But this time of year it is important to wash much more frequently. Wash your hands after class, after shaking hands and after going to the store. If you can't wash your hands, use a hand sanitizer.
2. Keep your hands away from your face. By touching your face you can transfer germs directly to the area of your body where they can gain the easiest access to your system.
3. Get 8 - 10 hours of sleep. I know, "this is college man we don't sleep." Most of you do have the time to sleep; you choose not to.
4. Get a flu shot. Easy, go to the health center. Don't tell me you are afraid of needles, I've seen the tats!!
5. Eat Healthy. Check out my last blog.
6. Work out. A good workout helps to boost your immune system.
7. Stay away from friends who are not feeling well. Bring them their chicken soup, then get the heck out of there.
8. Sanitize yourself. Use alcohol wipes on your phone, your mouse and your computer key board.
9. Quit smoking. I am not big on the government telling people what to do and I don't like it when people tell me how to live; however, I strongly recommend you stop smoking. The evidence is pretty clear, smoking is detrimental to your health.
10. No double dipping. If you dip your chips, only do it once. Also, stay away from reaching into a bag of chips or a bowel of candy that may be sitting out. The person that just reached in for a mouthful of M&Ms may have just coughed into their hand.
11. If you carry a cloth handbag or a cloth back pack, they are germ magnets. You often place them on the floor in the classroom, on the floor in the dining hall, on the floor in the bathroom and then you put them on the table. Keep the bags off the table and keep them clean.
12. Don't bite your nails. This is tough for me, but I am trying.
13. Smile. A positive attitude helps to keep you healthy. It is amazing to me how so many of you look sad and blue when I see you on campus. You may think life is pretty tough, but most of you have a full belly, a warm place to sleep and a chance to get a great education. Many people around the world have none of the above. Count your blessings, I gave you the first three.
14. Sneeze into the crook of your elbow not your hands. This will keep you from transferring germs to your friends, no biological warfare.
There are no guarantees that by following the above rules you will avoid a cold or the flu, but you have a fighting (squirrel) chance. March on squirrels!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Eat your Fruits and Veggies
Ladies, I know you're away from home now and on your own (sort of), but mom did have some good advice. Here's some advice mom may have provided you that you would be wise to follow; don't run with scissors in your hand, say please and thank you, and treat others the way you want to be treated. Another good piece of advice is eat your fruits and veggies.
I have talked to some fighting squirrels in my weight training class who can not remember the last time they ate a fruit or a vegetable. Fruits and vegetables are an important part of well balanced diet. The new food pyramid recommends 2.5 cups of veggies and 2 cups pf fruit per day. Now, I know most of you don't carry a measuring cup with you on a regular basis. So how do determine one cup? According to www.mealsmatteer.org, a women's fist size is equal to a serving of fruit or vegetable. See, you have it easy, look at your fist, look at the piece of fruit, if they are about the same size you have 1 serving. Now open your fist, and make a cup out of your hand, if you fill your hand with blueberries that is about 1/2 of a cup.
Training and Conditioning Magazine May/June 2011 has some suggestions for choosing your fruits and vegetables. For fruits, get fresh, frozen or canned berries, melons, bananas, apples and grapes. Dried fruits are also an option, but beware of the calories in dried fruit. Also, drink 100% fruit juices. Check the label to be sure it is pure fruit juice and not loaded with high fructose corn syrup. Fruits provide potassium, magnesium, fiber, vitamins A and C and other vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Whole fruits also provide fiber and, if you are looking to lose weight, are low in fat and calories.
For vegetables, fresh, steamed, frozen, grilled or canned spinach, carrots, green beans, tomatoes, and corn are good choices. You will get potassium, fiber, vitamins A and C along with other vitamins and minerals. Spinach also provides iron which is an important mineral for women.
Fruits and vegetables are also great snack foods. Pass up the Snickers bar, bring that to my office, and have some grapes. To add a little protein to your snack, add a tsp of peanut butter to your celery sticks or apple slices. You don't have to smack yourself in the head, but remember, "You could'a had a V-8." How hard is it to throw an apple into your backpack. With a little organization you can cut up some carrots the night before class and have a nice crunchy snack in a plastic bag. Eat them between classes, the noise may satisfy your need for a crunchy snack, but your prof may get a bit annoyed.
Salads are also a great way to get your veggies. Make your salad as colorful as you can add bright green, orange and red vegetables. Instead of croutons, add some sunflower seeds for a little crunch and lay off the salad dressing. You may be surprised how good vegetables taste without being drowned in dressing. If you must add dressing use a small amount or use a light dressing. Many of you eat salads but add bacon, croutons, and drench it in dressing. You have destroyed your healthy meal by adding tons of fat.
Eat smart. I can hear mom now, "Eat your fruits and veggies." March on squirrels!
I have talked to some fighting squirrels in my weight training class who can not remember the last time they ate a fruit or a vegetable. Fruits and vegetables are an important part of well balanced diet. The new food pyramid recommends 2.5 cups of veggies and 2 cups pf fruit per day. Now, I know most of you don't carry a measuring cup with you on a regular basis. So how do determine one cup? According to www.mealsmatteer.org, a women's fist size is equal to a serving of fruit or vegetable. See, you have it easy, look at your fist, look at the piece of fruit, if they are about the same size you have 1 serving. Now open your fist, and make a cup out of your hand, if you fill your hand with blueberries that is about 1/2 of a cup.
Training and Conditioning Magazine May/June 2011 has some suggestions for choosing your fruits and vegetables. For fruits, get fresh, frozen or canned berries, melons, bananas, apples and grapes. Dried fruits are also an option, but beware of the calories in dried fruit. Also, drink 100% fruit juices. Check the label to be sure it is pure fruit juice and not loaded with high fructose corn syrup. Fruits provide potassium, magnesium, fiber, vitamins A and C and other vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Whole fruits also provide fiber and, if you are looking to lose weight, are low in fat and calories.
For vegetables, fresh, steamed, frozen, grilled or canned spinach, carrots, green beans, tomatoes, and corn are good choices. You will get potassium, fiber, vitamins A and C along with other vitamins and minerals. Spinach also provides iron which is an important mineral for women.
Fruits and vegetables are also great snack foods. Pass up the Snickers bar, bring that to my office, and have some grapes. To add a little protein to your snack, add a tsp of peanut butter to your celery sticks or apple slices. You don't have to smack yourself in the head, but remember, "You could'a had a V-8." How hard is it to throw an apple into your backpack. With a little organization you can cut up some carrots the night before class and have a nice crunchy snack in a plastic bag. Eat them between classes, the noise may satisfy your need for a crunchy snack, but your prof may get a bit annoyed.
Salads are also a great way to get your veggies. Make your salad as colorful as you can add bright green, orange and red vegetables. Instead of croutons, add some sunflower seeds for a little crunch and lay off the salad dressing. You may be surprised how good vegetables taste without being drowned in dressing. If you must add dressing use a small amount or use a light dressing. Many of you eat salads but add bacon, croutons, and drench it in dressing. You have destroyed your healthy meal by adding tons of fat.
Eat smart. I can hear mom now, "Eat your fruits and veggies." March on squirrels!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Thirsty? Drink water.
Hello fighting squirrels. I am happy to say I have seen many squirrels lifting weights and using the aerobic equipment. I also see a lot of you drinking various sports drinks. My recommendation to you is, STOP!! Stop drinking the sports drinks, don't stop the exercise. I am old enough to remember when lemon-lime Gatorade first came on the market. At that time Gatorade was THE sports drink. Today there are numerous sports drinks on every shelf of every store. It is a multimillion dollar industry. The companies producing these drinks have done a great job of marketing their product. They have us believing we are healthier and stronger by ingesting their scientifically designed nectar of the gods.
Sports drinks do serve a purpose - for athletes, but (no offense) many of you are not athletes. You are people trying to stay in shape or to get in shape. Your use of sports drinks may actually be keeping you from reaching your goal. Sports drinks are designed to rehydrate and replenish electrolytes and carbohydrates lost during STRENUOUS exercise. According to Michelle Rockwell a sports dietitian in an article in Training & Conditioning, "sports drinks should be chosen over water for any exercise event lasting longer than one hour." Her recommendation is to use, what she calls, the 3-H rule. Use sports drinks when exercise is Hard, Hot and at least an Hour long. Most of us do not work that hard or that long on a regular basis. Even many athletes do not need sports drinks every day. Our cross country team drinks water during most of their workouts.
Think about the exercises you are doing. Remember an hour of exercise does not include the time you are talking to your friend ( in person or on the cell phone) or texting. Walking 1 mile burns approximately 100 calories. A 20 fluid ounce bottle of Gatorade contains 130 calories. Do the math! Here's another chance to use your math skills. Compare the price of that 20 oz bottle of sports drink and the cost of a sip of water from the water fountain. Remember, most bottled water is tap water in a plastic bottle that was filled at the factory. You can skip the middle man and get a drink from the fountain or fill your own bottle and save some money. Maybe you can save enough money to pay off your college loans. Well maybe not that much, but you will save.
Many people believe they are being more health conscious by choosing a sports drink over a soft drink, but be aware of the calories in both of these choices. Calories in water, zero. I am not advising you to never use a sports drink. I am warning that most of us do not need them on a regular basis. Use the 3-H rule and save yourself the expense and the calories of a sports drink by drinking water.
March on squirrels!!
Sports drinks do serve a purpose - for athletes, but (no offense) many of you are not athletes. You are people trying to stay in shape or to get in shape. Your use of sports drinks may actually be keeping you from reaching your goal. Sports drinks are designed to rehydrate and replenish electrolytes and carbohydrates lost during STRENUOUS exercise. According to Michelle Rockwell a sports dietitian in an article in Training & Conditioning, "sports drinks should be chosen over water for any exercise event lasting longer than one hour." Her recommendation is to use, what she calls, the 3-H rule. Use sports drinks when exercise is Hard, Hot and at least an Hour long. Most of us do not work that hard or that long on a regular basis. Even many athletes do not need sports drinks every day. Our cross country team drinks water during most of their workouts.
Think about the exercises you are doing. Remember an hour of exercise does not include the time you are talking to your friend ( in person or on the cell phone) or texting. Walking 1 mile burns approximately 100 calories. A 20 fluid ounce bottle of Gatorade contains 130 calories. Do the math! Here's another chance to use your math skills. Compare the price of that 20 oz bottle of sports drink and the cost of a sip of water from the water fountain. Remember, most bottled water is tap water in a plastic bottle that was filled at the factory. You can skip the middle man and get a drink from the fountain or fill your own bottle and save some money. Maybe you can save enough money to pay off your college loans. Well maybe not that much, but you will save.
Many people believe they are being more health conscious by choosing a sports drink over a soft drink, but be aware of the calories in both of these choices. Calories in water, zero. I am not advising you to never use a sports drink. I am warning that most of us do not need them on a regular basis. Use the 3-H rule and save yourself the expense and the calories of a sports drink by drinking water.
March on squirrels!!
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Squirrels Must Fight the Freshman 15
Welcome back ladies. As we start another new school year I am sure many of you, especially the first year students are wondering, what will college mean to me. Unfortunately, many students will find that college will mean weight gain. Every year hundreds of college students throughout America will gain weight. One thing we need to keep in mind is that the "Freshman 15" is a myth. That's right. According to Jay Zagorsky in a study of 7,418 young people from around the country, the average weight gain was 2.5 to 3.5 pounds. The research was conducted by Ohio State's Center of Human Resource Research. This is good news; however, remember this is an average which means some students may gain nothing and others may gain much more.
The study found that women gained an average of 2.4 pounds during their freshman year. Only 10% of college freshman gained 15 pounds or more. The study further shows that college students do gain weight over the course of their college careers. The typical women will gain 12 to 13 pounds. After college when students venture into the real world, the typical student continues to gain 1.5 pounds per year. So we see there is some good news and some bad news. There is no freshman 15. However, there is a significant amount of weight gain during college and this gain continues after graduation.
Why the weight gain? This is not rocket science. Students tend to take in more calories than the expend. Pizza, burgers and other fast foods tend to be high in calories. A small snack seems innocent enough, but when one constantly snacks the calories quickly add up. If one consumes more calories than one uses, the calories will be stored as fat. Students also tend to become less active. Going to class and studying account for this lack of exercise. I am sure most of the women at Mary Baldwin do not waste their time watching Jersey Shore or surfing the net. At other schools, although not here, students often consume alcoholic beverages which are extremely high in calories. If you want to calculate your caloric intake from alcohol go to www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov. Drinking also tends to cause one to eat more. Because the weight gain is usually gradual, a young freshman student will not realize she have gained weight until those favorite jeans seem to be (all of a sudden) a little snug. Of course the reason for this snug fit is the washer and dryer in the dorms -- "They shrunk my jeans!" Sorry, not so!
How can we avoid this unwanted gain in weight? Again, not rocket science. Don't overeat and get exercise. It is amazing to me that many students will not walk across the campus to exercise at the PAC. "It's too far to walk." The walk to the PAC can be your warm-up, and the walk back to the dorm can be your cool-down. Remember it is much easier to STAY in shape than to GET in shape; ask any one that has tried to diet.
The PAC hours are Monday to Thursday 6AM to 9PM. Friday 6AM to 5PM and Saturday 12 to 5 PM. We have a small, but well equipped weight room. Free weights, machines, ellipticals, recumbent bikes and treadmills are all there for your use. As many of you have discovered you can exercise by just walking around the campus and the local community. Mighty Big Calves can be gained, and weight can be dropped by simply walking.
March on Squirrels.
The study found that women gained an average of 2.4 pounds during their freshman year. Only 10% of college freshman gained 15 pounds or more. The study further shows that college students do gain weight over the course of their college careers. The typical women will gain 12 to 13 pounds. After college when students venture into the real world, the typical student continues to gain 1.5 pounds per year. So we see there is some good news and some bad news. There is no freshman 15. However, there is a significant amount of weight gain during college and this gain continues after graduation.
Why the weight gain? This is not rocket science. Students tend to take in more calories than the expend. Pizza, burgers and other fast foods tend to be high in calories. A small snack seems innocent enough, but when one constantly snacks the calories quickly add up. If one consumes more calories than one uses, the calories will be stored as fat. Students also tend to become less active. Going to class and studying account for this lack of exercise. I am sure most of the women at Mary Baldwin do not waste their time watching Jersey Shore or surfing the net. At other schools, although not here, students often consume alcoholic beverages which are extremely high in calories. If you want to calculate your caloric intake from alcohol go to www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov. Drinking also tends to cause one to eat more. Because the weight gain is usually gradual, a young freshman student will not realize she have gained weight until those favorite jeans seem to be (all of a sudden) a little snug. Of course the reason for this snug fit is the washer and dryer in the dorms -- "They shrunk my jeans!" Sorry, not so!
How can we avoid this unwanted gain in weight? Again, not rocket science. Don't overeat and get exercise. It is amazing to me that many students will not walk across the campus to exercise at the PAC. "It's too far to walk." The walk to the PAC can be your warm-up, and the walk back to the dorm can be your cool-down. Remember it is much easier to STAY in shape than to GET in shape; ask any one that has tried to diet.
The PAC hours are Monday to Thursday 6AM to 9PM. Friday 6AM to 5PM and Saturday 12 to 5 PM. We have a small, but well equipped weight room. Free weights, machines, ellipticals, recumbent bikes and treadmills are all there for your use. As many of you have discovered you can exercise by just walking around the campus and the local community. Mighty Big Calves can be gained, and weight can be dropped by simply walking.
March on Squirrels.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Seven Weeks
Attention all athletic squirrels!! You have seven weeks to get ready for fall sports. Ladies if you are dreading the start of a new season because you hate the soreness and blisters of those first few practices, get busy. You have been given workouts, you remember the soreness you experienced last year and you are healthy young ladies; there is no excuse for not being ready to start the season. It is late, but not too late; get out there and get going. Those of you that have been working out, keep up the good work. Start to pick up the intensity level. Push yourself a little bit more. When you are tired of doing your sprints, do one more. If you can't do another squat, do one more (with proper form of course). Remember you can not get in game condition in two weeks. The first soccer match is on August 31st and the first volleyball game is September 1st.
Please remember that you must have a physical. The physical should be performed after July 1st and should be in to me by August 10th. No physical, no insurance, no practice!!!
Enjoy the summer but prepare. Squirrels get ready for winter during the fall. You must get ready for fall sports in the summer.
March on squirrels. Run, lift, sweat, enjoy. Have a Happy 4th of July. You live in the greatest country on earth. God Bless the U.S.A.
Please remember that you must have a physical. The physical should be performed after July 1st and should be in to me by August 10th. No physical, no insurance, no practice!!!
Enjoy the summer but prepare. Squirrels get ready for winter during the fall. You must get ready for fall sports in the summer.
March on squirrels. Run, lift, sweat, enjoy. Have a Happy 4th of July. You live in the greatest country on earth. God Bless the U.S.A.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Summer Fitness
Congratulations to all the graduating squirrels. I want to thank you for allowing me to be a small part of your time here at Mary Baldwin College. I have enjoyed working and teaching you and learning from you. You have enriched my life, and I hope I have enriched yours. Do not look at your graduation as an ending. It is a beginning. God bless you all, go forth and make us proud.
Those of you returning next year, especially the athletes, the time to get fit is now. Athletes that participate in the fall sports MUST get in shape now. If you wanted to take some time off after classes ended great. Now get to work. Don't make excuses. As I review injuries from last year it is obvious that some people are not doing their preseason training. In the first few weeks of soccer there are numerous hip flexor and groin problems. Volleyballers are having shoulder pain and Cross country runners complain of blisters and shin pain. Many of these aches and pains can be eliminated by properly preparing for your sport.
You know what your sport requires, get ready for those requirements. Don't expect to come to school in August and get in competitive condition in the two weeks of practice before your first game. Please come to the first practice ready to compete. If you come to school in poor condition it will take you 3 -6 weeks to make any significant fitness gains. You will already have had several games by this time. How many games were lost in the second half? Do you think fitness level may be a contributing factor to that problem?
Soccer players work on your running and kicking. Do not run long distances. You need to get to a field. Run on the grass, do sprints and practice cutting and running at different angles. Kick the soccer ball. Start slowly and build up to more powerful kicks. Your coach has a program for you.
Volleyballers, do power jumps. You need quick, explosive jumps. Work on that. Do your rotator cuff exercises and work your upper back. The upper back is the base for your shoulder strength.
Cross country runners, RUN. Get your mileage up. Have a good base so that when you return to school your body will be able to handle the added stress required to compete.
Ladies, make the commitment. Let's stop making excuses. I plan on coming back to school in great shape. Can you say the same? The challenge is out there, take the challenge.
Those of you returning next year, especially the athletes, the time to get fit is now. Athletes that participate in the fall sports MUST get in shape now. If you wanted to take some time off after classes ended great. Now get to work. Don't make excuses. As I review injuries from last year it is obvious that some people are not doing their preseason training. In the first few weeks of soccer there are numerous hip flexor and groin problems. Volleyballers are having shoulder pain and Cross country runners complain of blisters and shin pain. Many of these aches and pains can be eliminated by properly preparing for your sport.
You know what your sport requires, get ready for those requirements. Don't expect to come to school in August and get in competitive condition in the two weeks of practice before your first game. Please come to the first practice ready to compete. If you come to school in poor condition it will take you 3 -6 weeks to make any significant fitness gains. You will already have had several games by this time. How many games were lost in the second half? Do you think fitness level may be a contributing factor to that problem?
Soccer players work on your running and kicking. Do not run long distances. You need to get to a field. Run on the grass, do sprints and practice cutting and running at different angles. Kick the soccer ball. Start slowly and build up to more powerful kicks. Your coach has a program for you.
Volleyballers, do power jumps. You need quick, explosive jumps. Work on that. Do your rotator cuff exercises and work your upper back. The upper back is the base for your shoulder strength.
Cross country runners, RUN. Get your mileage up. Have a good base so that when you return to school your body will be able to handle the added stress required to compete.
Ladies, make the commitment. Let's stop making excuses. I plan on coming back to school in great shape. Can you say the same? The challenge is out there, take the challenge.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Now is the Time
I am busy getting my garden ready for the summer and, while I was doing some research, I came across a little item I found interesting. Some one asked a tree expert, "When is the best time to plant a shade tree?" The answer was, "Twenty years ago, the second best time is now." This answer reminds me that now is the best time to prepare for for the future.
Please ladies, get ready for next year now. We have made some great improvements this year with our sports teams. We have many talented young players who will be returning next year and, with some good incoming first year students, our teams should continue to improve. Don't become satisfied with simply improving; let's win! I know many people say that winning isn't that important. Most of those people are losers and it makes them feel better about themselves to say winning is not important. Winning is important. Whether you want to win a game or win a job, the object is to win. I am not talking about cheating or hurting others to achieve victory. I am talking about doing the things that are in your control to make yourself the best you can be. You need to set a goal and work to reach that goal. Our speaker at this year's sports banquet gave an excellent talk. She is in the MBC Hall of Fame and is a very successful business woman. She spoke about setting small goals to reach larger goals. Start setting your goals now. Let's not look at winning one more game than last year. Let's look at winning the USASouth Championship. If you just read that last line and are saying to yourself, "Yea, right". I ask, why not us? Are you saying you are not good enough? Do you think that little of yourself?
I know many of the coaches and I believe that you are capable of greater things, but do you believe it? I read an article in the paper by a opinion writer. He stated that his friend was always asking him, "Why can't I lose weight?" After hearing this for several years from his friend the man responded, "because you really don't want to." That may sound harsh, but there is truth in that statement. I have had the same girls come to me year after year and ask for workouts. I give them a workout, I explain what they need to do, and I get the assurance that they will come back next year in great condition. When they come back I can see that they have not done the workout they were so excited about a few months ago. They always have, what they consider, a good excuse. But, I believe they really don't want to. We need to break that mindset. Getting into condition takes time, sweat and hard work. Stay in touch with your teammates over the summer. If you can workout together, do so. If you can't, challenge each other with your texts, tweets, and the other stuff you people use to stay in touch. If your teammate slacks off, call them on it. Don't let them get away with hurting the team. But if you plan on calling them out, you better have your act together first. You will not fool anyone when the fall sports start if you didn't work out.
When one of you asks me how I'm doing you know my response will be, "Wonderful, here at Mary Baldwin College, Home of the Fighting Squirrels." I mean that. I love it here. I have great people to work with and wonderful young ladies to take care of. I want you to do well here at Mary Baldwin and later when you leave here and continue with your life. You will not become successful all of a sudden. There are no "overnight" successes. If you have not planted your shade tree yet, the second best time is now.
Please ladies, get ready for next year now. We have made some great improvements this year with our sports teams. We have many talented young players who will be returning next year and, with some good incoming first year students, our teams should continue to improve. Don't become satisfied with simply improving; let's win! I know many people say that winning isn't that important. Most of those people are losers and it makes them feel better about themselves to say winning is not important. Winning is important. Whether you want to win a game or win a job, the object is to win. I am not talking about cheating or hurting others to achieve victory. I am talking about doing the things that are in your control to make yourself the best you can be. You need to set a goal and work to reach that goal. Our speaker at this year's sports banquet gave an excellent talk. She is in the MBC Hall of Fame and is a very successful business woman. She spoke about setting small goals to reach larger goals. Start setting your goals now. Let's not look at winning one more game than last year. Let's look at winning the USASouth Championship. If you just read that last line and are saying to yourself, "Yea, right". I ask, why not us? Are you saying you are not good enough? Do you think that little of yourself?
I know many of the coaches and I believe that you are capable of greater things, but do you believe it? I read an article in the paper by a opinion writer. He stated that his friend was always asking him, "Why can't I lose weight?" After hearing this for several years from his friend the man responded, "because you really don't want to." That may sound harsh, but there is truth in that statement. I have had the same girls come to me year after year and ask for workouts. I give them a workout, I explain what they need to do, and I get the assurance that they will come back next year in great condition. When they come back I can see that they have not done the workout they were so excited about a few months ago. They always have, what they consider, a good excuse. But, I believe they really don't want to. We need to break that mindset. Getting into condition takes time, sweat and hard work. Stay in touch with your teammates over the summer. If you can workout together, do so. If you can't, challenge each other with your texts, tweets, and the other stuff you people use to stay in touch. If your teammate slacks off, call them on it. Don't let them get away with hurting the team. But if you plan on calling them out, you better have your act together first. You will not fool anyone when the fall sports start if you didn't work out.
When one of you asks me how I'm doing you know my response will be, "Wonderful, here at Mary Baldwin College, Home of the Fighting Squirrels." I mean that. I love it here. I have great people to work with and wonderful young ladies to take care of. I want you to do well here at Mary Baldwin and later when you leave here and continue with your life. You will not become successful all of a sudden. There are no "overnight" successes. If you have not planted your shade tree yet, the second best time is now.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Enjoy the Heat
Hello Fighting Squirrels. Sorry, it has been a few weeks since I've hit the blog. Things have been busy, and another year at Mary Baldwin College is quickly coming to a close. I must say Happy Birthday to Kate Carper. She has been my assistant for two years and is an avid supporter of all things Squirrel-like.
The weather has been great and I have seen many of you out there doing your off-season workouts. Even warmer weather is on the way, so here are a few tips on how to stay safe in the dog-days of summer. Exposure to extreme heat can cause problems for any athlete. This does not mean you should avoid working out in the heat. Athletes like to push themselves and pushing hard in the heat can be deadly. Wear loose, light colored clothing. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids. Water is usually the best thing. If you are going to be working hard for over 45 minutes a sports drink may be helpful. Workout in the morning or evening when it is a little cooler. Remember it is a combination of heat and humidity that causes problems. Be aware of the weather conditions. If you know your sport will be played in the heat, gradually increase your conditioning in the heat adding a few more minutes every couple of days. If you are working in the heat and start to feel ill you may be suffering from one of the following heat illnesses.
Heat illnesses come in three categories -- Heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat cramps are the least serious of the three conditions. If you have had heat cramps you know they are very painful. A muscle spasms and the muscle gets extremely tight. Cramps usually occur in the legs or abdomen. Drink fluids; water, a sports drink or fruit juice are options. Gently massage the cramp with ice; a little light stretching may also help. If the cramps stop, it is OK to begin playing again.
Heat exhaustion is a more severe condition. Most athletes will feel weak and may feel nauseous. The skin will feel cool and moist. The person may be pale or ashen. Heat exhaustion causes the body to sweat heavily to try and cool down. Move to a cooler place. Remove sweat soaked clothing and apply cool damp cloths or spray the person with cool water. Drink cool fluids, about 4 ounces every 15 minutes. Most people recover quickly from heat exhaustion, but if the person loses conscientiousness, refuses fluids or vomits call 911 or the local emergency number.
Heat stroke is the most severe heat-related illness. Heat stroke is a serious medical emergency. If you suspect heat stroke call 911. The person with heat stroke has an extremely high body temperature and red skin that can be dry or moist. The person my lose consciousness, have a rapid, weak pulse; rapid shallow breathing; confusion; vomiting and seizures. The best thing to do is rapidly cool the body by immersing the person up to their neck in cold water. If this can not be done, splash cold water on the person, get them in the shade, loosen restrictive clothing. Place ice bags on the person. Some people will tell you not to place the person in a tub of ice water. THEY ARE WRONG! Cool the person as quickly as possible.
A point of caution. Because we talk about heat illnesses in order; heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, some people get the idea that the illnesses progress through these steps. They do not. An athlete can show no signs of heat illness and collapse from heat stroke.
Do not be afraid to workout in the heat, just be smart. Enjoy the nice weather, use your head and get ready for next year. March on squirrels.
The weather has been great and I have seen many of you out there doing your off-season workouts. Even warmer weather is on the way, so here are a few tips on how to stay safe in the dog-days of summer. Exposure to extreme heat can cause problems for any athlete. This does not mean you should avoid working out in the heat. Athletes like to push themselves and pushing hard in the heat can be deadly. Wear loose, light colored clothing. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids. Water is usually the best thing. If you are going to be working hard for over 45 minutes a sports drink may be helpful. Workout in the morning or evening when it is a little cooler. Remember it is a combination of heat and humidity that causes problems. Be aware of the weather conditions. If you know your sport will be played in the heat, gradually increase your conditioning in the heat adding a few more minutes every couple of days. If you are working in the heat and start to feel ill you may be suffering from one of the following heat illnesses.
Heat illnesses come in three categories -- Heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat cramps are the least serious of the three conditions. If you have had heat cramps you know they are very painful. A muscle spasms and the muscle gets extremely tight. Cramps usually occur in the legs or abdomen. Drink fluids; water, a sports drink or fruit juice are options. Gently massage the cramp with ice; a little light stretching may also help. If the cramps stop, it is OK to begin playing again.
Heat exhaustion is a more severe condition. Most athletes will feel weak and may feel nauseous. The skin will feel cool and moist. The person may be pale or ashen. Heat exhaustion causes the body to sweat heavily to try and cool down. Move to a cooler place. Remove sweat soaked clothing and apply cool damp cloths or spray the person with cool water. Drink cool fluids, about 4 ounces every 15 minutes. Most people recover quickly from heat exhaustion, but if the person loses conscientiousness, refuses fluids or vomits call 911 or the local emergency number.
Heat stroke is the most severe heat-related illness. Heat stroke is a serious medical emergency. If you suspect heat stroke call 911. The person with heat stroke has an extremely high body temperature and red skin that can be dry or moist. The person my lose consciousness, have a rapid, weak pulse; rapid shallow breathing; confusion; vomiting and seizures. The best thing to do is rapidly cool the body by immersing the person up to their neck in cold water. If this can not be done, splash cold water on the person, get them in the shade, loosen restrictive clothing. Place ice bags on the person. Some people will tell you not to place the person in a tub of ice water. THEY ARE WRONG! Cool the person as quickly as possible.
A point of caution. Because we talk about heat illnesses in order; heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, some people get the idea that the illnesses progress through these steps. They do not. An athlete can show no signs of heat illness and collapse from heat stroke.
Do not be afraid to workout in the heat, just be smart. Enjoy the nice weather, use your head and get ready for next year. March on squirrels.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Off Season
Although the title is Off Season, I want to say congratulations to an in season team. Softball had a very good first weekend. One game short of a great weekend. There were many positive signs. One of the good signs this weekend was a noticeable increase in strength and power. These ladies spend a lot of their off season in the weight room. They stuck together and worked hard and have gotten stronger. Good job ladies.
Now let's talk about the title, Off Season. Most of our Fighting Squirrels are now in the off season. This is the time when many athletes and coaches will tell you championships are made. What are those of you who are in the off season doing today to win tomorrow? I urge you to get in the weight room. There are two folders at the desk, one for soccer and one for volleyball. I will be putting another folder in there for basketball soon. If you want to jump higher, hit harder and run faster, get in the weight room. There is NO TRUTH to the myth that weight training makes you slow or musclebound. Studies show a direct correlation between leg strength and speed.
Your coaches can not help you in the weight room, but I can. I am the athletic trainer and the strength and conditioning coach. Please talk to the softball girls. Find out what we did in the weight room and how they feel about their new found strength. I can tell you what you need to do, but you must do it.
If you want to win, start today. Get strong for next season. Volleyball and soccer, you must come to the first practice in good condition so that your coaches can work on skills not fitness. I guarantee that you will feel stronger and more confident if you start the season ready to go. The best way to have a good season is to have a great off season. Come on squirrels, lets pump it up!
Now let's talk about the title, Off Season. Most of our Fighting Squirrels are now in the off season. This is the time when many athletes and coaches will tell you championships are made. What are those of you who are in the off season doing today to win tomorrow? I urge you to get in the weight room. There are two folders at the desk, one for soccer and one for volleyball. I will be putting another folder in there for basketball soon. If you want to jump higher, hit harder and run faster, get in the weight room. There is NO TRUTH to the myth that weight training makes you slow or musclebound. Studies show a direct correlation between leg strength and speed.
Your coaches can not help you in the weight room, but I can. I am the athletic trainer and the strength and conditioning coach. Please talk to the softball girls. Find out what we did in the weight room and how they feel about their new found strength. I can tell you what you need to do, but you must do it.
If you want to win, start today. Get strong for next season. Volleyball and soccer, you must come to the first practice in good condition so that your coaches can work on skills not fitness. I guarantee that you will feel stronger and more confident if you start the season ready to go. The best way to have a good season is to have a great off season. Come on squirrels, lets pump it up!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Don't be a False Friend
I hope you had a chance to read yesterdays blog. Some of you may wonder what does this statement by Mother Teresa have to do with fitness. I believe in fitness of the mind, the body and the soul. There is one stanza that really stands out to me:
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
I had a discussion with a young lady this week that really struck me. She was upset that she feels like she is doing too much for herself and not enough for others. She has had success in many areas and yet she feels that she is not doing well. I think our society has skewed our views of success. If one earns a lot of money they are looked at as being greedy and the conventional wisdom says the rich are evil. Isn't that what to OWS crowd is all about? I certainly agree that your worth should not be measured by how much money you make; however, there is nothing wrong with being successful and making a lot of money. Think of the number of people you can help with your wealth. Why do some people think they deserve what others have earned? Success comes in many forms.
Your personal success often does help others. If you have a successful business, you hire workers. If you create a new product, you improve peoples lives. Don't be afraid of success. If you work hard and do well, you earned it.
Isn't this what we try to teach with sports? Those with talent don't always win. Those who work hard don't always win. Those with a little talent and who work hard don't win all the time, but they will have their fare share of success. I see a disturbing trend on some of our sports teams. We have had teams get defeated by a large margin and our girls will say that the other team, "Wasn't that good." Think about what you are really saying. This team hammered you and you can not accept the simple truth that they are better. I don't expect you to be happy about this, but instead of dismissing the lose with a silly comment, think about what made them better. Analyze their strengths and your weaknesses. Improve.
I have seen teammates rip other team mates because the other person is getting more playing time. Have you looked at yourself? Is that person working harder than you? Is that person more talented than you? Are you really doing your best at every practice and every game? If you are not as talented or you don't work as hard; don't rip the other player, make yourself better. Too often the answer for some of our girls is, "I quit."
Doesn't the successful athlete help the team? Doesn't the successful athlete help recruit better players to our school? If we are honest with ourselves don't we want to be the successful athlete? If you are working hard, but you are not as talented, you need to face that fact. Work hard to get better and know your role on the team. You may be a practice player and you need to accept that. Your contribution to the team is to practice hard everyday to make the starters better.
If you are that "better" player, what's your attitude? Do you try to offer help to your fellow players? Do you recognize that they might not be as talented, but they are working hard? Do you appreciate their hard work at practice? We are a team. We need to accept our roles, continue to seek self improvement and enjoy the victory or accept the lose with a determination to help each other get better. Don't be a false friend or a genuine enemy. Be a teammate, work together and succeed.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
I had a discussion with a young lady this week that really struck me. She was upset that she feels like she is doing too much for herself and not enough for others. She has had success in many areas and yet she feels that she is not doing well. I think our society has skewed our views of success. If one earns a lot of money they are looked at as being greedy and the conventional wisdom says the rich are evil. Isn't that what to OWS crowd is all about? I certainly agree that your worth should not be measured by how much money you make; however, there is nothing wrong with being successful and making a lot of money. Think of the number of people you can help with your wealth. Why do some people think they deserve what others have earned? Success comes in many forms.
Your personal success often does help others. If you have a successful business, you hire workers. If you create a new product, you improve peoples lives. Don't be afraid of success. If you work hard and do well, you earned it.
Isn't this what we try to teach with sports? Those with talent don't always win. Those who work hard don't always win. Those with a little talent and who work hard don't win all the time, but they will have their fare share of success. I see a disturbing trend on some of our sports teams. We have had teams get defeated by a large margin and our girls will say that the other team, "Wasn't that good." Think about what you are really saying. This team hammered you and you can not accept the simple truth that they are better. I don't expect you to be happy about this, but instead of dismissing the lose with a silly comment, think about what made them better. Analyze their strengths and your weaknesses. Improve.
I have seen teammates rip other team mates because the other person is getting more playing time. Have you looked at yourself? Is that person working harder than you? Is that person more talented than you? Are you really doing your best at every practice and every game? If you are not as talented or you don't work as hard; don't rip the other player, make yourself better. Too often the answer for some of our girls is, "I quit."
Doesn't the successful athlete help the team? Doesn't the successful athlete help recruit better players to our school? If we are honest with ourselves don't we want to be the successful athlete? If you are working hard, but you are not as talented, you need to face that fact. Work hard to get better and know your role on the team. You may be a practice player and you need to accept that. Your contribution to the team is to practice hard everyday to make the starters better.
If you are that "better" player, what's your attitude? Do you try to offer help to your fellow players? Do you recognize that they might not be as talented, but they are working hard? Do you appreciate their hard work at practice? We are a team. We need to accept our roles, continue to seek self improvement and enjoy the victory or accept the lose with a determination to help each other get better. Don't be a false friend or a genuine enemy. Be a teammate, work together and succeed.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Do it Anyway
Last week at Mass the deacon read a prayer that is attributed to Mother Teresa. I thought I would pass it on to you.
People are often unreasonable, irrational 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 unfaithful friends and genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.
My only comment: Amen.
People are often unreasonable, irrational 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 unfaithful friends and genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.
My only comment: Amen.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
How can I run faster?
Charlie, how can I run faster? I get this question from many of the fighting squirrels. The VWIL ladies want to increase their times for their military fitness tests and the athletes want more sprint speed so they can compete at a higher level. We can talk about a lot of different ways to increase speed. In this article I will discuss one important step to take. Are you ready? RUN FASTER.
The next question I get is, "I know that, but how?" Most of us like to stay in our comfort zones. I have talked about this in previous blogs. To run faster you must, well, run faster. If you want to increase your time for the 1.5 or 2 mile military run you should not just keep adding miles to your runs. Too many VWIL ladies keep adding miles to their runs, but they plod along at the same slow pace. One way to decrease your run times is to increase your run tempo. To do this is to get a stop watch and time your runs. I often tell the VWIL ladies. Get on our track and jog .5 miles to warm up. Take a few minutes to stretch and then get ready to work. Run a 1/4 mile as hard as you can, time the run. Walk the straight away. Jog around the corner and the next straight away. Walk the next corner. When you get to your start point, run another 1/4 and try to beat your last time. Run 4 quarters in this way. Jog another .5 miles to cool down and then stretch. Do this speed work 2 or 3 times a week with easy longer runs in between. Please remember to get a day of rest also.
The same type of training applies to sprint work. Run your sprint with a stop watch. Take a break walk back to your start point, take some time to recover and try to beat your last time on your next sprint. Another way to improve your sprint speed is to downhill run. Find a moderate hill, this should not be a problem in Staunton. Run down the hill at a sprint. This will force you to over-run; that is run at a faster pace than you are used to running. Jog or walk back up the hill and get ready for your next sprint.
There a many other things that can improve your run time. Increasing your strength through weight training and perfecting your form are ways to increase speed. In this blog I wanted you to get the easiest way to increase your speed without getting too scientific or specific. This type of training is hard work. You will probably hate it at first, but you will get results. I think the best and easiest way for you to increase your speed is; RUN FASTER.
Sprint on Squirrels.
The next question I get is, "I know that, but how?" Most of us like to stay in our comfort zones. I have talked about this in previous blogs. To run faster you must, well, run faster. If you want to increase your time for the 1.5 or 2 mile military run you should not just keep adding miles to your runs. Too many VWIL ladies keep adding miles to their runs, but they plod along at the same slow pace. One way to decrease your run times is to increase your run tempo. To do this is to get a stop watch and time your runs. I often tell the VWIL ladies. Get on our track and jog .5 miles to warm up. Take a few minutes to stretch and then get ready to work. Run a 1/4 mile as hard as you can, time the run. Walk the straight away. Jog around the corner and the next straight away. Walk the next corner. When you get to your start point, run another 1/4 and try to beat your last time. Run 4 quarters in this way. Jog another .5 miles to cool down and then stretch. Do this speed work 2 or 3 times a week with easy longer runs in between. Please remember to get a day of rest also.
The same type of training applies to sprint work. Run your sprint with a stop watch. Take a break walk back to your start point, take some time to recover and try to beat your last time on your next sprint. Another way to improve your sprint speed is to downhill run. Find a moderate hill, this should not be a problem in Staunton. Run down the hill at a sprint. This will force you to over-run; that is run at a faster pace than you are used to running. Jog or walk back up the hill and get ready for your next sprint.
There a many other things that can improve your run time. Increasing your strength through weight training and perfecting your form are ways to increase speed. In this blog I wanted you to get the easiest way to increase your speed without getting too scientific or specific. This type of training is hard work. You will probably hate it at first, but you will get results. I think the best and easiest way for you to increase your speed is; RUN FASTER.
Sprint on Squirrels.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Choices
As many of you already know, Whitney Houston died this weekend. How can it be that a beautiful, talented, intelligent women winds up dead in her bathtub of an overdose of drugs and alcohol? The answer is: Choices.
We all make choices everyday. Some of those choices are good and some are bad. Some bad choices don't matter much. If you don't brush your teeth today, you probably will not suffer any long term damage. Your friends may not want to get very close to you, but once you brush your teeth they will be back. If you never brush your teeth you may have some bigger issues to deal with.
Some bad choices can be devastating. Getting behind the wheel of your car after drinking can get you or someone else killed. This bad choice changes many lives and will never go away. If you're lucky as a drunk driver, you may live, but that bad choice will be with you forever.
We often think about the big choices we make, but what about the little choices. Why do so many young, talented, intelligent women at Mary Baldwin College, "Home of the Fighting Squirrels", overeat, smoke cigarettes, binge drink and do drugs? Again, the answer is: Choices.
You make most of the choices in your life. Please think about your health. Many young ladies are setting themselves up for long term health issues because of the choices they are making today. Some of these choices will affect you right now; some of these choices will not affect you for many years. Please evaluate your life. If you are making poor choices, start by making a change. If you need help making the right choices, there are many people on campus willing to help you.
Some of you may think, "It's my life, I'll do what I want." You are correct, it is your life. Please make it a happy and hopeful life. Be honest with yourself. If you need help, seek that help. If one person can't help, seek out someone else. You know the difference between right and wrong. Wrong can sometimes be easy. Do what is right, not what is easy.
Whitney Houston made some terrible choices. She was in a bad relationship. She partied too much. She threw away great talent and an ability to help many other people. I remember her rendition of the National Anthem many years ago. It is still one of the greatest ever. She was a great talent. I hope you don't feel I am speaking ill of the dead. I am not; but the truth is the truth. I hope she will find the peace she could not find on earth, but she is no hero. She is a fallen star. Please look at her tragic end as lesson. Make good choices. Take care of yourself. Reach your full potential.
Make good choices as you march on squirrels.
We all make choices everyday. Some of those choices are good and some are bad. Some bad choices don't matter much. If you don't brush your teeth today, you probably will not suffer any long term damage. Your friends may not want to get very close to you, but once you brush your teeth they will be back. If you never brush your teeth you may have some bigger issues to deal with.
Some bad choices can be devastating. Getting behind the wheel of your car after drinking can get you or someone else killed. This bad choice changes many lives and will never go away. If you're lucky as a drunk driver, you may live, but that bad choice will be with you forever.
We often think about the big choices we make, but what about the little choices. Why do so many young, talented, intelligent women at Mary Baldwin College, "Home of the Fighting Squirrels", overeat, smoke cigarettes, binge drink and do drugs? Again, the answer is: Choices.
You make most of the choices in your life. Please think about your health. Many young ladies are setting themselves up for long term health issues because of the choices they are making today. Some of these choices will affect you right now; some of these choices will not affect you for many years. Please evaluate your life. If you are making poor choices, start by making a change. If you need help making the right choices, there are many people on campus willing to help you.
Some of you may think, "It's my life, I'll do what I want." You are correct, it is your life. Please make it a happy and hopeful life. Be honest with yourself. If you need help, seek that help. If one person can't help, seek out someone else. You know the difference between right and wrong. Wrong can sometimes be easy. Do what is right, not what is easy.
Whitney Houston made some terrible choices. She was in a bad relationship. She partied too much. She threw away great talent and an ability to help many other people. I remember her rendition of the National Anthem many years ago. It is still one of the greatest ever. She was a great talent. I hope you don't feel I am speaking ill of the dead. I am not; but the truth is the truth. I hope she will find the peace she could not find on earth, but she is no hero. She is a fallen star. Please look at her tragic end as lesson. Make good choices. Take care of yourself. Reach your full potential.
Make good choices as you march on squirrels.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Can we build a dugout?
If you wander by the softball field today you will see the framing for the new dugouts. A group of people got together and put these frames up on Saturday. The frames were engineered and cut at VMI. They were delivered here over the last week and constructed this weekend. A lot of planning and work went into this operation. Those dugouts did not magically appear. An idea was formulated, people made a plan, rough cuts were made and the frames were erected. The members of the softball team that helped with this project on Saturday did not question the engineers about the best way to put these plans together. They listened to instructions. Followed the instructions. Worked hard. The first dugout took a little time, but as the team learned and practiced the techniques the engineers gave them, their skills developed, and the second dugout went up more quickly.
I started to think about this process Sunday night. It is a lot like building a winning team. It takes a lot of people working together. The coach devices a plan for the season, gathers the equipment required to play the game, and instructs the players on the proper way to put the plan into action. This is where I some times see a disconnect at Mary Baldwin College, "Home of the fighting Squirrels."
The softball players on Saturday never questioned the engineers about how to put the plan into action. If they had questions they asked, but they did not presume to know more than the engineers. They realized that the best way to have a good dugout was to listen and do what they were told. This in no way made them lesser people, only people with less knowledge who were smart enough to follow the instruction of the professionals.
Sometimes our athletes think they have a better way to win than the coach; they have their own plan. If everyone on a team has their own plan, dugouts don't go up and teams don't win. Please understand this does not pertain to the softball team or any other team here at Mary Baldwin College, "Home of the Fighting Squirrels." This pertains to individuals on all of our fighting squirrel teams.
If you are on a team, the team comes first. The coach runs the team. The coach is the engineer; she or he has the plan. You may not agree with the plan. Maybe other people on your team don't like the plan. However, I assure you that a team with many different plans will not succeed. A team with one plan might. There are no guarantees. Can you put yourself second and fully devote yourself to the team and the coach?
I heard an interesting comment by a high school football coach a few months ago. He won several state titles at his previous school, but decided to go to another bigger school as their new head coach. At his first meeting with his players he told his players he could not guarantee a state championship even if they worked hard everyday, hit the weight room and listened to what he said. Then he said that there was a guarantee he could give them. If they don't work hard, don't hit the weight room and don't listen to him they would never win a state championship.
Ladies it is time to get on board. Join the team, not on paper, but in your heart. Place the team above your self. Listen to the coach and commit to the plan. Does doing this guarantee a winning season? No. But without it we will continue to struggle. I guarantee it. Winning does not magically appear. It takes work.
Thanks to everyone who helped to make the dugouts a reality. It's nice to have a home for the squirrels.
I started to think about this process Sunday night. It is a lot like building a winning team. It takes a lot of people working together. The coach devices a plan for the season, gathers the equipment required to play the game, and instructs the players on the proper way to put the plan into action. This is where I some times see a disconnect at Mary Baldwin College, "Home of the fighting Squirrels."
The softball players on Saturday never questioned the engineers about how to put the plan into action. If they had questions they asked, but they did not presume to know more than the engineers. They realized that the best way to have a good dugout was to listen and do what they were told. This in no way made them lesser people, only people with less knowledge who were smart enough to follow the instruction of the professionals.
Sometimes our athletes think they have a better way to win than the coach; they have their own plan. If everyone on a team has their own plan, dugouts don't go up and teams don't win. Please understand this does not pertain to the softball team or any other team here at Mary Baldwin College, "Home of the Fighting Squirrels." This pertains to individuals on all of our fighting squirrel teams.
If you are on a team, the team comes first. The coach runs the team. The coach is the engineer; she or he has the plan. You may not agree with the plan. Maybe other people on your team don't like the plan. However, I assure you that a team with many different plans will not succeed. A team with one plan might. There are no guarantees. Can you put yourself second and fully devote yourself to the team and the coach?
I heard an interesting comment by a high school football coach a few months ago. He won several state titles at his previous school, but decided to go to another bigger school as their new head coach. At his first meeting with his players he told his players he could not guarantee a state championship even if they worked hard everyday, hit the weight room and listened to what he said. Then he said that there was a guarantee he could give them. If they don't work hard, don't hit the weight room and don't listen to him they would never win a state championship.
Ladies it is time to get on board. Join the team, not on paper, but in your heart. Place the team above your self. Listen to the coach and commit to the plan. Does doing this guarantee a winning season? No. But without it we will continue to struggle. I guarantee it. Winning does not magically appear. It takes work.
Thanks to everyone who helped to make the dugouts a reality. It's nice to have a home for the squirrels.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Initiative
Webster's Dictionary defines initiative in the following ways: 1. an introductory step; 2. the energy or aptitude displayed in initiation of action: enterprise. Do you have initiative? I tried an interesting experiment last week. I knew the weight room needed to be cleaned. I gathered the rags, cleaner and vacuum so that I could get the job done. Sometimes, you may notice, we have student workers in the weight room. Part of their assigned duties are to clean the weight room; however, we can't have 100% coverage and I take care of this duty if they are not available.
On this particular day there was a student worker at the desk. I was going to give her instructions and then let her clean the room, but I decided to run my experiment. I went to the back room and began cleaning. She turned on the TV. I wiped down the equipment and then started to vacuum. She turned up the volume on the TV. I continued to clean, checking her activity as I went along. She was not doing much. I vacuumed right up to her desk. When I finished, I asked her if she ever thought about asking if she could help. She replied, "I thought about it."
Why didn't she take the initiative? She knew cleaning was part of her duties. I went on to explain that I wasn't trying to be a jerk, I was trying to get her to think about her future. If you work for someone and they are performing a task and you are not very busy, don't you think it would be a good idea to at least offer to help? When your boss writes your evaluation or if it is time for a raise or if your boss needs to lay off some employees to keep the business going, do you believe the way you reacted when she was working and you were not might leave an impression? This impression can be positive or negative, depending on your initiative.
If you were the boss, who would you want on your payroll, someone who watched you work and someone who helped you work?
Don't wait for things to happen to you. Take the introductory step. Do you want to get fit? Take the introductory step. Do you want lose weight? Take the introductory step. Do you want to have a winning season? Take the introductory step.
Please squirrels, take the introductory step and then keep on marching.
On this particular day there was a student worker at the desk. I was going to give her instructions and then let her clean the room, but I decided to run my experiment. I went to the back room and began cleaning. She turned on the TV. I wiped down the equipment and then started to vacuum. She turned up the volume on the TV. I continued to clean, checking her activity as I went along. She was not doing much. I vacuumed right up to her desk. When I finished, I asked her if she ever thought about asking if she could help. She replied, "I thought about it."
Why didn't she take the initiative? She knew cleaning was part of her duties. I went on to explain that I wasn't trying to be a jerk, I was trying to get her to think about her future. If you work for someone and they are performing a task and you are not very busy, don't you think it would be a good idea to at least offer to help? When your boss writes your evaluation or if it is time for a raise or if your boss needs to lay off some employees to keep the business going, do you believe the way you reacted when she was working and you were not might leave an impression? This impression can be positive or negative, depending on your initiative.
If you were the boss, who would you want on your payroll, someone who watched you work and someone who helped you work?
Don't wait for things to happen to you. Take the introductory step. Do you want to get fit? Take the introductory step. Do you want lose weight? Take the introductory step. Do you want to have a winning season? Take the introductory step.
Please squirrels, take the introductory step and then keep on marching.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Take a Challenge
Jules Verne wrote a fictional story called Around the World in Eighty Days. At the time such a trip seemed impossible. A young woman named Nellie Bly saw the story, not as a fictional account of a trip, she saw it as a challenge. So she took off from the east coast of America on a journey around the world. On January 25th 1890, she returned to her starting point in 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes. She overcame bad weather, poor transportation and troubling layovers. She saw a challenge and met that challenge.
Have you met your challenges? Do you need to lose weight? Do you need to increase your fitness? You are here at Mary Baldwin College, Home of the Fighting Squirrels. You are young, hopefully you have dreams. What are you doing to meet those dreams? Nellie Bly had a goal. She devised a travel plan to meet that goal. She overcame numerous obstacles and succeeded.
I have had many young ladies on our athletic teams tell me they want to win. I have had many young ladies tell me they want to be doctors. Those are great goals. However, just saying you want the reach a certain outcome is not good enough. What are you doing now to work toward that goal? Do you have a travel plan? There is a old saying that, if you want something bad enough, you can get it. That is squirrel poop. You can't just want something, you have to plan, work hard and accept the difficulties(and overcome them).
What are you doing today to win tomorrow? Nellie saw a challenge. Find your challenge. Overcome the obstacles. Achieve your goals. There are no guarantees. If you work hard, will you always reach your goal? No. But, if you don't try you will never know what you are capable of.
March on squirrels. Take the challenge.
Have you met your challenges? Do you need to lose weight? Do you need to increase your fitness? You are here at Mary Baldwin College, Home of the Fighting Squirrels. You are young, hopefully you have dreams. What are you doing to meet those dreams? Nellie Bly had a goal. She devised a travel plan to meet that goal. She overcame numerous obstacles and succeeded.
I have had many young ladies on our athletic teams tell me they want to win. I have had many young ladies tell me they want to be doctors. Those are great goals. However, just saying you want the reach a certain outcome is not good enough. What are you doing now to work toward that goal? Do you have a travel plan? There is a old saying that, if you want something bad enough, you can get it. That is squirrel poop. You can't just want something, you have to plan, work hard and accept the difficulties(and overcome them).
What are you doing today to win tomorrow? Nellie saw a challenge. Find your challenge. Overcome the obstacles. Achieve your goals. There are no guarantees. If you work hard, will you always reach your goal? No. But, if you don't try you will never know what you are capable of.
March on squirrels. Take the challenge.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Stubby
Just a little thought for the weekend. As you can see from the title above this blog is about Stubby. Stubby is the nickname I have given to a squirrel I often see as I walk across campus. Stubby, unlike most squirrels, has a tail which is only about 2 inches long. A very un-squirrel like tail. I wonder if Stubby knows if her tail is unusual? I use the female pronoun here because we are at Mary Baldwin College, home of the fighting squirrels. Stubby seems fine. I have seen her eating nuts, running up trees and dashing across telephone wires. Stubby seems to get along well with other squirrels.
I don't think the other squirrels notice that Stubby's tail is not in keeping with normal squirrel standards. There are no laws protecting Stubby. No sympathy or special treatment. Stubby is going to make it on her own. I think we should take a lesson from Stubby. Many of us know what we must do to get better grades, improve our athletic ability, or just be a better person, but we want it without work. We make excuses, we have reasons we can't do certain things or excel in certain ways. We want teachers, coaches, or parents to help us, push us and dare I say "baby" us.
Take a lesson from Stubby. Don't expect life to be easy. Don't expect people to do things for you. I don't know if Stubby was born with a stunted tail or lost it in an accident. Stubby probably does not know or care either. Neither do the other squirrels. If a cat or a hawk see Stubby as a meal, there will be no remorse on their part if Stubby becomes lunch. Stubby has made it. No excuses, no special treatment. Just pure determination to overcome a problem and live life. Can you say the same?
March on squirrels. Long live Stubby; thanks for the motivation!!
I don't think the other squirrels notice that Stubby's tail is not in keeping with normal squirrel standards. There are no laws protecting Stubby. No sympathy or special treatment. Stubby is going to make it on her own. I think we should take a lesson from Stubby. Many of us know what we must do to get better grades, improve our athletic ability, or just be a better person, but we want it without work. We make excuses, we have reasons we can't do certain things or excel in certain ways. We want teachers, coaches, or parents to help us, push us and dare I say "baby" us.
Take a lesson from Stubby. Don't expect life to be easy. Don't expect people to do things for you. I don't know if Stubby was born with a stunted tail or lost it in an accident. Stubby probably does not know or care either. Neither do the other squirrels. If a cat or a hawk see Stubby as a meal, there will be no remorse on their part if Stubby becomes lunch. Stubby has made it. No excuses, no special treatment. Just pure determination to overcome a problem and live life. Can you say the same?
March on squirrels. Long live Stubby; thanks for the motivation!!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Happy New Year
Welcome back fighting squirrels. I hope you enjoyed the Christmas Break and you ready to get back to work. If you have decided to lose weight for the new year, let me help. I have baseball cap from the show The Biggest Loser and it can be yours at the end of the semester. If you have made the decision to get fit this year, but you have made the same decision for the last 5 years, make 2012 the year that it happens. Come see me. I will start a file on you. I will keep it locked in my secret squirrel safe so that only you and I will have access. I will weigh you and get you started on a workout program. This is for women with a Body Mass Index of 25% or greater. This is not for those of you who want to lose 5 or 10 lbs. This is for those of you who are needing to lose a significant amount of weight. At the end of the semester the woman that loses the most weight gets the hat and a healthier, happier lifestyle. Final weigh-in will be April 17.
We will be looking at losing 1 or 2 lbs per week. Mary Vannortwick, the director of Food Services, is happy to help you with a diet plan. There are also several on-line programs that will help you monitor your food intake. One of the biggest problems with a weight lose program is that individuals over estimate the calories they burn, and under estimate the calories they consume. Try myfitnesspal.com, there's an ap for that. Contact me at 887-7357 or e-mail me at cangersb@mbc.edu if you are interested.
Volleyball and soccer athletes -- There are weight training plans in the weight room for your off-season conditioning. Champions are made in the off-season. Many of you say you want to win, but few of you are willing to commit to win. Stop the excuses. Be sure to see me if you are not sure of proper form on any exercise. Stop telling me how much you want to win and start showing me you are serious.
Sweat on squirrels.
We will be looking at losing 1 or 2 lbs per week. Mary Vannortwick, the director of Food Services, is happy to help you with a diet plan. There are also several on-line programs that will help you monitor your food intake. One of the biggest problems with a weight lose program is that individuals over estimate the calories they burn, and under estimate the calories they consume. Try myfitnesspal.com, there's an ap for that. Contact me at 887-7357 or e-mail me at cangersb@mbc.edu if you are interested.
Volleyball and soccer athletes -- There are weight training plans in the weight room for your off-season conditioning. Champions are made in the off-season. Many of you say you want to win, but few of you are willing to commit to win. Stop the excuses. Be sure to see me if you are not sure of proper form on any exercise. Stop telling me how much you want to win and start showing me you are serious.
Sweat on squirrels.
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