I took a Sunday wrestling drive to Corvallis for a match. But it’s always more than a wrestling match at Oregon State. It always turns into a question of decisions made and paths taken. While it’s always a fun time, this time stood out.
ANGRY OLD MAN CHEWED ME OUT
October 31, 2024 by
An angry old man is a dangerous man . . . to himself. Wind some guy up and they’ll do things they don’t ordinarily do. Why? Because they’re mad, they’re not happy, they are fuming. Most of the time they get over it unless someone lights their fuse.
DIFFERENCE MAKER FOR OREGON FOOTBALL, PT.2
October 15, 2024 by
A difference maker is a game changer on the football field. They run faster, throw further, hit harder. It all shows up in video review. “Look at him go.” But what if it’s not a player, but a coach?
CLEAR DOWN RANGE NEW MEANING
May 3, 2024 by
The first time I heard the call of “CLEAR DOWN RANGE” I was laying in the dirt with the guys, Fort Ord dirt, and trying to fit three bullets inside the diameter of a quarter. The best I got was two in with a stray nearby. The rifle range targets were a head and shoulder […]
PEP TALK? MY BEST MEMORY BEFORE A BIG WRESTLING MATCH
April 25, 2024 by
When does a pep talk make all the difference? You’re warmed up, ready to go, just as the coach gives last instructions. As a high school wrestler in my second year, I needed all the pep I could get. Ordinarily you wouldn’t put a second year guy out against a well known mauler, but . […]
SPORTS DADS SAY, “PLAY MY KID IF YOU’RE SMART”
February 27, 2024 by
Sports dads come in every flavor between sweet and sour. They come with vast experience, and none. What they know for sure is their kid is better than your kid and should play more than he does. With that attitude, what can go wrong?
ANOTHER HERO TAKES THE SPORTS WHEEL FOR A SPIN
April 4, 2021 by
Another hero taking center stage is a reminder of who had been there before. Who doesn’t like a hero? No matter the time or place, when someone separates from the pack, give them their due. Last night the new hero was UCLA Bruin Johnny Juzang. What was heroic? He took a shot to tie the […]
LOUD PEP TALK HIDDEN MESSAGE: YOU’RE A LOSER
August 26, 2020 by
A pep talk has a particular place and time. It’s not normal conversation, it’s communication on steroids. Listening to a pep talk gives two distinct reactions: Get hyped up, or tune out. A third response is understanding what all the noise is about. This is the one that takes special experiences. Like what, you ask?
COACHING CORONAVIRUS: GO FOR THE WIN
April 8, 2020 by
What is the game plan for coaching coronavirus? What happens when the top guy claims he’s a cheerleader, not a coach? In a life or death game, and by most counts, life or death isn’t an overstatement with coronavirus, where is the Head Coach for the home team? Who is The Man?
HOW TO COACH CANCER SURVIVORS
May 17, 2018 by
The impact of cancer news hits far and wide, but it is a fastball to the face of the patient and they have no defense. Imagine getting clocked in the head like Tony C and waking up to that ‘new normal.’ Watching it happen in 1967 made a lot of Little League […]
