It was playoff week for my Monday (Open Division) and Thursday (Friendship Division) basketball leagues. Entering the playoffs, both of my teams were probably considered underdogs. My Monday team was pretty good but faced a distinct size disadvantage against our opponents. My Thursday team had beaten our playoff opponent the week before but our overall record wasn't that great. We tended to run hot and cold.
However, both teams came through with some extremely good basketball. My Monday team played patient, got good shots, and raced out to an early lead. We eventually would win 77-63. My Thursday team did one better. We jumped out to a 16-0 lead, led 33-11 at halftime and ultimately won 53-39.
Thus, somewhat surprisingly, both my teams are in the championship games next week. In both games, my teams will probably be considered underdogs once again. Both opponents have a ton of firepower and we will have to work hard to stay competitive.
This will be my first time playing in two championship games in less than a week. My best season was in 2008 when I played in championship games in a Easter Tournament, Summer Basketball League and a Fall Basketball League (won one, lost two). As a side note, I will not be the ONLY player playing in both championship games. A couple of guys who play both teams will be opposing me next week.
As far as importance of these championship games, they are not particular important. Don't get me wrong. I definitely would love to win both games. There is something unique if my teams could come through. However, by my unofficial count, next week's championship games will be the 13th and 14th I have played in over the 20+ years that I played in adult league basketball.
In my younger days, I was high strung and nervous prior to playoffs and championships. It got so bad that I didn't do particularly well. However, I've played in so many playoff and championship games over the years that I realize that it's just another game. My approach is to treat these games just like any other. No need to make it more important than it really is. After all, we don't win trophies or money. It's all about for a positive memory and pride.
I find that staying relaxed is the best approach. My goal for next week is to help my teams win both championships. If we don't win, it's ok. It takes work to just get to the championship game and that effort should be appreciated.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Thanksgiving 2012
Per my usual routine, I have usually done a "Things To Be Thankful For" around Thanksgiving. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 2012 edition:
"My Twin" - I don't have any brothers or sisters in the biological sense but I am lucky to be blessed with a friend who is, in all intensive purposes, my "twin". We share something that is unusual but has become a unifying thing and a source of humor. Beyond the laughs lie two good friends who look out for each other. We talk frequently to share our ups / downs but also just to check in on the other person. Can't ask much more from a good friend.
"Basketball" - As always, I'm thankful for basketball. But not just the game but the people involved, especially the two basketball leagues I play in and the group of guys I play with on Saturday. It's great to get exercise but to also hang out with the guys as well.
"San Francisco" - You never know what you miss until you get it back. I worked in downtown SF from around 1999 until 2002. After 2002, I've worked in various cities but never got back to downtown SF. Just last week, I returned to downtown SF and I am loving it. I've got friends who I can meet up with constantly and plenty of food, activities around that I can do.
"The Visitor" - I'm going to keep this one brief. But I want to acknowledge a person that I met recently. Thanks for everything and I look forward to seeing what the future brings.
"Sales / Speaking Skills" - Once a upon a time, I was a tech support engineer who was trying to learn to become a Sales Engineer. I went through quite a few difficult situations and have grown up faster than I expected. These days, speaking in front of customers, large crowds or other things don't bother me.
"Ricardo / iMovie / Movie Editing" - Special thanks to a guy named Ricardo who plays in my basketball league. It was due to his idea of capturing videos that spurred me to pick up the basics of movie editing. Thanks to iMovie for making the process easy and editing movies a fun task.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
"My Twin" - I don't have any brothers or sisters in the biological sense but I am lucky to be blessed with a friend who is, in all intensive purposes, my "twin". We share something that is unusual but has become a unifying thing and a source of humor. Beyond the laughs lie two good friends who look out for each other. We talk frequently to share our ups / downs but also just to check in on the other person. Can't ask much more from a good friend.
"Basketball" - As always, I'm thankful for basketball. But not just the game but the people involved, especially the two basketball leagues I play in and the group of guys I play with on Saturday. It's great to get exercise but to also hang out with the guys as well.
"San Francisco" - You never know what you miss until you get it back. I worked in downtown SF from around 1999 until 2002. After 2002, I've worked in various cities but never got back to downtown SF. Just last week, I returned to downtown SF and I am loving it. I've got friends who I can meet up with constantly and plenty of food, activities around that I can do.
"The Visitor" - I'm going to keep this one brief. But I want to acknowledge a person that I met recently. Thanks for everything and I look forward to seeing what the future brings.
"Sales / Speaking Skills" - Once a upon a time, I was a tech support engineer who was trying to learn to become a Sales Engineer. I went through quite a few difficult situations and have grown up faster than I expected. These days, speaking in front of customers, large crowds or other things don't bother me.
"Ricardo / iMovie / Movie Editing" - Special thanks to a guy named Ricardo who plays in my basketball league. It was due to his idea of capturing videos that spurred me to pick up the basics of movie editing. Thanks to iMovie for making the process easy and editing movies a fun task.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
"You Seem To Run Into People You Know Everywhere"
Yesterday night, I was thinking about something a friend of mine said to me a few years ago. She had commented to me: "You Seem To Run Into People You Know Everywhere". I had decided I was going to blog about this topic tonight.
Well, before I even get started on the topic, my friend's comment was proven true once again tonight. I went to a birthday dinner with some friends. As I arrived at the restaurant, I ran into a former grammar school classmate who was also waiting at the restaurant with her friends. We caught up a bit before I had to go to get seated.
As the dinner with my friends concluded, I was suddenly greeted by not one, but TWO young ladies. These two were former basketball players of mine who are now in the working world. The two ladies were just having a night out and we caught up a bit. I hadn't seen the gals too often since I coached them but it was good to see and talk to them.
Back to the original point of the post now! My friend had made the comment to me because it seemed like every time I was out with her and our friends, I would inevitably run into someone I knew. To be fair, I don't think it was "EVERY TIME" but it happened often enough (and at different locations) that my friends did notice.
The question people may ask is why do I know so many people? There's actually a pretty easy explanation. The major reason is that I have participated in various aspects of basketball over the years.
I served as a assistant and head basketball coach for my old grammar school for the better part of 12 years. In that time, I worked with 6 different teams. Additionally, I was a spectator at games for other teams in the program. So not only did I know my own players, I knew the coaches and players from the others teams.
I have worked as a basketball official for about 20 years (20 years in youth, 10+ years in high school and adult). Officiating introduces you to a ton of different people. I've probably worked with hundreds of different referee partners over the years. I've probably talked to tons of coaches and gym directors along the way. Plus, don't forget the players. I am surprised that some players actually REMEMBER that I officiated them was they were younger. Plus, with the adult leagues I officiate, I tend to see some of the same players over and over so you get to know them over time.
Lastly, I've played in adult basketball leagues for the better part of 20 years. I've played with dozens of teams and hundreds of different players. Of course, I've played against of ton of teams and players as well.
From this, you can see why I do have a tendency to run into a lot of people. I may not know all these people well, but I do have a shared experience with them in one way or another. To be fair, it's not all basketball people. I do see former co-workers, classmates and other folks too.
I guess I'm just that popular. Seriously, I just LIKE people and most people do seem to remember me too. I am curious about people, love to talk and so it's natural I would easily catch up with people I haven't seen in a long time.
I'll leave on this note. I have about 700+ Facebook friends. I'm proud to say that most (if not all) are people I know in person (in one way, shape or form). I don't randomly add Facebook friends for the heck of it. Most of the 700+ Facebook friends would fit into the basketball, co-workers, classmates or just friends category!
Well, before I even get started on the topic, my friend's comment was proven true once again tonight. I went to a birthday dinner with some friends. As I arrived at the restaurant, I ran into a former grammar school classmate who was also waiting at the restaurant with her friends. We caught up a bit before I had to go to get seated.
As the dinner with my friends concluded, I was suddenly greeted by not one, but TWO young ladies. These two were former basketball players of mine who are now in the working world. The two ladies were just having a night out and we caught up a bit. I hadn't seen the gals too often since I coached them but it was good to see and talk to them.
Back to the original point of the post now! My friend had made the comment to me because it seemed like every time I was out with her and our friends, I would inevitably run into someone I knew. To be fair, I don't think it was "EVERY TIME" but it happened often enough (and at different locations) that my friends did notice.
The question people may ask is why do I know so many people? There's actually a pretty easy explanation. The major reason is that I have participated in various aspects of basketball over the years.
I served as a assistant and head basketball coach for my old grammar school for the better part of 12 years. In that time, I worked with 6 different teams. Additionally, I was a spectator at games for other teams in the program. So not only did I know my own players, I knew the coaches and players from the others teams.
I have worked as a basketball official for about 20 years (20 years in youth, 10+ years in high school and adult). Officiating introduces you to a ton of different people. I've probably worked with hundreds of different referee partners over the years. I've probably talked to tons of coaches and gym directors along the way. Plus, don't forget the players. I am surprised that some players actually REMEMBER that I officiated them was they were younger. Plus, with the adult leagues I officiate, I tend to see some of the same players over and over so you get to know them over time.
Lastly, I've played in adult basketball leagues for the better part of 20 years. I've played with dozens of teams and hundreds of different players. Of course, I've played against of ton of teams and players as well.
From this, you can see why I do have a tendency to run into a lot of people. I may not know all these people well, but I do have a shared experience with them in one way or another. To be fair, it's not all basketball people. I do see former co-workers, classmates and other folks too.
I guess I'm just that popular. Seriously, I just LIKE people and most people do seem to remember me too. I am curious about people, love to talk and so it's natural I would easily catch up with people I haven't seen in a long time.
I'll leave on this note. I have about 700+ Facebook friends. I'm proud to say that most (if not all) are people I know in person (in one way, shape or form). I don't randomly add Facebook friends for the heck of it. Most of the 700+ Facebook friends would fit into the basketball, co-workers, classmates or just friends category!
Friday, November 09, 2012
Reach Out And Touch Someone
In 2012, there are some many ways to communicate with people. You have the old standbys like the telephone / cellphone or even meeting face to face. But you could throw in the multitude of electronic options such as email, instant messaging, Facebook / Social Media and text messaging.
Electronic communications are great in short bursts but can feel awfully impersonal. If faced with a choice of NO communication or electronic communication, I'm sure most people would prefer to communicate electronically versus not communicating at all.
Personally, I find that talking to someone over the phone or in person is much better than strictly exchanging electronic communications. I do my share of emails, instant messages, and texting but just talking to another person has a lot of benefits than just doing electronic communications. Talking to someone makes you feel like you're understood. Plus, hearing the laughs and other things associated with talking is a part of the human experience. Having electronic communications should supplement this AND NOT REPLACE talking on the phone or meeting your friends.
Additionally, as the holiday seasons approach, it's always good to reach out to friends. One friend commented to me last year: "TV shows and commercials make it seem like everyone is happy". I definitely understood his point. During holidays, it seems like "everyone" is happy getting together with friends and family.
But in reality, there are many people who are going through struggles. The obvious people are the people without jobs, families or other basic necessities. But even regular people go through some down times as well.
If you recognize this in someone you know, do a favor and reach out. To borrow the phrase from the old AT&T commercials back in the 1980's: "REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE". Give someone a call and say hi. Meet someone up for dinner. I am sure your friends will appreciate it!
One of my friends definitely did that for me last year. I had been going through some worries and the friend would call to check up on me. At the end of the day, that's what friends are for.
Sunday, November 04, 2012
To Move Forward, Sometimes You Have To Venture Into The Unknown
I had some deep conversations this past week. Those conversations led me to think about how many people get to a point in their lives (work, family, etc) where they feel stagnant. Things seem routine and maybe even a little boring. For some this feeling is ok, but for others, they yearn to break out of the routine into something new.
Yet, many people don't even know where to begin to change. I definitely was like this. There were a few things in my life in the years past where I felt things had gotten stagnant. I liked what I did but it felt like the "same old thing". I was semi-aware of this but did not know how to get out of it.
Fortunately, for a couple of situations in my life, I found a way to break out of the routine into something newer and fresher.
Basketball Officiating
I started officiating youth basketball around 1993. I had served as a volunteer coach for my old catholic grammar school since 1988. The school's athletic director needed an official at another school he ran and he asked me to help out.
I signed up and started officiating in addition to my coaching duties. The early years were rough as I had no idea what I was doing. Over time, my experience grew and I gained confidence in my capabilities. However, the youth league was limited in training the officials. I knew a lot of about the youth league but not about the "actual" rules of basketball.
As time went on, I realized I was getting bored of officiating the youth league. I didn't really know what to do so I just kept doing the routine for a few years until a chance opportunity appeared. I had referred a couple of friends to come officiate in the youth league with me.
They joined the youth league but took a chance to join a basketball officiating group to work high school and adult basketball games around 2002. I had tried to join this group a few years before but had not been accepted. With a second opportunity, I went along with my friends to training and was finally accepted into the group.
Though I wouldn't realize it at the time, this situation was a great thing for me. Joining the group was tough initially but the knowledge and experience I gained were great for me. I was able to apply it to youth basketball as well and get my interest back.
While my high school officiating hasn't gone as well as I would like due to multiple issues (mainly work), I have enjoyed the past 10 years working with the officiating group.
Sales Engineering
Fresh out of college, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my career. For the first year, I stayed with a part time administrative job I had. I had worked with the company toward the end of my college days and they were willing to keep me around.
About a year after I graduated from college, I saw a posting for a "Technical Analyst" position at my college Career Center and immediately applied. After screening with the folks at the Career Center, I interviewed with a manager at the company. The interview was pretty uneventful and I was told a few days later that I had gotten the position.
From those humble beginnings, I spent seven years at the company (1999 to 2006). For about 5 1/2 years, I was a technical support representative (the other 1 1/2 years were spent as a process manager).
By 2006, I had gotten a little tired of doing technical support and was looking for a change. An opportunity presented itself with a smaller company which I ultimately decided to pursue. With the smaller company, I ended up doing a mix of work including technical support, sales engineering, manual writing, QA Testing and project management. The overall experience was good but I got laid off as the company had not been doing well.
At this point, I still yearned for a change. While I had gotten an opportunity to diversify my skills, I still spent a good amount of time on the phone with customers doing technical support. I wanted to get away from that type of work if it was possible. I looked around for jobs online. However, most of what I was qualified for was still technical support positions.
Then a chance opportunity occurred one day. I was out one day when my cell phone rang. I answered the call as I was expecting a call back from a company regarding a job I had applied for. It turned out to be a recruiter instead.
This particular recruiter had saw my resume and inquired if I would be interested in a "Sales Engineer" position with a local company. He had noticed that I had some sales engineer experience with my last job.
We talked a lot about my background, the job, and the requirements. After the discussion, the recruiter stated he was impressed and wanted to submit my resume to the hiring manager. I was a little less sure and asked the recruiter to send me information on the position so I could think about it.
After a few days, I had emailed the recruiter to decline the position. The reasons were simple. I did not know much about Sales and I did not know much of the about the technology that was required for the position. The recruiter emailed me back almost immediately and stated that I should reconsider.
I thought about this for a short while and called the recruiter back about 30 minutes later. I told him that he could submit my resume. The reason for the change of heart? I had finally seen that this job would be a natural evolution from my technical support position.
After one interview with my manager (who is now a Vice President), I got the position and remain there today (after 4 years +/- some layoffs....another story hahaha).
Conclusion
As you can see from my stories, I was a little stagnant in some aspects of my life. Yet, I was fortunate enough to have some opportunities come up to break out of the routine. That is really my main point.
Many people feel they have to "find something" to break out of their routine. In reality, I have found that opportunities COME TO YOU. You just have to learn to be aware and take advantage. Have courage to venture into the unknown even if you're not sure it's the right thing.
Good luck!
Yet, many people don't even know where to begin to change. I definitely was like this. There were a few things in my life in the years past where I felt things had gotten stagnant. I liked what I did but it felt like the "same old thing". I was semi-aware of this but did not know how to get out of it.
Fortunately, for a couple of situations in my life, I found a way to break out of the routine into something newer and fresher.
Basketball Officiating
I started officiating youth basketball around 1993. I had served as a volunteer coach for my old catholic grammar school since 1988. The school's athletic director needed an official at another school he ran and he asked me to help out.
I signed up and started officiating in addition to my coaching duties. The early years were rough as I had no idea what I was doing. Over time, my experience grew and I gained confidence in my capabilities. However, the youth league was limited in training the officials. I knew a lot of about the youth league but not about the "actual" rules of basketball.
As time went on, I realized I was getting bored of officiating the youth league. I didn't really know what to do so I just kept doing the routine for a few years until a chance opportunity appeared. I had referred a couple of friends to come officiate in the youth league with me.
They joined the youth league but took a chance to join a basketball officiating group to work high school and adult basketball games around 2002. I had tried to join this group a few years before but had not been accepted. With a second opportunity, I went along with my friends to training and was finally accepted into the group.
Though I wouldn't realize it at the time, this situation was a great thing for me. Joining the group was tough initially but the knowledge and experience I gained were great for me. I was able to apply it to youth basketball as well and get my interest back.
While my high school officiating hasn't gone as well as I would like due to multiple issues (mainly work), I have enjoyed the past 10 years working with the officiating group.
Sales Engineering
Fresh out of college, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my career. For the first year, I stayed with a part time administrative job I had. I had worked with the company toward the end of my college days and they were willing to keep me around.
About a year after I graduated from college, I saw a posting for a "Technical Analyst" position at my college Career Center and immediately applied. After screening with the folks at the Career Center, I interviewed with a manager at the company. The interview was pretty uneventful and I was told a few days later that I had gotten the position.
From those humble beginnings, I spent seven years at the company (1999 to 2006). For about 5 1/2 years, I was a technical support representative (the other 1 1/2 years were spent as a process manager).
By 2006, I had gotten a little tired of doing technical support and was looking for a change. An opportunity presented itself with a smaller company which I ultimately decided to pursue. With the smaller company, I ended up doing a mix of work including technical support, sales engineering, manual writing, QA Testing and project management. The overall experience was good but I got laid off as the company had not been doing well.
At this point, I still yearned for a change. While I had gotten an opportunity to diversify my skills, I still spent a good amount of time on the phone with customers doing technical support. I wanted to get away from that type of work if it was possible. I looked around for jobs online. However, most of what I was qualified for was still technical support positions.
Then a chance opportunity occurred one day. I was out one day when my cell phone rang. I answered the call as I was expecting a call back from a company regarding a job I had applied for. It turned out to be a recruiter instead.
This particular recruiter had saw my resume and inquired if I would be interested in a "Sales Engineer" position with a local company. He had noticed that I had some sales engineer experience with my last job.
We talked a lot about my background, the job, and the requirements. After the discussion, the recruiter stated he was impressed and wanted to submit my resume to the hiring manager. I was a little less sure and asked the recruiter to send me information on the position so I could think about it.
After a few days, I had emailed the recruiter to decline the position. The reasons were simple. I did not know much about Sales and I did not know much of the about the technology that was required for the position. The recruiter emailed me back almost immediately and stated that I should reconsider.
I thought about this for a short while and called the recruiter back about 30 minutes later. I told him that he could submit my resume. The reason for the change of heart? I had finally seen that this job would be a natural evolution from my technical support position.
After one interview with my manager (who is now a Vice President), I got the position and remain there today (after 4 years +/- some layoffs....another story hahaha).
Conclusion
As you can see from my stories, I was a little stagnant in some aspects of my life. Yet, I was fortunate enough to have some opportunities come up to break out of the routine. That is really my main point.
Many people feel they have to "find something" to break out of their routine. In reality, I have found that opportunities COME TO YOU. You just have to learn to be aware and take advantage. Have courage to venture into the unknown even if you're not sure it's the right thing.
Good luck!
Saturday, November 03, 2012
Moving Time / Changing TIme
For my current job, I currently work at a remote sales office a few miles outside of San Francisco. I've been at this office since I was first hired back in 2008. My company's headquarters is based out of Virginia.
In about four days, the majority of the staff (including me) at this remote office will make a move to Downtown San Francisco. There will be a few others who have chosen to move to another office near Silicon Valley.
Anytime you move anywhere (work or house), there will be changes. My co-workers and I will face a host of new changes to deal with a host of new changes. For me personally, here's what I will have to adjust to:
1.
Getting back to taking PUBLIC TRANSIT to work. It was been a decade or more since I last took public transit to work. Fortunately, it's close to home and not that big of a deal.
2.
Getting used to no free parking. I do a lot of things after work and will likely need a car. Alas, I will be forced to pay for parking if I drive to work which is not fun.
3.
The commute from my house to the current office is very easy. Commuting to downtown SF in public transit will be relatively smooth. Driving to downtown SF is a different story.
4.
On the days, I don't drive to downtown SF, I will leave my car at home. Alas, I will need to invest in a residential parking permit. Otherwise, I may get a parking ticket if I leave my car at home all day. Some parts of SF do this as otherwise out of town folks will just park their cars in some parts of the city all day.
5.
The current offices have a small workout facility but the new offices will not. I will likely have to make some trips to a nearby 24 hour fitness instead. A friend has already said I should take some workout classes with him so that will be interesting.
However, while all of this sounds "negative", it's really just adjusting to the changes. The positives for the move are:
1.
I will be close to a lot of friends who also work downtown. I can meet up with lunch / dinner and go workout really close by.
2.
Being downtown, there will be plenty of shopping I can do before heading home. From my current office, I would have to drive to the local mall.
It may take a while to adjusted but once I get used to things, it will be a great thing to be back working in the heart of downtown San Francisco.
In about four days, the majority of the staff (including me) at this remote office will make a move to Downtown San Francisco. There will be a few others who have chosen to move to another office near Silicon Valley.
Anytime you move anywhere (work or house), there will be changes. My co-workers and I will face a host of new changes to deal with a host of new changes. For me personally, here's what I will have to adjust to:
1.
Getting back to taking PUBLIC TRANSIT to work. It was been a decade or more since I last took public transit to work. Fortunately, it's close to home and not that big of a deal.
2.
Getting used to no free parking. I do a lot of things after work and will likely need a car. Alas, I will be forced to pay for parking if I drive to work which is not fun.
3.
The commute from my house to the current office is very easy. Commuting to downtown SF in public transit will be relatively smooth. Driving to downtown SF is a different story.
4.
On the days, I don't drive to downtown SF, I will leave my car at home. Alas, I will need to invest in a residential parking permit. Otherwise, I may get a parking ticket if I leave my car at home all day. Some parts of SF do this as otherwise out of town folks will just park their cars in some parts of the city all day.
5.
The current offices have a small workout facility but the new offices will not. I will likely have to make some trips to a nearby 24 hour fitness instead. A friend has already said I should take some workout classes with him so that will be interesting.
However, while all of this sounds "negative", it's really just adjusting to the changes. The positives for the move are:
1.
I will be close to a lot of friends who also work downtown. I can meet up with lunch / dinner and go workout really close by.
2.
Being downtown, there will be plenty of shopping I can do before heading home. From my current office, I would have to drive to the local mall.
It may take a while to adjusted but once I get used to things, it will be a great thing to be back working in the heart of downtown San Francisco.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Striking A Pose
Yesterday, I made a day trip to my company's offices in San Diego. I flew down in the early morning before returning yesterday evening.
The purpose of the trip was TO GET MY PHOTOS TAKEN! To clarify, my team's Vice-President has asked me (along with several other members of our team) to participate in a marketing campaign to promote and showcase our team.
I landed in San Diego at around 9 AM and arrived at the office around 10 AM. I said hi to a few folks, did a little work, got some make up on (I'm NOT KIDDING) and went through my first photo shoot at 11 AM or so. I didn't really know what to expect but it was actually quite fun. I was a little tired / jet lagged but somehow managed to keep a smile throughout.
The entire team did a group photo shoot at around 12 PM. Afterward, we all grabbed some lunch before getting back to the office. I did a little bit of work before going through my last photo shoot around 2:30 PM. I hung around the office for a while before departing for the airport at 4:15 PM. I got on my flight at 6:45 PM and arrived back home around 8:15 PM.
It was great to see the professional photographer work. I like doing some photography but have never done this portrait type work. I can see it's a lot of work involving a lot of technical (camera, lighting) and personal skills (keeping the subject / model involved).
From my perspective, I felt extremely comfortable IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA as the subject. If you're doing candid photos, it's easier to relax. You don't feel pressure to look a certain way. In a professional environment, I see why it can be tough to look and act a certain way.
I'll give the photographer credit for guiding me along and I just acted as natural as I could. In fact, the photographer and his assistant told me that I was the easier guy to work with. They thought I was just a natural in front on a camera. I thought they may have been exaggerating a bit but one of the salesperson from the San Diego office repeated that statement to me again today.
It was a fun experience even though flying a plane twice in a day isn't ideal. I even joked to the photographer that I might have to look into being a model as a back up career. :)
The purpose of the trip was TO GET MY PHOTOS TAKEN! To clarify, my team's Vice-President has asked me (along with several other members of our team) to participate in a marketing campaign to promote and showcase our team.
I landed in San Diego at around 9 AM and arrived at the office around 10 AM. I said hi to a few folks, did a little work, got some make up on (I'm NOT KIDDING) and went through my first photo shoot at 11 AM or so. I didn't really know what to expect but it was actually quite fun. I was a little tired / jet lagged but somehow managed to keep a smile throughout.
The entire team did a group photo shoot at around 12 PM. Afterward, we all grabbed some lunch before getting back to the office. I did a little bit of work before going through my last photo shoot around 2:30 PM. I hung around the office for a while before departing for the airport at 4:15 PM. I got on my flight at 6:45 PM and arrived back home around 8:15 PM.
It was great to see the professional photographer work. I like doing some photography but have never done this portrait type work. I can see it's a lot of work involving a lot of technical (camera, lighting) and personal skills (keeping the subject / model involved).
From my perspective, I felt extremely comfortable IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA as the subject. If you're doing candid photos, it's easier to relax. You don't feel pressure to look a certain way. In a professional environment, I see why it can be tough to look and act a certain way.
I'll give the photographer credit for guiding me along and I just acted as natural as I could. In fact, the photographer and his assistant told me that I was the easier guy to work with. They thought I was just a natural in front on a camera. I thought they may have been exaggerating a bit but one of the salesperson from the San Diego office repeated that statement to me again today.
It was a fun experience even though flying a plane twice in a day isn't ideal. I even joked to the photographer that I might have to look into being a model as a back up career. :)
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Athlete Of The Year: Then And Now
If someone were to ask you, what does the words "Athlete Of The Year" mean to you, what would you say? I am sure that MOST people would imagine that an athlete of the year would be a star athlete of some kind: Michael Jordan, Dwayne Wade, or someone along those lines.
If I were asked, I would have probably thought the same thing. Yet, 20+ years ago, I was awarded the "Athlete Of The Year" award by my high school. It was a great way to cap my athletic career and senior year in high school.
For quite a time after receiving the award, I remember telling a friend that I didn't feel like I deserved the award. After all, from the standpoint of athletic accomplishments, I was not a stand out athlete in either of the sports I participated in. It took my friend sometime to convince me that I was deserving of the award. After all, there were some reason it was given to me.
Recently, with the 20th Anniversary of my high school graduation passing, I thought about the Athlete Of The Year award and what it meant to me. I am quite proud of the award as it not only represented my time athletically in high school but also the great senior year I had. I became friends with someone I would grow close to and I had a great academic year as well.
Additionally, I decided to look up what criteria is used to determine an "Athlete Of The Year". Interestingly, unlike Most Valuable Player awards, athletic accomplishments isn't necessarily a requirement. Some of the criteria included leadership, commitment to the team and academic performance.
Looking back, I see WHY I was given the award:
1.
I was captain for one my teams and a three year vet on my other team.
2.
I showed complete dedication to both my teams and provided a good example. This is just not me bragging as both my teams gave me the "Coaches Award" during my senior year.
3.
I was NOT a good student throughout my high school career and yet I had a 3.2 or above GPA throughout my senior year.
4.
I was a volunteer basketball coach for my old grammar school.
It's funny how someone's perspective changes over the years. I don't talk much about an award I got 20 years ago. However, besides my high school and college diplomas, I put my Athlete Of The Year award as one of the items I am most proud of.
I also see a trend in all of my awards. Besides my Most Improved Player award, all my other awards involved me being a good example to others (Two Coaches Awards, Four Most Inspirational Player awards). I definitely try (and don't always succeed) in being a good example to people young and old.
It is good that I have been recognized for it, though I have never asked for it.
If I were asked, I would have probably thought the same thing. Yet, 20+ years ago, I was awarded the "Athlete Of The Year" award by my high school. It was a great way to cap my athletic career and senior year in high school.
For quite a time after receiving the award, I remember telling a friend that I didn't feel like I deserved the award. After all, from the standpoint of athletic accomplishments, I was not a stand out athlete in either of the sports I participated in. It took my friend sometime to convince me that I was deserving of the award. After all, there were some reason it was given to me.
Recently, with the 20th Anniversary of my high school graduation passing, I thought about the Athlete Of The Year award and what it meant to me. I am quite proud of the award as it not only represented my time athletically in high school but also the great senior year I had. I became friends with someone I would grow close to and I had a great academic year as well.
Additionally, I decided to look up what criteria is used to determine an "Athlete Of The Year". Interestingly, unlike Most Valuable Player awards, athletic accomplishments isn't necessarily a requirement. Some of the criteria included leadership, commitment to the team and academic performance.
Looking back, I see WHY I was given the award:
1.
I was captain for one my teams and a three year vet on my other team.
2.
I showed complete dedication to both my teams and provided a good example. This is just not me bragging as both my teams gave me the "Coaches Award" during my senior year.
3.
I was NOT a good student throughout my high school career and yet I had a 3.2 or above GPA throughout my senior year.
4.
I was a volunteer basketball coach for my old grammar school.
It's funny how someone's perspective changes over the years. I don't talk much about an award I got 20 years ago. However, besides my high school and college diplomas, I put my Athlete Of The Year award as one of the items I am most proud of.
I also see a trend in all of my awards. Besides my Most Improved Player award, all my other awards involved me being a good example to others (Two Coaches Awards, Four Most Inspirational Player awards). I definitely try (and don't always succeed) in being a good example to people young and old.
It is good that I have been recognized for it, though I have never asked for it.
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Things Happen For A Reason
A few days ago, I decided to look through an old photo album. The album contained photos of old get togethers with friends dating back around five to seven years ago. The get togethers included a couple of weddings, a white water rafting trip and visits to Yosemite / Las Vegas.
I had gone to Las Vegas (late 2004 or 2005, not sure these days) and met up with an old high school friend. The friend had moved to the East Coast for college. After she had graduated, she remained in the East Coast. Despite the time differences, we had remained in touch via letter / phone immediately after high school (remember this was the early 1990's). As I went to a four-year university in 1995, things transitioned to more electronic communications (email, instant messages) all the way through until the 2000's.
For this particular trip, my friend was traveling to Las Vegas for work. Since I was close by, I decided to take some time off to see her as I had not seen her in quite some time. However, I had actually forgotten about this particular trip to Las Vegas. There is a very good reason for this. Sometime between 2003 and 2005, our friendship hit a rough patch. We had patched things up a bit but the Las Vegas trip would end up being the LAST TIME I would hang out with my high school friend.
In looking at the the photos now, I realized the trip to Las Vegas actually symbolized the ending of our friendship. Planning the trip had been difficult though once we got to Las Vegas, things went ok with one exception. My friend had been tied up all day with some personal business. We had planned to go to some places but did not leave our rooms until around 3 PM. I was pretty pissed about it though later I would put things aside.
Though my friend and I left Las Vegas on decent terms, we have not reconnected since. I can't remember what happened but I do remember getting angry about something a few weeks after the trip. I tried calling and emailing but my friend never responded. I remained pretty angry about this for a while.
However, in recent years, I realized that losing my friend was a necessary step for me. My old high school friend had been great for me for many years. But all things change and I had to accept it. In fact, without this happening, I wouldn't have some of the friends that I have now.
I am also fortunate to have a "new friend" that I can talk to quite regularly. This "new friend" is everything I had wished my old high school friend had been at the end: Responsive and generally available.
All things happen for a reason. It just took me a few years to realize!
I had gone to Las Vegas (late 2004 or 2005, not sure these days) and met up with an old high school friend. The friend had moved to the East Coast for college. After she had graduated, she remained in the East Coast. Despite the time differences, we had remained in touch via letter / phone immediately after high school (remember this was the early 1990's). As I went to a four-year university in 1995, things transitioned to more electronic communications (email, instant messages) all the way through until the 2000's.
For this particular trip, my friend was traveling to Las Vegas for work. Since I was close by, I decided to take some time off to see her as I had not seen her in quite some time. However, I had actually forgotten about this particular trip to Las Vegas. There is a very good reason for this. Sometime between 2003 and 2005, our friendship hit a rough patch. We had patched things up a bit but the Las Vegas trip would end up being the LAST TIME I would hang out with my high school friend.
In looking at the the photos now, I realized the trip to Las Vegas actually symbolized the ending of our friendship. Planning the trip had been difficult though once we got to Las Vegas, things went ok with one exception. My friend had been tied up all day with some personal business. We had planned to go to some places but did not leave our rooms until around 3 PM. I was pretty pissed about it though later I would put things aside.
Though my friend and I left Las Vegas on decent terms, we have not reconnected since. I can't remember what happened but I do remember getting angry about something a few weeks after the trip. I tried calling and emailing but my friend never responded. I remained pretty angry about this for a while.
However, in recent years, I realized that losing my friend was a necessary step for me. My old high school friend had been great for me for many years. But all things change and I had to accept it. In fact, without this happening, I wouldn't have some of the friends that I have now.
I am also fortunate to have a "new friend" that I can talk to quite regularly. This "new friend" is everything I had wished my old high school friend had been at the end: Responsive and generally available.
All things happen for a reason. It just took me a few years to realize!
Saturday, October 06, 2012
Saturday Hoops
As most people know, I'm a basketball junkie. Not only do I watch my share of basketball (high school and NBA), I also play, coach and officiate.
A few years ago (can't remember exactly when), I was talking to an old college friend of mine. She knew I liked basketball and mentioned that her current boyfriend (now husband) frequently played basketball with his friends on Saturdays. At the time I talked to my friend, the only basketball I played was through my various leagues. I did not play a lot of pickup basketball.
In fact, most of my time Saturdays at the time (especially during the winter / spring months) was spent officiating basketball. But during the summer and fall, I did not officiate as frequently. I got some info from my friend / her boyfriend and I began to join in with the group on Saturday to play basketball.
Initially, my appearances were sporadic. At the time, playing on Saturdays weren't a high priority. Officiating basketball was something I wanted to do. If I had to choose between officiating and playing, I went with officiating. Also, since I didn't know the people that well, I didn't always show up even when I was free.
As time went on, things began to change. I realized that my officiating on Saturday had become a bit of a routine. Officiating is a nice way to exercise and earn some money. But it is still WORK. The other part was that I was realizing that I enjoyed PLAYING basketball more than officiating.
I decided to try and balance BOTH officiating and basketball. I would only work games at a certain time so I could make time to play with the Saturday group. I went through this for several years. But it was getting hard on my legs. I'd officiate several AM games and then try to play basketball for several more hours after that.
In recent years, my priorities have shifted away from officiating and toward just playing basketball on Saturday. I've gotten to know quite a few of the guys I play with on Saturday and enjoy hanging out with them every week. Whenever possible, I make time to play with the Saturday group. I don't officiate on Saturdays as much as I did before. But sometimes I do work some games to change up the routine and also to help out in emergencies.
I also have to give props to all the guys that I play with on Saturday. A good number of the guys went to high school together and have been playing together for years. Throw me and some other guys and we have a rotating core of 12 to 14 guys that play on Saturdays. We usually have somewhere between 6 to 8 guys each week with some days getting a lot more. The good thing is all of us are around the same age and around the same skill level. Always great to get in some competitive games and get some exercise.
Lastly, I'd note that this group of guys are very dedicated. Out of the 52 Saturdays in a year, I'd estimate that the group gets together to play 80% to 85% of the time. I appreciate the time I get to play with these guys. It's definitely something I look forward to every weekend and I think its the same for some of the other guys as well.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Reunion Weekend (or so it felt like it was.......)
This weekend was fairly quiet. The youth volleyball season started and I put in some work over four youth games. I played my usual Saturday pick up basketball with my friends and did some shopping both on Saturday and Sunday. Got a chance to watch plenty of baseball and football as well!
The trend of this weekend was talking to people that I hadn't seen or talked to in a while. After playing basketball Saturday, I went to the mall to look at a few things. I had a gift card for a local sports store so I stopped by to see if there was anything I wanted to buy. It was at the sports store where a former high school classmate was there with his family. He actually saw me first and we chatted for a while. Turns out this former classmate lives in a complex where one of my close friends live. What a small world!
After chatting with the classmate, I wandered around the store a bit longer. As I prepared to leave the store, I ran into young lady I knew. The young lady, along with her two older brothers, had gone to the same grammar school I did. I had coached the young lady's oldest brother in basketball and watched both the other brother and her play during their time at the grammar school. Even though we were connected on Facebook, it had been years since I had seen her. We chatted for a little while and then we went on our way.
Then today, out of the blue, I received an email a bit of out of the blue from a married lady friend in Canada. This friend and I have a very interesting history. We actually "met virtually" when I was in college in the 1990s. We had emailed, chatted online and even sent some letters / photos. However, after I graduated from college, we lost touch. Several years ago (according my old emails, it was 2008), this friend crossed my mind. I still had an email address for her and decided to email her. Fortunately, she was still using the email address and we corresponded a few times
From my old emails that I have, after our talk in 2008, we didn't talk again until 2009. Of course, my friend decided to email me today. We exchanged a couple of emails today and I made sure I got her IM and phone number for future communication.. I feel blessed that we have managed to stay in touch despite the geographical distance between us. I'm quite thankful this friend decided to reach back out as I had done a poor job in doing so. However, like anything in life, you go through peaks and valleys. Perhaps today was a sign that it's time to renew this old friendship that I had. I'm a believer in having MORE friends than less.
In any case, the weekend wasn't the most exciting in terms of activity but connecting with people was a blast. Thanks to all the old friends I ran into this weekend.
The trend of this weekend was talking to people that I hadn't seen or talked to in a while. After playing basketball Saturday, I went to the mall to look at a few things. I had a gift card for a local sports store so I stopped by to see if there was anything I wanted to buy. It was at the sports store where a former high school classmate was there with his family. He actually saw me first and we chatted for a while. Turns out this former classmate lives in a complex where one of my close friends live. What a small world!
After chatting with the classmate, I wandered around the store a bit longer. As I prepared to leave the store, I ran into young lady I knew. The young lady, along with her two older brothers, had gone to the same grammar school I did. I had coached the young lady's oldest brother in basketball and watched both the other brother and her play during their time at the grammar school. Even though we were connected on Facebook, it had been years since I had seen her. We chatted for a little while and then we went on our way.
Then today, out of the blue, I received an email a bit of out of the blue from a married lady friend in Canada. This friend and I have a very interesting history. We actually "met virtually" when I was in college in the 1990s. We had emailed, chatted online and even sent some letters / photos. However, after I graduated from college, we lost touch. Several years ago (according my old emails, it was 2008), this friend crossed my mind. I still had an email address for her and decided to email her. Fortunately, she was still using the email address and we corresponded a few times
From my old emails that I have, after our talk in 2008, we didn't talk again until 2009. Of course, my friend decided to email me today. We exchanged a couple of emails today and I made sure I got her IM and phone number for future communication.. I feel blessed that we have managed to stay in touch despite the geographical distance between us. I'm quite thankful this friend decided to reach back out as I had done a poor job in doing so. However, like anything in life, you go through peaks and valleys. Perhaps today was a sign that it's time to renew this old friendship that I had. I'm a believer in having MORE friends than less.
In any case, the weekend wasn't the most exciting in terms of activity but connecting with people was a blast. Thanks to all the old friends I ran into this weekend.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
I'll Pray For You
(NOTE: This isn't meant to offend, just a thought that came up recently)
A couple of days ago, I was up late cruising around on Facebook. With some 700+ friends on Facebook, there's a lot of noise on my Facebook newsfeed. Some of the posts are interesting and some of the posts are not. This night, I saw something that caught my attention.
A person had posted that they had some issues they had been dealing with. Without disclosing all the details, this person indicated they were doing to tackle the issues on their own. I know this person but not particularly well so I was a little concerned when I saw this. I immediately responded and asked if the person was ok. The person did not respond to my post (or others) that were there.
The next morning, after I had taken care of some morning business, I gave the person a call. I think the person was surprised but we did talk for a while. I got their perspective on what was going on, lent an ear and offered advice when needed.
One thing that I thought was interesting was that some others had offered encouragement but also said that "I'll pray for you". I noted that whenever people have struggles and you're talking to someone of the Christian faith, most of the time, they will say "I'll pray for you".
I'm not questioning the sincerity of the statement. The majority of people say it with the best of intentions. They are asking God to provide you the means / resources / whatever is needed to work through the situation you are in.
I hope that people don't overuse this statement in place of providing some actual assistance. For this particular person, I felt it was better to call them instead of just hoping they would answer my Facebook post. I don't know if any others called this person besides offering encouragement on Facebook. It seems an awfully passive way of doing things to just post on Facebook and say "I'll Pray For You".
God can and will provide for those in need but perhaps YOU are the person that God wants to provide the assistance! Don't forget about that.
A couple of days ago, I was up late cruising around on Facebook. With some 700+ friends on Facebook, there's a lot of noise on my Facebook newsfeed. Some of the posts are interesting and some of the posts are not. This night, I saw something that caught my attention.
A person had posted that they had some issues they had been dealing with. Without disclosing all the details, this person indicated they were doing to tackle the issues on their own. I know this person but not particularly well so I was a little concerned when I saw this. I immediately responded and asked if the person was ok. The person did not respond to my post (or others) that were there.
The next morning, after I had taken care of some morning business, I gave the person a call. I think the person was surprised but we did talk for a while. I got their perspective on what was going on, lent an ear and offered advice when needed.
One thing that I thought was interesting was that some others had offered encouragement but also said that "I'll pray for you". I noted that whenever people have struggles and you're talking to someone of the Christian faith, most of the time, they will say "I'll pray for you".
I'm not questioning the sincerity of the statement. The majority of people say it with the best of intentions. They are asking God to provide you the means / resources / whatever is needed to work through the situation you are in.
I hope that people don't overuse this statement in place of providing some actual assistance. For this particular person, I felt it was better to call them instead of just hoping they would answer my Facebook post. I don't know if any others called this person besides offering encouragement on Facebook. It seems an awfully passive way of doing things to just post on Facebook and say "I'll Pray For You".
God can and will provide for those in need but perhaps YOU are the person that God wants to provide the assistance! Don't forget about that.
Sunday, September 09, 2012
The Influence Of Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee passed away in 1973 but yet his influence is still felt around the world. In fact there were one event and two videos that celebrated Bruce Lee:
- The San Francisco Giants hosted a "Bruce Lee Tribute Night" at AT&T Park. Fans purchasing special event tickets picked up a Bruce Lee bobblehead doll and there were appearances by Bruce Lee's widow Linda Lee Cadwell and Bruce Lee's daughter Shannon Lee sung the national anthem.
- Additionally, to promote the event, the San Francisco Giants created this incredible video: Bruce Lee Bobblehead vs SF Giants
- Lastly, a musician / remixer took part of a 1971 interview Bruce Lee did and made it into a video (song / mp3 also available for free download): Be Water My Friend! Bruce Lee Remix
All of these Bruce Lee events got me thinking of Bruce Lee so much that I watched the 1971 interview with Pierre Berton. By all accounts, this is the only interview Bruce Lee did that was preserved:
In listening to Bruce Lee speak with Berton, I realized that Bruce Lee was not only a positive role model for Asian Americans (then and now) but he was also a spokesperson for Asian Americans.
When Bruce Lee passed away, most people focused on the fact that Asian-Americans lost a visible icon, role model and the best known Asian-American film star. While representation is important, I feel that losing Bruce Lee as a voice and/or spokesperson for Asian-Americans was probably greater than any movies that he may have done if he lived.
It is evident from his interview with Berton that Bruce Lee was a thoughtful and well spoken man. He knew there was some stereotyping or racism in Hollywood. Bruce Lee knew some projects might not happen because of his "Asian" (or "Oriental") face. Bruce Lee didn't openly argue against it but he was going to try and break through those barriers regardless.
Had Bruce Lee lived, he may have been able to change Hollywood for the better for Asian-Americans. Even nearly 30 years since his passing, there has been no Asian-American film star that has completely replaced Bruce Lee. Asian stars like Jet Li, Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-Fat came to the United States and did some films but they were foreign born. No Asian-American actor has fully replace Lee.
But beyond movies, the Asian-American community has also lacked a visible spokesperson like Jesse Jackson and others for the African-American community. If Bruce Lee had lived, I could see him BEING that type of spokesperson for Asian-Americans. Bruce Lee spoke his mind and I would be curious to hear his thoughts on the current state of affairs for Asian-Americans.
There is a small glimmer of hope. Jeremy Lin of the Houston Rockets suddenly became a household name this past year. While Jeremy Lin is dramatically different than Bruce Lee in personality and temperament, Jeremy Lin has given Asian-Americans a VOICE like Bruce Lee did so many years ago.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Summer Basketball Season Is A Wrap
Been a while but I'm back! Tonight, my summer basketball league season wrapped after about three months worth of games. From early June until tonight, I squeezed in 15 league basketball games between my Monday and Tuesday night leagues. Unfortunately, from a team standpoint, neither one of my teams did exceptionally well and missed the playoffs.
My Monday night team finished a disappointing 1-7 overall. We had good players but the team chemistry was never quite there. We did managed to get it together enough for our only win (and I scored 26 points).
My Tuesday night team actually played well throughout the season but finished with a 3-4 record. We had our chances to win a couple of games against young teams but fell short. However, the team played fairly well as a whole. Despite my somewhat advanced age, I managed to lead the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game.
While the teams didn't do well, all the players had their individual moments to shine. I scored in double figures more often than I remembered in years past. I guess there is a fountain of youth for guys even if we are in the upper 30's!
So while my Monday night team is done playing, we will help out with scorekeeping and officiating in the next couple of weeks. So I will remain involved. I might take some time off from playing too much basketball except for my weekly Saturday runs. I'll plan to get my exercise via other means (gym, badminton, walking).
But there is no rest for basketball players. The fall league will start in about a month!
My Monday night team finished a disappointing 1-7 overall. We had good players but the team chemistry was never quite there. We did managed to get it together enough for our only win (and I scored 26 points).
My Tuesday night team actually played well throughout the season but finished with a 3-4 record. We had our chances to win a couple of games against young teams but fell short. However, the team played fairly well as a whole. Despite my somewhat advanced age, I managed to lead the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game.
While the teams didn't do well, all the players had their individual moments to shine. I scored in double figures more often than I remembered in years past. I guess there is a fountain of youth for guys even if we are in the upper 30's!
So while my Monday night team is done playing, we will help out with scorekeeping and officiating in the next couple of weeks. So I will remain involved. I might take some time off from playing too much basketball except for my weekly Saturday runs. I'll plan to get my exercise via other means (gym, badminton, walking).
But there is no rest for basketball players. The fall league will start in about a month!
Friday, August 10, 2012
Coaching Is About Making The Tough Decisions
During the summer, I've been playing in two basketball leagues. On my Monday night league, I was just a player on the team. The Captain of the team has played in the league for a while but has never been captain or coach before.
After a slow start (zero wins in four games), I told the Captain, I'd help out with the lineups and subs. Two Mondays ago, I didn't need to interject too much. The team had only six guys and we all played well enough to win our first game.
This past Monday was an entirely different story. Unexpectedly, our ENTIRE roster (9 players) all showed up. I told the Captain I would figure out the lineup before the game. I made a decision to go with a certain lineup and had the subs planned out. Alas, neither the starters or the bench lineups worked particularly well and we were down by about 25 points at halftime.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. With nothing to lose, I inserted the starting lineup from two Mondays ago. I told the guys that we needed to make a run early or the bench was probably going to play the rest of the game. This group had been successful and I thought we could do better than we did in the first half.
It ended up working pretty well. The rotation went from nine players to about only six (with a 7th playing briefly) throughout the second. The large deficit hurt us pretty bad as ultimately lost by about 7 points (79-72 or something like that). However, we made the other team sweat quite a bit.
On one hand, it was good that we came back. It's never fun to lose in a blowout fashion. On the other hand, I felt bad for the guys who sat on the bench in the second half. After all, it's an adult league and you pay to play. You don't get PAID to play. I've been through that kind of situation personally and I try to avoid this when I am coaching.
Safe to say, it was a bit of a weird night and I apologized to the guys who didn't play. The Captain didn't really have much to say and I think he was ok with my decision to ride the starters. It is definitely a delicate balance between trying to win and giving out playing time, especially in adult league.
After a slow start (zero wins in four games), I told the Captain, I'd help out with the lineups and subs. Two Mondays ago, I didn't need to interject too much. The team had only six guys and we all played well enough to win our first game.
This past Monday was an entirely different story. Unexpectedly, our ENTIRE roster (9 players) all showed up. I told the Captain I would figure out the lineup before the game. I made a decision to go with a certain lineup and had the subs planned out. Alas, neither the starters or the bench lineups worked particularly well and we were down by about 25 points at halftime.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. With nothing to lose, I inserted the starting lineup from two Mondays ago. I told the guys that we needed to make a run early or the bench was probably going to play the rest of the game. This group had been successful and I thought we could do better than we did in the first half.
It ended up working pretty well. The rotation went from nine players to about only six (with a 7th playing briefly) throughout the second. The large deficit hurt us pretty bad as ultimately lost by about 7 points (79-72 or something like that). However, we made the other team sweat quite a bit.
On one hand, it was good that we came back. It's never fun to lose in a blowout fashion. On the other hand, I felt bad for the guys who sat on the bench in the second half. After all, it's an adult league and you pay to play. You don't get PAID to play. I've been through that kind of situation personally and I try to avoid this when I am coaching.
Safe to say, it was a bit of a weird night and I apologized to the guys who didn't play. The Captain didn't really have much to say and I think he was ok with my decision to ride the starters. It is definitely a delicate balance between trying to win and giving out playing time, especially in adult league.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
LeBron Wins First NBA Title
I'm not a fan of LeBron James but also don't hate him. So having James and the Miami Heat winning this season's NBA championship is no big deal. Congratulations to the Heat for a good season and they will definitely enjoy the championship experience.
LeBron winning the title reminded me of my adult league championship during the summer of 2011. Some of the guys on my team had never won any type of championship while playing in various leagues. I was fortunate to have been part of five different teams. The experience probably helped me to do well last summer as my team won the championship 73-72 in overtime.
That feeling of winning last summer still resonates even a year later. The game itself was one of the best I played on as it was a nail bitter. Some of my teammates from that team still see each other every now and then. We still talk about that game when we see each other.
So as LeBron celebrates his first NBA title, I am reminded of my team's reaction to winning our title last summer. Even though the NBA title means more than our adult league championship, it was a great experience to be cherished. For LeBron, I hope he enjoys this one. While he will do his best to win more, there is never a guarantee for another one.
LeBron winning the title reminded me of my adult league championship during the summer of 2011. Some of the guys on my team had never won any type of championship while playing in various leagues. I was fortunate to have been part of five different teams. The experience probably helped me to do well last summer as my team won the championship 73-72 in overtime.
That feeling of winning last summer still resonates even a year later. The game itself was one of the best I played on as it was a nail bitter. Some of my teammates from that team still see each other every now and then. We still talk about that game when we see each other.
So as LeBron celebrates his first NBA title, I am reminded of my team's reaction to winning our title last summer. Even though the NBA title means more than our adult league championship, it was a great experience to be cherished. For LeBron, I hope he enjoys this one. While he will do his best to win more, there is never a guarantee for another one.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
20th Anniversary High School Redux
A few days ago, it occurred to me that it had been 20 years since I graduated from high school. In celebration of this event, let me share some of my favorite memories from high school:
- During my freshmen year, my high school did not have an athletics program. Due to demand, the school eventually started a program in my sophomore year. I chose to run cross country in the fall and was among the first set of athletes to participate in official practices and events for the school.
- Along the lines of athletics, my cross country team's first event was a memorable one. I had run my race as a sophomore and was watching the rest of our team run in the varsity race. One of my fellow sophomore friend & classmate was running in the varsity race. At the sound of the gun, my friend took off SPRINTING. He had run track in middle school but not distance running and he treated this face like a track meet. Thus he led the 3.1 mile race for about 30 seconds before he faded and the rest of the pack caught up and passed him. Even though my friend finished pretty far back, it is still a funny memory to remember.
- October 17th, 1989. That date will be memorable for those of us who lived in the Bay Area. That was the date of the Loma Prieta Earthquake that struck at 5:04 PM. The earthquake interrupted Game 3 of the Bay Bridge World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics. It is also memorable to me and my cross country teammates as our team was participating in a race at Golden Gate Park that day. I had completed my race and was waiting for the varsity runners to finish as well. At 5:00 PM, I remember looking at my watch and hoping that my mom remembered to record the World Series game on TV. A few minutes later, I remember feeling something shaking. I thought someone was shaking the bench I was standing on until I realized the benches were bolted to the ground. It was then that I (and the others around) that an earthquake had hit. The rest of the time was a blur. Many of my teammates lived close to me across town and it was a long few hours getting home. We had some bonding time though and that was a positive in light of the effects of the earthquake.
- I chose to participate in the sport of fencing in the spring. Unfortunately, while trying to run through the hallway to get some snacks, I tripped and fractured my wrist and my fencing season ended abruptly. I still hung around at practice and did some drills though never participated in any matches.
- While my first fencing season was a lost one, my second season went a lot better. To be honest, most of the season was a BLUR. I remember winning at least one match though don't remember much else. HOWEVER, whatever I did, I did enough to be named an alternative fencer for the All-City tournament. When one of the three fencers in the tournament was hurt prior to the All-City, I got a chance to participate in my first and only All-City tournament. I was eliminated pretty quickly but was named Most Improved Fencer during our Spring Sports Awards night.
- It may surprise people, but I was not much of a student during high school. My freshmen year went decently as I remember getting something along the lines of a 2.80 GPA. My sophomore and junior years were less successful as I barely stayed about 2.0 GPA to stay eligible to play sports. Yet, my senior year was a revelation. I stayed about a 3.2 GPA (hitting 3.4 a few times) during my while senior year. I did well enough to garner Student of the Month as well.
- During my senior year, I had one of my best teachers ever. That same teacher got me into reading a genre of books that I still read today. The teacher taught english and she did something interesting. She had the students fill out a form which inquired about things we liked to watch or read (I think). After filling out the form, she recommended a book for us to read and write a report on. The book that I was assigned? The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton. Even after 20 years, The Andromeda Strain is still easily the BEST book I have ever read. That might explain why I still like to read sci-fi / thriller books to this day.
- My senior year was a successful one academically but also athletically. I didn't do great on the field but off the field, I had a good year. I was named the Coaches Award winner for both cross-country in the fall and fencing in the spring. During the spring awards dinner, I was also named the Athlete of the Year for the 1991-1992 season.
- Not being a star athlete, I don't think I fully grasped what the award meant. To me, the award meant you were "good" at your chosen sports. But in reality, that was the "Most Valuable Player" award was for. It took me a long time to realize that the Athlete of the Year was given as I was doing well academically, always gave a good effort athletically and overall was a good role model to other students.
- Lastly, I made quite a few friendships during my time in high school, many of whom I still maintain. There was a long standing one that has faded due to time / distance but was still a valuable one during the time it lasted.
Friday, April 20, 2012
The Importance Of Role Players In Basketball
In basketball, star players are usually admired and idolized (if you're an NBA player). However, what most people forget is that role players also contribute to the success of basketball teams well.
While Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and other stars get the lion's share of the credit for their team's success, role players make a big difference between a good team and a great team. If you think of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, he had a Scottie Pippen as the second star, Luc Longley and others at center, Dennis Bodman to get rebounds and John Paxson and + other guys were the spot up shooters. Without all of these guys, Jordan couldn't have won his six NBA championships.
The problem is some players don't know their roles or don't want to play their roles. For me, when I was younger, I was purely a spot up shooter. I was just put up a ton of shots. As I got into my mid 20's, I turned into a rebounder. As I have gotten older, I am going back to shooting but hitting my 12 to 15 foot mid range jump shot. When I was younger, I didn't focus on defense or rebounding. I just thought shooting equaled to playing basketball. It took me years to realize that there was more to basketball.
To be fair, just having role players doesn't guarantee success. If you have five shooters / scorers but no one plays defense or rebounds, that will prove to be bit of a problem. Even if flip it around and have five defenders with no offense, that will also be a problem.
The solution is to have a good mix of stars and role players that complement each other. Each team will have a different mix and it's up to the team / coaches to determine which mix works the best.
I found this out when I was coaching youth basketball in my younger days. I never had superstar players with my teams. However, I had some good players with differing skill sets. For whatever reason, I naturally knew how to find the best mixes for my teams. Due to participating rules, I couldn't keep my best mixes in the game all the time. However, whenever I could, I would put the best mix in there to give my teams a competitive chance.
It's a little harder with adult leagues, but I've had some success in putting solid teams together. The reason some of my teams were successful was that people were playing to their strengths and didn't try to do too much. If players are forced to play outside of their strengths, the team sometimes will not do as well.
As a player, identify your strengths and play to them. Identify your weaknesses as well and work to improve them OR minimize them. As a coach, your job is put the best team out there. Not necessarily the best five shooters, best five defenders, or even your five "best players". The job is put together the "best team" out there that knows how to work and play well with each other.
While Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and other stars get the lion's share of the credit for their team's success, role players make a big difference between a good team and a great team. If you think of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, he had a Scottie Pippen as the second star, Luc Longley and others at center, Dennis Bodman to get rebounds and John Paxson and + other guys were the spot up shooters. Without all of these guys, Jordan couldn't have won his six NBA championships.
The problem is some players don't know their roles or don't want to play their roles. For me, when I was younger, I was purely a spot up shooter. I was just put up a ton of shots. As I got into my mid 20's, I turned into a rebounder. As I have gotten older, I am going back to shooting but hitting my 12 to 15 foot mid range jump shot. When I was younger, I didn't focus on defense or rebounding. I just thought shooting equaled to playing basketball. It took me years to realize that there was more to basketball.
To be fair, just having role players doesn't guarantee success. If you have five shooters / scorers but no one plays defense or rebounds, that will prove to be bit of a problem. Even if flip it around and have five defenders with no offense, that will also be a problem.
The solution is to have a good mix of stars and role players that complement each other. Each team will have a different mix and it's up to the team / coaches to determine which mix works the best.
I found this out when I was coaching youth basketball in my younger days. I never had superstar players with my teams. However, I had some good players with differing skill sets. For whatever reason, I naturally knew how to find the best mixes for my teams. Due to participating rules, I couldn't keep my best mixes in the game all the time. However, whenever I could, I would put the best mix in there to give my teams a competitive chance.
It's a little harder with adult leagues, but I've had some success in putting solid teams together. The reason some of my teams were successful was that people were playing to their strengths and didn't try to do too much. If players are forced to play outside of their strengths, the team sometimes will not do as well.
As a player, identify your strengths and play to them. Identify your weaknesses as well and work to improve them OR minimize them. As a coach, your job is put the best team out there. Not necessarily the best five shooters, best five defenders, or even your five "best players". The job is put together the "best team" out there that knows how to work and play well with each other.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
There is such a thing as playing too much basketball.......
As I blogged previously, my 2012 spring basketball season with my two teams has been an exercise in frustration in one sense. However, to be more positive, I have unexpectedly played a LOT more basketball than I would have reasonably expected.
For some reason, both my Monday and Thursday basketball teams have been playing short handed the past three weeks. In the past three Mondays, we have had 5, 5, and 6 players. In the past three Thursdays, we have had 5, 4, and 5 players (yes, we played 4-on-5). As our leagues playing a running 12 minutes / 4 quarters system, I've played a full 48 minutes quite a bit recently.
I actually don't have any issue playing so many minutes. I'm in pretty good shape and find ways to get some breaths or rest in to conserve energy. But what I am realizing is that our league season is long (9 regular season games then playoffs).
Physically, I am doing alright but I am a little mentally tired. It's tough to get yourself up every week to put a 100% effort in when you're short handed. Fortunately, the season is almost done and I'm going to put it all out there.
However, playing all these minutes shows me how tough NBA players are. In most normal circumstances, NBA players play 4 games in 5 nights. This season, there are 3 games in 3 nights. Yes, they are professionals and they are paid to perform well. However, these NBA players are elite athletes while the rest of us are just mere mortals.
All in all, if you ever thought to yourself that you could play HUGE minutes night after night, try it out. You might change your tune.....
For some reason, both my Monday and Thursday basketball teams have been playing short handed the past three weeks. In the past three Mondays, we have had 5, 5, and 6 players. In the past three Thursdays, we have had 5, 4, and 5 players (yes, we played 4-on-5). As our leagues playing a running 12 minutes / 4 quarters system, I've played a full 48 minutes quite a bit recently.
I actually don't have any issue playing so many minutes. I'm in pretty good shape and find ways to get some breaths or rest in to conserve energy. But what I am realizing is that our league season is long (9 regular season games then playoffs).
Physically, I am doing alright but I am a little mentally tired. It's tough to get yourself up every week to put a 100% effort in when you're short handed. Fortunately, the season is almost done and I'm going to put it all out there.
However, playing all these minutes shows me how tough NBA players are. In most normal circumstances, NBA players play 4 games in 5 nights. This season, there are 3 games in 3 nights. Yes, they are professionals and they are paid to perform well. However, these NBA players are elite athletes while the rest of us are just mere mortals.
All in all, if you ever thought to yourself that you could play HUGE minutes night after night, try it out. You might change your tune.....
Friday, April 06, 2012
The Origin of Coach41
I go by all sorts of nicknames but one identity I have throughly adopted as been "coach41". I use it for this blog among other things. While my closest friends know I use this identity, I don't think anyone really knows the ORIGINS of how coach41 came about.
Back over in 1998, I had graduated from college and working. Even though I had graduated, my primary email address was the one I still had from college since 1995. However, in time, the school informed me that my email address was going to be terminated. I had to find an alternative email account / address.
Fortunately, with the rise of the Internet around that time, there were plenty of providers of free email so I went to sign up for an account. The problem was to decided on an appropriate username. I'm not sure why I didn't select the username I had from school (maybe it wasn't available).
After thinking about things, I finally settled on "coach41". Why coach41? Two reasons:
1.
Around 1998-1999, I was still coaching basketball at my old grammar school. I felt the "coach" moniker still fit me well.
2.
Around 1998-1999, cell phones and instant messaging weren't used as much as they are today. The biggest technology in use this time were pagers. My friends and I had pagers. For people who don't know about pagers, people would call the pager and send a number to the pager for people to call them (i.e., 415-210-2121) . However, someone came up with the idea to use numbers as letters and thus was born the first version of texting. Some of the more popular messages are below:
43110 = HELLO
837 = THINKING OF YOU
143 = I LOVE YOU
6000 171647 = GOOD NIGHT
Unlike today, where your phone number is attached to your text messages, there was no easy way to identify you if you texted the random numbers above. So, to identify yourself, you would put your BIRTHDAY at the end of the message. As my birthday was April 1st, I could go with 401 or 41. I decided to go with 41.
Combine #1 and #2 and that's how coach41 was born.
Even though I haven't officially coached a team in about 6 years, I have retained the "coach41" identity It doesn't seem to be frequently used on the Internet and uniquely mine. I'm fortunate to be able to register the domain name as well.
Hope you enjoyed the history lesson!
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