Advice to the Class of 2017

Today is the first day of school for the 2016-17 school year! I originally posted some of this  advice for seniors in August 2011 and over the last six years I have been asking coaching friends to add to it. I hope this post has something that resonates for you, but more than anything else I hope you know -- Class of 2017 -- YOU STAND on the SHOULDERS of GIANTS! So many people care about you and love you -- some you don't even know.  I want to thank all the past coaches and friends who have added, and I am grateful to Clarence Gaines, Nick Hill, and Nick Garcia for agreeing to add their thoughts this year. 

Dear Class of 2017 Athletes: 
Senior year is a special year for all sorts of reasons. In many ways, it is bittersweet. You, your parents, your coaches and many others have been working hard for you to get to this point. So with any culmination, we are all excited to see what you are going to do this year. At the same time we know this will be the last time you will be competing as a Raider. When it is all over, we are going to be celebrating your accomplishments and sad to see it end.

This fact was made most clear to me when I coached Mullery Doar, North Shore Class of 2006. Mullery's mom and I used to speak a lot during the spring of Mullery's senior year because Mullery had an especially complicated schedule. Together we would try to figure out how to fit Mullery's athletic commitments in. I would thank her for the conversation and apologize that things were so complicated. She used to say, "yeah, but Patrick, it is going to be so sad when it is over." Those words have stayed with me ever since.

Although you are likely to be excited about your future, many of us will feel so sad when your high school athletic seasons are over. I spent some time in the last few weeks, polling some of my coaching friends outside of North Shore as to what advice they would give to seniors entering their last year of high school sports. You may not know any of these people, but they are interested in you and in one way or another follow and support North Shore Athletics. So you need to know, there are lots of people behind you this year. Here is what they said:

"You build your own house" Meaning if you had the opportunity to build your own house no detail would be forgotten, no corners would be cut. It would be done the best possible way. Treat your academic and athletic career in the same manner and you will be very successful. Nick Garcia – Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, California

There’s a little league baseball team from the Midwest (Iowa) that has Proverbs 17:17 on the back of their uniform. It’s in honor of a mom (Jen Garcia) of one of the players who is battling pancreatic cancer. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” Wow! No greater gift can be given to these young players then to internalize these words at their ages. 

      A coaching friend, Ray Lokar, believes there are three things that are really important in life in anything you do, you have to care, think and try. The most important of these three is that you have to care, about yourself, your sport, your teammates, and the school/team you represent. 

     M. Scott Peck, author of ‘The Road Less Traveled’ defines love as “the will to extend one's self for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's spiritual growth.” Extend yourself to your teammates, lift them up at all times, challenge them to be the best that they can be and build connections that will endure during the toughest of times. Be there for each other - become brothers and sisters. 

     I want you to be brave! The most often repeated command in the bible is “do not be afraid.” Bravery is essential in life and its essential to you being part of an athletic team. Are you going “to give into the fear or are you going to live into the brave.” Dare to be bold and put the work in so that you can ‘live into the brave.’ 

      Play Hard, Play Smart, Play Together & have fun doing so. Dean Smith, UNC’s legendary basketball coach definition for: Playing Hard - To play with effort, determination and courage. Playing Smart - With good execution and poise, treating each possession as if it were the only one in the game. The only way to have a smart team is to have one that is fundamentally sound. Playing Together - Unselfishly trusting your teammates and doing everything possible not to let them down. One person who fails to do their job unselfishly could undermine the efforts of the other players.   

        Learn John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success Philosophy. "Wooden on Leadership" or "Coach Wooden's Pyramid of Success: Building Blocks for a Better Life” are good resources. Wooden’s definition of success is a keeper, "SUCCESS IS PEACE OF MIND, WHICH IS A DIRECT RESULT OF SELF SATISFACTION IN KNOWING YOU DID YOUR BEST TO BECOME THE BEST THAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF BECOMING.” And his definition for the final block in his pyramid is one to strive for - COMPETITIVE GREATNESS - “being at your best when your best is needed, enjoyment of a difficult challenge.” Have a great senior year! Clarence Gaines, Los Angeles & New York

How do you want to be remembered…?Your moment has come to be the role models for the rest of the school… Lead by example everyday, every class, every session… In the corridors, in the weight room, and on the track…Set the standards… Hard work, Effort, Commitment, Dedication and Sacrifice ALL pay-off in the long run…“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”. Follow your dreams… and don’t let anyone get in your way… or push you off track…

#BeTheBestYouCanBe #ForTheTeam Nick Hill, Santiago, Chile

"There are far too many quotes promoting living in the moment, playing one point at a time, and one game at a time, and while often overused, they are all so very true.  However, I think it is important to embrace and pursue having no ordinary moments.  In life and in sport, we can have content, even-keel, rather boring lives, or we can pursue excellence and embrace making every moment, every opportunity more than ordinary. “  This ethos of no ordinary moments involves everything from maximizing relationships in the fifteen minutes before and after practice in the lockerroom to striving for excellence in a drill you’ve done a 100 times, to making a play on the field.  A No ordinary moments mentality also means making sure that those moments you share with others, makes their time with you more than ordinary as well.  Invest in yourself, in others, and enjoy and appreciate the process." Randy Ballard, University of Illinois

Becoming an athlete--like becoming an adult--is a process that admits of no shortcuts. (You cannot enlist as a General.) This simple truth flies in the face of our convenience-at-all-costs culture, in which we are taught to disconnect from, and discount process.  But if there is to be any lingering joy in being--or having ever been--an athlete, surely it can only come from opening yourself wide to the process.  If this leads you to a championship, you will know you earned the distinction honorably (because you will recall your honest investment in the athletic process).  And if you fall short of the athletic goals you set, you will know it was not for having put comfort and convenience ahead of the daily physical challenges inherent in striving for uncomfortable and inconvenient things.  You will be able to say: "I was an athlete."  You will have real friends to count on going forward; prideful memories to savor; a solid foundation to push against with each step of the rest of your life's journey, and . . . no regrets. -- Steve Myrland, Madison, Wisconsin

Stay patient. Consistency is the key to gaining fitness. Training every day at 85-90% of your capacity is better than trying to run 100% every day. Remember no workout and no race makes or breaks your season. You'll have a bad workout or two and likely one or two bad races. Keep those in perspective and keep moving toward your ultimate goal for the season. -- Jay Johnson, Boulder Colorado

Enjoy the year. Focus on what you are doing now, not on next year. Remember you are leaders of our programs. Help the younger athletes develop by sharing your experience over the last four years. --

Vern Gambetta, Sarasota, Florida 

Make your mark on the program. This is your time to leave a legacy -- John Larralde, Santa Barbara, California

This is the moment you have been dreaming about and working for. Leave it all on the field. -- Mark Day, Ohio

Don't try to be something you are not. At the same time, don't feel you have to keep doing what you have always done just because you have always done it. Sit down with your coach and discuss your vision for the season and be open also to their vision for you. Don't be surprised if new opportunities and possibilities open up for you. -- Tove Shere, Santa Fe, New Mexico

This is a chance in a lifetime to set the standards for the future athletes behind you. Be the leader you want the athletes behind you to be. I love coach Wooden's word. "WORK HARD WORK SMART WORK TOGETHER" -- Ron Brissette, Buffalo, New York

Considering that I totally believe that there is educational value in athletics and it has been reported that the number one reason why young people participate in athletics is to have fun, I would strongly suggest that you enjoy your experience and take advantage of the benefits of participation. Benefits? The opportunity to develop leadership skills, goal setting, perseverance and working toward a common goal. These outcomes are invaluable and will serve you well throughout life. Have a great senior year! -- David Hoch, Baltimore, Maryland

You only get to be a high school athletes when you are still in high school. You only get one chance to be in high school. They make movies about people trying to go back to recover what they missed. But you can't go back to so something you didn't do in high school. College is a completely different game -- more like work -- if you even get to compete there. Your best friends are really the people you play with on your teams, not the ones who want you to sit with them on the sidelines so that you hvae more time together during your senior spring. -- Ed Ernst, Chicago, Illinois

Stay focused, manage your time, and if you have dreams of playing at the next level, create a plan for training and recruiting. Stay focused; there will be countless social distractions that could interfere with training and/ or performance. Outside of the normal school functions, athletes should limit the number of social gatherings to conserve energy to prevent stress and avoid burnout. Time management; after a hectic Junior year many Seniors look forward to a lighter load their last year. Student-Athletes should use any down time wisely -- preparing to play at the next level; perform at a high level in your sport and show leadership and good sportsmanship on your team. Consult with coaches, parents and recruiters to create a college recruiting process to land at your school of choice. Most importantly, have FUN, responsibly. -- Cameron Nicholson, Des Moines, Iowa

I see this as a short-term issue in a long-term environment. 'Seize the day' elements are important to promote just as it is important to see this year as another step in the journey. This all starts when they first arrive into the school -- creating the picture of each 'season' being part of a bigger journey. Just as each session is part of a performance cycle -- is a part of a phase -- is a part of a plan so one can consider that their education and experiences will continue. Some may stop competing after this final year while others will continue but their 'life contest' goes on and on. When you meet them 20 years from now you want to see people still with all those wonderful traits that your efforts gave them whether they won or lost in the sporting environment. -- Kelvin Giles, England, Australia, Abu Dhabi

Get an idea of what you want to do. Then work harder then you probably think you should to accomplish it. Once the hard work is done, take satisfaction that the hay is in the barn. Get connected to your body which will lead to lifetime wellness and an enriched life. -- Greg Thompson, Farmington, Michigan

Despite being busy preparing for the first year of college, LIVE IN THE MOMENT, do your best in classes and athletics, or you will mess up the present, which will mess up the future. On your team, make a strong and genuine effort to meet and mentor the underclassmen on your team. You will learn from them as they will learn from you. This is exercising leadership, and if you do not do it as a senior, then when? You can do this whether or not you are a team "captain." Make an effort to know your opponents. You are only opposing them during the contest. Otherwise, they are colleagues, and many can be friends later. You never know, some may be teammates later in college. Be a good representative of your school. GET MORE SLEEP! Be a good teammate by giving your full effort in support of the TEAM. If you take care the team, you will be just fine.  -- Michael McGrath, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Do not fall prey to the notion that playing sports interferes with your college admissions process or your all important fall term academics. Study after study proves that this is not the case. Commit to being some kind of leader on your team...whether it is leading the team by carrying equipment, serving as captain, being a big sister to several 9 graders, helping the coach improve communications (write for the school webpage) or always arriving early and always staying late. Map out your year and especially your game schedule through December break. Schedule college trips around those dates. As soon as you receive due dates for big projects, put them all on the game schedule. This will allow you to plan ahead for completing essay work and project work at a high level. Re-commit to being a scholar athlete and be proud of the sacrifice that the commitment entrails. This is your last year of High School sports...and a good time to take your preseason conditioning very seriously. Seniors who do that have breakout seasons... and I am writing from experience on this one. -- Paul Perkinson, Hoboken New Jersey

Forget the labels and just be the best you can be. Forget society's expectations. Set your own. -- Steven Levin, Baltimore, Maryland

Enjoy the moments that you encounter this season, and take the time to really soak them in. Look around at your teammates, competitors, parents, coaches, and create searing memories. Find the joy in what you are doing, experiencing, and creating. In other words, don't get caught up in the day to day that you miss out on what can be a truly great time in your life. -- Dan Daly, Chicago, Illinois