F.C.F. Fitness Center Fun (I made it up...)

For my Campus Safari, I decided to go to the fitness center. I've had a membership at the fitness center since coming to school though because I like to get in a good off day workout every now and then when the team doesn't have mandatory lifts, inter squads, or regular practice days… I really enjoy running and cycling ever since having my surgery so I go to the fitness center often to stay conditioned on top of what is done during practices. I like the fitness center in the student center because it is a lot more ascetically pleasing than the gym our team uses in the field house. The gym in the field house looks more like a dungeon even though we can get more of our heavy lifting done in there than we ever could in the student center. At the end of the day though a gym is a gym and is serves the purpose of creating a stronger and more athletic individual. The membership itself isn’t that bad because it only costs sixty dollars. I know I said “only” but the fact of the matter is that it costs roughly thirty dollars a month for a YMCA membership so this price doesn’t appear that steep to me.

The hours for the Gym are as follows:

Monday-Thursday 7 A.M.-10 P.M.

Friday- 7 A.M.- 8 P.M.

Saturday- 9:30 A.M.- 4:30 P.M.

Sunday- 2 P.M.- 7:00 P.M.

I am actually happy that I got to do this campus safari because I always though the gym was closed on Sundays. I normally go run on the football field track, but after seeing this, I’d rather cycle a couple of miles and just run on Saturdays.

"Prestige WorldWide, The First Word In Entertainment" -Step Brothers

            For my video project I have decided to further investigate managing athletics and academics. Even though I’ve been a college athlete for a short period of time, I’ve really begun to understand the importance of maintaining equilibrium between both forces. There are a lot of things that go into being a student athlete because you have a lot less time throughout the day to complete work than a regular student. After your academic day, you are in practices, or the weight room.           

            I want to interview freshman athletes and upperclass athletes to see how their views differ or are similar on being a student athlete. Asking questions like, what do you struggle most with being a student athlete? Have your grades ever fallen because of athletics? Do you think, thinking about schoolwork has ever compromised your performance on the field? What advice would you give to a new student athlete about balancing athletics and academics?

            Since I have to interview faculty and staff also, I thought I might interview both of my coaches and find out what they expect out of their student athletes. I would ask them questions such as, what do you expect out of your student athletes academically? Why do you think a student athlete might prioritize athletics over academics? Are there any consequences for not achieving a certain academic standard?

            I also want to make the video entertaining but still have a serious tone to it. I want to include things that I’ve seen so far from my own team to procrastinate schoolwork. I also want to show another side of procrastination and show how you can manage your time more efficiently and get schoolwork done so that all you have to think about on the field is honing your skills and becoming a better athlete in your field of endeavor.

            

Busy Bee...

This past weeks assignment was to log our everyday activities and analyze what we find regarding time spent studying and time spent elsewhere. When I logged my first days activities I was honestly shocked about the fact that I’m moving constantly moving and almost never stop. I woke up at seven fifty that morning for breakfast and didn’t get back to west until ten fifty that night for more studying. I am pretty sure I do a good job of making sure I get my studies done along with everything else I do such as my commitment to the baseball program, physical therapy every day, and making sure I get each of my meals in. My mornings are pretty much consumed by my classes because the team needs the afternoons off for practices, intersquads, lifting. During the week I also have to fit in my study table time, which is mandatory in order to maintain my athletic eligibility.

             Even though I am so busy throughout my day, I still leave time every night for a personal study hall that goes for eight to ten o’clock p.m. The reason I do this is because I have a mandatory five hours a week of study table and after that it is all on me. I think a major reason that I leave this study hall for myself is because of the fact that at Millbrook I was required to have study hall every day of the week (even on Fridays) from eight to ten o’clock p.m. I used to complain so much about the study hall and never wanted to do it, but now that I’m in college I realize how vital it is. If I didn’t develop that important skill to sit down and grind out work, I honestly don’t know how well I would be doing right now in college.

            After looking at my log, I’ve come to realize that I honestly am not putting in more hours for personal time than both sports and studying for school. I think that is great because it keeps me on the right track, but it is sort of depressing to look at on paper. Regardless, I’m happy with where I am right now academically, athletically, and personally.

Monday-

7:50 A.M- Shower/ Get Dressed                        10:30 P.M.- Leave study table

8:30 A.M.- Conn for breakfast                        10:50 P.M.- Study more for Anthro Test

9:10 A.M.- Spanish                                                12:00 A.M.- Sleep                                   

10:10 A.M.- Spanish Lab

11:00 A.M. – Math (Out Early)

11:30 A.M.- Lunch with team

12:00 P.M.- Change for baseball

12:30 P.M.- Physical Therapy

1:30 P.M.- Suite with the team

3:00 P.M.- Captain’s practice

4:30 P.M.- Lift in Gym

5:50 P.M- Dinner at Conn with team

6:30 P.M.- Shower/ Dress

7:00 P.M- Mandatory Freshmen Athletic Meeting

7:45 P.M.- Study Table

Making Mountains Out Of Mole Hills

I decided to complete the campus safari event that included going to the Southern radio station website and finding shows. The only reason I chose this is because of the fact I honestly didn't have any time to do any of the activities at Southern because of our practice schedule leading up to scout day. Little did I know though this was going to be an absolute headache. What I thought would be a more or less simple task became long-winded and frustrating. The website itself isn't very interactive and they don't have anything posted on their calendar as far as shows go. The only information they really have on events is posted on the homepage itself where you have to scroll down in order to find some events that will be happening this coming month. You would think those events would be posted where they are actually visible to those who go on the website. I was not able to find any shows because they don't have any posted either on the homepage itself or on the calendar. I was able to find several events though that happens though the radio station such as Sinfest and the chance to win tickets to a music festival called B.O.M.B. Fest. I clicked the play button to try and listen to a clip so I could rate it and respond to it, but unfortunately the website wouldn't play the flash player. Overall I think the SCSU radio team definitely needs to put some much needed time into their website to it functions with the purpose to both attract listeners and become easily navigable. 

Don't be shy to hand out an "A"

The assignment for this post relates to evaluating other blog posts and find several that deserve an “A.”  I don’t really think I’m in any position to be giving out grades because I by no means excel in English. My own writing can be somewhat difficult to understand at times and grammar always seems to be on my bad side. Regardless, I looked at different aspects of the blogs such as how much thought actually went into what was being written.

            One blog that I liked actually has the same title as mine on the Inquiry blogger homepage. It’s called “College Life.” I think Faith did a great job of being insightful but at the same time being simple. I personally don’t like reading things that are long winded and don’t really go anywhere. She does a good job of being blunt and direct while at the same time analyzing the topics through a critical lens. Another thing I like about the blog is the fact that she includes quotes to back up her ideas on the multitasking articles for her blog post. Citing sources is important when it comes to trying to convey a point you may have because it provides proper support towards your statement or argument.

            The second blog that I like a lot after reading is “Cooper Kean’s INQ Blog.” I like the blog a lot because after reading it I can tell how honest he is with his writing. He doesn’t really sugar coat things but tells you how it is. One post that stuck me the most is called “My Year Off.” I have a lot of respect for someone who is willing to work for their education. There are a lot of students who just go through the motions and don’t know how valuable money is when it comes to college tuition. I like Cooper’s use of language when writing his posts also, they are kind of fun to read because it is a lot more casual than other posts. When I say casual though I don’t mean there is no thought put in, but simply feels like he is talking to you directly. There is an informal sense to his writing that I appreciate when reading formal documents all the time in school.

            I believe these two blogs deserve “A’s.” Am I an excellent grader… by no means am I. I simply just looked for things that I likeed when reading.

            

"We must execute" -SCSU Third Base Dugout

I think the best tip we have gone over in class so far is working towards being successful. Chapter three pretty much defines success as having an underlying meaning of generating goals to accomplish. I’m personally a huge fan of goals and have been for pretty much my whole life. They are a great way to motivate yourself to accomplish tasks that you know you can meet, but at the same time strive for what you may think is impossible. My favorite goals are honestly the ones you aren’t sure you can attain. There is a sort of skepticism that lingers in the back of your mind that almost shadows your ability to be a believer in a goal you have. I think that gives you even more drive to execute what you believe in.

            I think the best way to meet personal goals is to be organized and to have a plan of attack. You need to know going into a goal that it isn’t going to be easy, it will take time and work to bring together. Nothing is going to happen overnight so you need to schedule your time appropriately and make sure there is time allotted every day towards achieving your goal.

            When I try to accomplish goals related to baseball it is really all about knuckling down and grinding out the at bats, sprints, gym time, and off day workouts. The motivation lies in all the work I put in for the end product. For academics my goals really lie in what I was brought up learning from my parents. My dad always says to me, “I am better of than my father, you will be better off than me.” That remark has always stuck with me and I’ve never really been sure what to think of it. I love my father a lot and want to be like him embodying the values he has and his work ethic. I feel like I’ve done a somewhat decent job so far and my goal of being successful lies within that simple statement.

            I think the tip so far that I don’t think has an extreme value to me is time management. I went to a prep school for high school and really learned what it means to have ten to twenty hours of homework a week. I understand the value of time and how to space it out in order to get all my work done. I boarded at my school so I didn’t have my parents there to tell me to sit down and do my work or constantly tell me that I’m not doing well enough. It was my responsibility to make sure all my work was completed on time and to the best of my ability.

Convocation

For the campus safari I decided to go to the convocation. It turned out to be a good campus safari because our coach wanted the whole to team to go anyway. Upon entering Lyman the ceremony had already begun. There was faculty there to present different ideas about what they expect throughout the school year. There was an interesting tradition done where students from the freshmen class say several things that student body will abide by during there time at Southern. As each item was said off the list a candle was lit to embody the importance of the statement.  After all six candles were lit and the student body said “I will” at the end of each assertion.

            The newly appointed president of the school then stood and presented several things that are occurring at the school. The list consisted of construction projects that will be finishing up such as the new parking garage and the fact that the renovations to the library will be finishing up by the time the class of 2016 graduates.

            What I got out of the ceremony was that it was a way for the school to pass ownership of responsibility for academics, sports, community service, and school pride. The president did a good job of passing down the spirit of Southern and everything it has to offer to the freshmen class. 

Tommy John Journey

            I think the most difficult thing I’ve had to face in my life to date is when my doctor told me I had stretched my Ulnar Collateral Ligament. He didn’t really say it in those words though, the first words that came out of his mouth upon looking at my MRI were, “sorry.” I knew right then and there that something was seriously wrong if an orthopedic surgeon walks into your appointment saying sorry. A lot of things raced through my mind at that time. Am I ever going to be able to play again? Can I ask for conservative treatment? Will this require surgery? I really did get caught up in the moment, all of a sudden really dark thoughts started to enter my mind. I became entrapped by my injury, only thinking about the negative things. Little did I know though the surgery that I had on May 4th would change my life forever. I had the chance to train harder and develop skill sets by training my body in ways I never imagined during physical therapy. The therapists honestly changed the way I view protecting my arm and strengthening it in a healthy and positive manner. Most times you don’t get second chances to learn things like that and better yourself. I took a few steps back to take a couple leaps forward.

            I think this event happening in my life is a great metaphor for a section in chapter three called, “Converting Setbacks Into Comebacks” (70). During college you are going to have a lot of setbacks. Whether it is academically, socially, or athletically. The trick is though is not to dwell on the setbacks. I believe though it is good to reflect on the setback and come to an understanding with what you did wrong. If you didn’t do that you would never learn from your mistakes. Once you have done that though, it is time to let it go and move on. Be that ambitious person and look for that “second chance.” Even though it may not be a literal second chance, you can still make the best out of any situation moving forward. I took my surgery as a chance to become better than I was before having the surgery. In college you need to look through that same lens and work to become better instead of beating yourself down. 

Dat Determination Doe'

I really liked chapter three in Thriving In College & Beyond. The whole chapter is basically dedicated to the idea of goals and their effect on the desired outcomes people crave. It’s hard to say, but I’d like to think most people in the world want to be successful both in the present and their future. I know I do… Most of my life has been goal oriented. I am always trying to better myself every day whether it is athletically or academically. I am always looking for an edge to better my performance in everything I try to accomplish. One major reason for the success that I’ve had thus far is because I set goals for myself both in the short term and the long term.

            A major long-term goal I’ve had for the past two years was to run a sub seven sixty-yard dash. It was an extremely ambitious goal because anyone who knows anything about sprinting understands it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to shave even a tenth of a second off your time. I can stand here today though acknowledging I ran a six and nine tenths sixty this summer. A lot of sweat and determination really brought me to where I wanted to be.

            A lot of my short-term goals though are related to my schoolwork. I am always making mental notes of when I need to get things done and by when. If it weren’t for my ability to set goals for myself to get schoolwork done, I would have literally zero drive to complete everything. I think a lot of my goals though for schoolwork right now are not only driven by being successful in college, but also to make my coach proud that I can give a hundred percent both on the field and in the classroom.

            My favorite part of the reading overall was the section on integrity and its pivotal role in being a goal-oriented person. A goal is self-driven and the course of how the goal is accomplish lies solely on the person who brought the goal to life. You can’t accomplish a goal if you don’t have any self-intuition of what you want as an individual. If you simply just go with the flow you let other dictate how fast you can accomplish a goal, you need to work with a sense of clairvoyance and picture yourself at the desired outcome on your own terms. The book says it best saying, “They (college students) don’t look to together people to determine their own values, and they don’t conform to the norm if the norm is wrong; instead, they look inward and let their conscience be their guide” (74).

Chariots Of Fire

 I woke up at ten o'clock a.m. for an inter-squad this morning and I loved every minute of it. Most kids would want to sleep in on a Saturday and get some rest after a long week, but I had no problem getting up to play some ball. An inter-squad is basically a scrimmage between your own teammates. The purpose of the inter-squad is to get fielders live plays off the barrel of a bat, hitters live pitches, and pitchers the chance to throw a few innings. Before beginning the inter-squad we take live BP (Batting Practice) and IO (Infield outfield). The inter-squad takes a lot of effort to complete because it requires roughly four hours of your undivided attention to complete. You always need to be aware of what is happening around you from backing up plays to running on and off the field in twenty seconds between innings (Or else you run at the end…) Another major purpose of the inter-squad is the competition aspect of it. Even though you love every one of you teammates, you are constantly competing for starting positions come the beginning of the regular season.

            Coach Shea explained that he wants a regional bid this year. One reason he wants the bid is because it is a great feeling to have a chance to compete for a College World Series title. Another reason coach Shea wants the regional bid is because Southern hasn’t gone two consecutive years without one bid to the regional. That statistic in itself is a great accomplishment for the school and the baseball program. It is something to really be proud of because it takes a lot of hard work and a lot of extra practice hours to maintain. A large reason Southern is able to make these tournament bids is because of the fact we have these four hour inter-squads every Saturday. It develops a strong sense of work ethic that you need to compete at a high level. A lot of excitement develops over the tournament this year because Southern has the opportunity to host the league championship for the regional bid. This kind of opportunity doesn’t come that often so we are hungry for the chance to play in front of friends, family, classmates, and faculty.

Ayyye Mike And Mike Is A Blog?!?!

I have never written a blog before. When I first heard we are writing a blog throughout the semester I initially thought we would just write about personal experiences. Little did I know, blogs have a wide variety of uses to the general public. Sometimes blogs are used to convey personal stories, but more often than not they focus on a central topic and elaborate from there. Blogs can cover topics ranging from popular sports news, to heated political arguments. I personally think the best part of a blog is the section dedicated for users who view the blog to give their own personal opinion after reading the blog. Sometimes the opinions are fiery and other times more subtle depending on the topic.

            One of my favorite shows is ESPN’s Mike And Mike in the morning. It is a radiobroadcast that you can watch where Mike And Mike delve into issues on sports for the week. Little did I know Mike and Mike have a blog where they upload their broadcasts for viewers to comment on the topic at hand. Most of the time comments are heated because people are such avid sports fans. I find it very interesting a blog doesn’t necessarily have to be typed.

            Besides sports, I found a lot of blogs based around technology. The NY Times has a blog section dedicated to technology. The blogs are directed more towards the unveiling of new items that will hit the market. Comments related to these articles are based more on speculation of how well the item will sell; other people simply leave questions that weren’t answered in the blog related to the item.

            The last couple blogs I looked at had to do with politics. I’m not very knowledgeable when it comes to politics. After reading some blogs related to politics, I feel they are much more biased than either the technology or sports blogs. I suppose that makes sense though because people writing political blogs write from the point of view of the party they are associated with.

Works Cited:

"CNN Political Ticker- All politics, all the time - CNN.com Blogs." CNN Political Ticker- All politics, all the time - CNN.com Blogs. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Sept. 2012. <http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/>.

"Nick Saban on Mike and Mike - Alabama Crimson Tide Blog - ESPN."Exclusive Rumors, Picks, Fantasy Tools, Recruiting and More ESPN Insider - ESPN. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Sept. 2012. <http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/colleges/alabama/post/_/id/5386/nick-saban-on-mike-and-mike>.

"What is a Blog? : @ProBlogger." Blog Tips to Help You Make Money Blogging - ProBlogger. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Sept. 2012. <http://www.problogger.net/archives/2006/02/14/what-is-a-blog-2/>.

"Technology - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com." Technology - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Sept. 2012. <http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/>.

College to me has been something that I’ve dreamed of ever since I was thirteen years old. I grew up with a dad who loved the sport of baseball, as did I. Every time we drove to games, he always said that if I worked hard enough I could play in college. I think that is the earliest point in my life that I had even thought of college. At that point I was so young I pictured myself playing baseball and more or less forgot about the school part. Growing up though I’ve still always had the dream of playing college baseball, but the way I view college has drastically changed from when I was thirteen. I’ve come to college now with every intention of fulfilling my childhood dream of being an exceptional college baseball player, but also being academically fundamental. With my goal of being a college baseball player accomplished, I look now to possibly be drafted in the future. The thought of being drafted often consumes me, but In the back of my mind I want more out of my college experience. I’ve always wanted to be surrounded by other baseball players who share the same love of the game as me.

            My teammates have been my pride and joy since coming to SCSU for only a week and a half. We have already shared some pretty good laughs and experienced a lot in such little time together. The social dynamic of being with the team has really changed the way I approach people becoming a more outgoing person.

            Academically I want to flourish at SCSU, even thought I have dreams of being drafted, I really want to pursue a career that I am proud of. This past year I sat down with my parents and came to the conclusion that I wanted to work in a medical field. More importantly, I want to work with athletes and better them on their playing field. I had a fairly traumatic experience where my Ulnar collateral ligament popped this past spring. It required Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction to solve, better known as Tommy John Surgery. After the surgery I was referred to a sports medicine clinic where I received physical therapy for the summer. It was there I decided that I want to work in sports medicine, having the opportunity to work with the athletes’ hands on. I want to be academically sound at Southern with a degree in Exercise Science to further my education at a graduate school and become a certified sports medicine physical therapist.