Saturday, May 28, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
League
League prelims was a success. 55 of our Bernstein track kids are moving onto league finals.
Southern League Finals: 5/12, Thursday at 5:00 @ Santee High School
Southern League Finals: 5/12, Thursday at 5:00 @ Santee High School
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Southern League Standings & Results 2011
Nice job to all our teams this year...overall it was a successful year.
Varsity Boys: 6-0 (Southern League Champions)
Varsity Girls: 4-2
Frosh/Soph Boys: 6-0 (Southern League Champions)
Frosh/Soph Girls: 6-0 (Southern League Champions)
Varsity Boys: 6-0 (Southern League Champions)
Varsity Girls: 4-2
Frosh/Soph Boys: 6-0 (Southern League Champions)
Frosh/Soph Girls: 6-0 (Southern League Champions)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
"Burn the Ship"
We had a great trip down to San Diego for a track meet vs my former school, Cathedral Catholic High School. Our kids competed hard and saw that we have the potential to be a very competitive team this year...of course, we are going to have to work for it and commit/dedicate ourselves to each other. On the way down to San Diego, we stopped at a beach park near San Clemente to eat lunch and there, I told a story about Hernan Cortez, the Spanish Conquistador.
In 1519, Governor Velasquez of Spain told Hernan Cortez to go invade Mexico so Spain could conquer the land and take all the treasure that was supposedly there. The only problem is, Mexico was ruled by one of the biggest empires at that time, the Aztecs, ruled by Montezuma III. Many armies and conquers had tried and failed to defeat the Aztecs at that time period and Hernan knew that it was going to be a tough task. That did not stop him, he gathered around 500 men and sailed for Mexico in 9 ships and 11 horses. On the way to Mexico, his men started freaking out about the upcoming challenge and started doubting...Hernan knew that he needed to do something drastic and remarkable in order to inspire his men so that they could defeat one of the biggest empires in the world.
Once they landed, they anchored their ships and at the beach, Hernan gathered his men around so he could speak to them. His men felt better because they thought that he was going to go over a genius game plan/war strategy that would help defeat the Aztecs so they listened closely. Hernan Cortez said three words and three words only..."Burn the Ships." The men looked at him like he was crazy and they couldn't understand why he wanted to burn the 9 ships that they came on...what if they needed retreat? Regardless of how all the men felt after he had said those three words, Hernan had the men burn all 9 ships down into the sea. Hernan knew that the ships would give them an easy out and that if the men knew that they had no option of retreating, the men would fight harder...at least die fighting for what they believed in. The remarkable part about this story is that Hernan Cortez and his men ended up defeating the Aztecs, killing Montezuma III, and conquering the land.
After the story, I asked all the track kids what their ships were in their lives? What is or are the things that is holding them back from being the best that they could be? We all have ships in our lives that we need to burn in order to achieve greatness, including myself. I asked the girls if their ships were boys...do they need affirmation from boys because they don't feel good about themselves without it? I asked the boys if their ships were girls because they don't feel manly without it? Are boys and girls holding them back from focusing on what's really important in their lives right now? I asked them if their ships were laziness and the fear of working hard, working hard to the point where it hurts...physically or mentally? I asked them if their ships were their addiction to drugs, alcohol, or sex? I asked them if their ships were the fact that they come from a family or neighborhood where success isn't common so they feel like they don't need to or can't go after it...they're okay with staying where they grew up or the lifestyle they're used to? Whatever that ship may be, I told them to burn it!
These kids have so much potential, not just in track & field but more importantly, in school, and as people; but if they aren't willing to burn the ship and die trying, they will never reach what they are capable of reaching. We are all human, we tend to take the easy way out and we tend to go back to what is comfortable...it's those who are willing to push through and burn the ships who achieve greatness, whatever that may look like. I don't care where they come from, what race they are, what their parents did or didn't do, or what they've done in the past, if they want something bad enough and work hard for it, they can get it! But in order to do that, they must be willing to "Burn the Ship", even if it's absolutely terrifying. These kids are the underdogs...they come from a low-income area, they're minorities, and they are surrounded by many negative things but guess what, Hernan Cortez and his men were underdogs as well; look at what they accomplished. That was my message to them.
"Burn the Ship"
In 1519, Governor Velasquez of Spain told Hernan Cortez to go invade Mexico so Spain could conquer the land and take all the treasure that was supposedly there. The only problem is, Mexico was ruled by one of the biggest empires at that time, the Aztecs, ruled by Montezuma III. Many armies and conquers had tried and failed to defeat the Aztecs at that time period and Hernan knew that it was going to be a tough task. That did not stop him, he gathered around 500 men and sailed for Mexico in 9 ships and 11 horses. On the way to Mexico, his men started freaking out about the upcoming challenge and started doubting...Hernan knew that he needed to do something drastic and remarkable in order to inspire his men so that they could defeat one of the biggest empires in the world.
Once they landed, they anchored their ships and at the beach, Hernan gathered his men around so he could speak to them. His men felt better because they thought that he was going to go over a genius game plan/war strategy that would help defeat the Aztecs so they listened closely. Hernan Cortez said three words and three words only..."Burn the Ships." The men looked at him like he was crazy and they couldn't understand why he wanted to burn the 9 ships that they came on...what if they needed retreat? Regardless of how all the men felt after he had said those three words, Hernan had the men burn all 9 ships down into the sea. Hernan knew that the ships would give them an easy out and that if the men knew that they had no option of retreating, the men would fight harder...at least die fighting for what they believed in. The remarkable part about this story is that Hernan Cortez and his men ended up defeating the Aztecs, killing Montezuma III, and conquering the land.
After the story, I asked all the track kids what their ships were in their lives? What is or are the things that is holding them back from being the best that they could be? We all have ships in our lives that we need to burn in order to achieve greatness, including myself. I asked the girls if their ships were boys...do they need affirmation from boys because they don't feel good about themselves without it? I asked the boys if their ships were girls because they don't feel manly without it? Are boys and girls holding them back from focusing on what's really important in their lives right now? I asked them if their ships were laziness and the fear of working hard, working hard to the point where it hurts...physically or mentally? I asked them if their ships were their addiction to drugs, alcohol, or sex? I asked them if their ships were the fact that they come from a family or neighborhood where success isn't common so they feel like they don't need to or can't go after it...they're okay with staying where they grew up or the lifestyle they're used to? Whatever that ship may be, I told them to burn it!
These kids have so much potential, not just in track & field but more importantly, in school, and as people; but if they aren't willing to burn the ship and die trying, they will never reach what they are capable of reaching. We are all human, we tend to take the easy way out and we tend to go back to what is comfortable...it's those who are willing to push through and burn the ships who achieve greatness, whatever that may look like. I don't care where they come from, what race they are, what their parents did or didn't do, or what they've done in the past, if they want something bad enough and work hard for it, they can get it! But in order to do that, they must be willing to "Burn the Ship", even if it's absolutely terrifying. These kids are the underdogs...they come from a low-income area, they're minorities, and they are surrounded by many negative things but guess what, Hernan Cortez and his men were underdogs as well; look at what they accomplished. That was my message to them.
"Burn the Ship"
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Soul Over Mind & Body
At the Commitment Dinner, I gave a talk to the team about being compelled, being compelled means to give everything you've got for a cause with no excuses. This is how we are supposed to function on a team, but more importantly, in life. Afterwards, I shared with the kids the story of Dennis Byrd, he is former NFL football player who was paralyzed in a football game while playing for the NY Jets in the 90's. After the doctors told him that he would never walk again, through hard work, perseverance, and commitment, he lives a normal life now and he gave a talk to the NY Jets before their playoff game this year. This is what he told them...
A man has a body, a mind and a spirit. There are times in a mans life when his body will tell him it cannot continue on. There are times in a mans life where his mind will tell him, that the task set for him is too hard for him to accomplish. Those two don't matter, it's a mans will, a mans spirit, in those moments and in those times, that will tell him "you can do it". And it will make the mind and the body follow along and it doesn't have a choice. - Dennis Byrd
It's not always easy to be compelled and to give everything you've got but if your heart/spirit wants it, then the body and the mind will follow and you can get the job done. I hope that these kids will remember this story throughout the season and beyond that.
A man has a body, a mind and a spirit. There are times in a mans life when his body will tell him it cannot continue on. There are times in a mans life where his mind will tell him, that the task set for him is too hard for him to accomplish. Those two don't matter, it's a mans will, a mans spirit, in those moments and in those times, that will tell him "you can do it". And it will make the mind and the body follow along and it doesn't have a choice. - Dennis Byrd
It's not always easy to be compelled and to give everything you've got but if your heart/spirit wants it, then the body and the mind will follow and you can get the job done. I hope that these kids will remember this story throughout the season and beyond that.
Start of the Season
The official track & field season has started.
Let's be COMPELLED this year and make no excuses.
Let's be COMPELLED this year and make no excuses.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Passion
Today, at our last practice of winter break, I gave a talk to the team about something that we all need to hear, understand, and live out. The talk was about having a passion, being passionate about something in your life that is positive and productive.
Passion - a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything. That is what it says on D in the dictionary and that is true, but I see it as something you are willing to SACRIFICE for, whether it's time, money, effort, and most important, heart. Without sacrifice, it can not be a passion.
Kids at Bernstein need to find a passion for something, whether it's going to college, being the best athlete they can be, playing sports in college, making it out of the neighborhood they grew up in, or whatever it may be. If you don't have a passion for something or somethings, you are going to let anything and everything bring you down and hold you back. When you are passionate about something, you will do whatever it takes to get it and NOT do anything that will stop you from getting it.
I was fortunate enough to have a strong passion for things as a 9th grader in high school; I wanted to go to college, be an All-State football player, and get a football scholarship offer from a University. I held on to these things I was passionate about and never let go of them during high school. Kids wanted me to do drugs, get drunk, ditch classes, and live a life of empty pleasures but because of my goals that I was passionate about, I stayed away from them...I lived in the weight room, I got good grades, I never missed a practice and sacrificed my time, effort, and heart to attain my dreams. Four years after I found out about my passions, I went to college on a football scholarship and was named an All-State Running Back in the state of Washington. I have no regrets whatsoever and I am living a fulfilling life now because of the choices I made in high school.
RIGHT NOW, if you are passionate about something, pursue it and be willing to sacrifice whatever it may be to get it. If you don't know what you're passionate about, think about it and figure it out because if you don't, you will fall for anything (drugs, alcohol, ditching classes, bad relationships with girls/boys, etc). If they can find passion now and learn how to hang on to them, then the ultimate outcome will be them becoming passionate husbands/wives and fathers/mothers. That is my ultimate hope for these kids, that they'll love their wives/husbands and their kids with passion and learn to sacrifice themselves for their future families. If they can do that, I think they can have a healthy marriage, something we're not used to seeing in Bernstein's neighborhood.
To end the talk, I told them that since I'm not in high school anymore, I found a new passion in life. That new passion was THEM, I am and will continue to sacrifice myself and all that I have for them so that they can be successful and live a life that is worthy! As we continue with the preseason workouts and the regular season, I hope and pray that the kids at Bernstein will learn to live life with PASSION.
"Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion" - Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Passion - a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything. That is what it says on D in the dictionary and that is true, but I see it as something you are willing to SACRIFICE for, whether it's time, money, effort, and most important, heart. Without sacrifice, it can not be a passion.
Kids at Bernstein need to find a passion for something, whether it's going to college, being the best athlete they can be, playing sports in college, making it out of the neighborhood they grew up in, or whatever it may be. If you don't have a passion for something or somethings, you are going to let anything and everything bring you down and hold you back. When you are passionate about something, you will do whatever it takes to get it and NOT do anything that will stop you from getting it.
I was fortunate enough to have a strong passion for things as a 9th grader in high school; I wanted to go to college, be an All-State football player, and get a football scholarship offer from a University. I held on to these things I was passionate about and never let go of them during high school. Kids wanted me to do drugs, get drunk, ditch classes, and live a life of empty pleasures but because of my goals that I was passionate about, I stayed away from them...I lived in the weight room, I got good grades, I never missed a practice and sacrificed my time, effort, and heart to attain my dreams. Four years after I found out about my passions, I went to college on a football scholarship and was named an All-State Running Back in the state of Washington. I have no regrets whatsoever and I am living a fulfilling life now because of the choices I made in high school.
RIGHT NOW, if you are passionate about something, pursue it and be willing to sacrifice whatever it may be to get it. If you don't know what you're passionate about, think about it and figure it out because if you don't, you will fall for anything (drugs, alcohol, ditching classes, bad relationships with girls/boys, etc). If they can find passion now and learn how to hang on to them, then the ultimate outcome will be them becoming passionate husbands/wives and fathers/mothers. That is my ultimate hope for these kids, that they'll love their wives/husbands and their kids with passion and learn to sacrifice themselves for their future families. If they can do that, I think they can have a healthy marriage, something we're not used to seeing in Bernstein's neighborhood.
To end the talk, I told them that since I'm not in high school anymore, I found a new passion in life. That new passion was THEM, I am and will continue to sacrifice myself and all that I have for them so that they can be successful and live a life that is worthy! As we continue with the preseason workouts and the regular season, I hope and pray that the kids at Bernstein will learn to live life with PASSION.
"Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion" - Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
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