tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12633876673079306972024-03-28T20:30:02.876-07:00Sports and Spirituality<b>Sports and Spirituality</b>
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Using the lens of athletics to more fully understand the spiritual lifeAnne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.comBlogger1139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-46478450771927735092024-03-25T22:55:00.000-07:002024-03-26T08:28:58.022-07:00Is Surfing a Subversive Activity?<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">With a full day ahead of me, I realized if I was going to get any exercise in for the day it would need to be early. I decided I should beat the traffic and arrived at the office, aka, school early. I put on my walking shoes and head phones a little annoyed that I didn't have enough time to walk the loop in my neighborhood. Full disclosure: the walk near work offers me an unadulterated</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">view of the Pacific Ocean. I remind myself of that fact on a regular basis and yet—there's something to be said for creature comforts—or in this case, my signature stroll.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJklTzxdLd7HzpIsgXRnaZ_fk5tbAKTjO6Wbj5dtetyMke6fMP_ehvdgqyr6MOkk5l3HPrUijaQvjmgGiGEnx-JpEssZb_TaMKn9me_LzKvHHZKbIZyakz3Bd3L2B4MJhGVTnWRKXbYE8iKngvLDjVaog5z70zLttruAzicuRb67STL3wF3gVJE_8x9qJ/s2000/SB-Rack_2048x2048.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJklTzxdLd7HzpIsgXRnaZ_fk5tbAKTjO6Wbj5dtetyMke6fMP_ehvdgqyr6MOkk5l3HPrUijaQvjmgGiGEnx-JpEssZb_TaMKn9me_LzKvHHZKbIZyakz3Bd3L2B4MJhGVTnWRKXbYE8iKngvLDjVaog5z70zLttruAzicuRb67STL3wF3gVJE_8x9qJ/w400-h225/SB-Rack_2048x2048.webp" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I made my way toward Ocean Beach with 30 minutes to spare. It was slightly gray and a little cold, with no wind to be found. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of something I had never seen before: a surfer with a board attached to his bicycle. Riding his bi-ped in a wet suit, I found the physics of this feat to be one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I thought to myself, </span><i style="font-family: georgia;">Nice. What a perfect way to start the day.</i><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <i>I envy this man. Freedom and fun. Let's go!</i></span><i><br style="font-family: georgia;" /></i><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Later in the day, I walked behind the school building; from this perch one can still see the Pacific. For some reason, that surfer came to mind. A burning question popped into my head. I needed an answer. I wondered, </span><i style="font-family: georgia;">Is surfing a subversive activity?</i><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I started to consider the ways I think it might be. You're going to tell me that a human being can enter into that vast pull and power of the ocean and work with it for no other purpose than enjoyment. Seems daring. Pretty ridiculous. Totally scary. Rather improbable and yet magnificent.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmY9NdPM0EtuDuHfl_Y7D-Gbi_8wFER7NAUwtIVbTq1RuF_IKGkDrKNd2baGBFzoflxR5FykM0Z7EX6UC_Yv_Zl0ZX3Af_ZKGJQrGn6kLDHzjXLgTq6XUli0poM9kyJN9lFd8xySYNE6ktKPrw1aNoZXt4ysyyoUTo1VcS6BbibIj74hSoHoWZjINxsvW/s1200/SF%20Locals%20only.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXmY9NdPM0EtuDuHfl_Y7D-Gbi_8wFER7NAUwtIVbTq1RuF_IKGkDrKNd2baGBFzoflxR5FykM0Z7EX6UC_Yv_Zl0ZX3Af_ZKGJQrGn6kLDHzjXLgTq6XUli0poM9kyJN9lFd8xySYNE6ktKPrw1aNoZXt4ysyyoUTo1VcS6BbibIj74hSoHoWZjINxsvW/w400-h210/SF%20Locals%20only.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Let me be clear, no government is or ever will be overthrown by surfers or an organized union of them. Why not? Because part of surfing is that its very nature defies organization. For example, the name of the popular movie "Soul Surfer" actually describes </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">philosophical and spiritual concept first developed and introduced in the 1960s to define the sport - or activity - in its purest form.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">As written in "Twelve Signs You Know You're a Soul Surfer," </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">As with many other sports, there is always an innate drive to seek and find the original and unadulterated values, virtues, and essence of something simultaneously special and fragile.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">The roots of surfing are rich and culturally significant.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">The practice of riding waves blends utility and pleasure, necessity and joy, and has been socially adopted by Polynesian and Peruvian societies for thousands of years.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">So, when the sport of surfing became a commercial hit in the Southern California beach culture, some felt the need to detach themselves from the profit-oriented side that quickly emerged from it.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">Surfing purists are often called soul surfers.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">The expression "soul surfer" was first used to name a song by Johnny Fortune (1943-2006), a surf guitar hero from Warren, Ohio.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">Soul surfers are the guardians of the ultimate joy of walking on water.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">They (aim to) represent the sport's counterculture; they're an informal army of unarmed soldiers or missionaries that remind us of what, in the end, surfing is all about.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;"></span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">"Never defined by tenets or principles, soul surfing nonetheless came into its own in the mid-and late-1970s as the catchall opposition philosophy to professional surfing, which encompassed not only prize money competition but much of the surf industry and surf media," notes Matt Warshaw, author of "The Encyclopedia of Surfing."</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Whether or not that man with the board on a bike is a full fledged soul surfer, in the Outer Sunset, there is the sent that surfers surf for joy, to connect to nature. They surf to be part of a community, to live a life less ordinary. As written in <a href="https://www.soulandsurf.com/journal/7-principles-of-soul-surfing/">Soul & Surf</a>, "They don’t surf as a sport to win prizes... it's a little bit more spiritual than that. It is a complete and consuming immersion in nature, a submission to the whims of a set of corduroy lines determined by a pressure system in a faraway ocean. It is soul and life and compassion and style – and a glimmer of connection to the present moment that is addictive and extraordinary and essential." In short, </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">they surf for the stoke.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMp5j8xPT3wwu612os7wnQoBwKNSak8DuvOUjRUaIwjwaf2Hsaloql-_mPfqMO5AfeFKO2JH6elixcGhLpAO49HeEVTo-GHwQ5QUVV4oL9audKkHnMppqd68qGYUFpPQqFywsPCZGZgh4p0zxzD4vtrwQ6R1Kavc8BSj0pn30LivB_9BVxBBN9CiY9OQb/s4515/A_OCBE_150215_ATB_4E.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4515" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWMp5j8xPT3wwu612os7wnQoBwKNSak8DuvOUjRUaIwjwaf2Hsaloql-_mPfqMO5AfeFKO2JH6elixcGhLpAO49HeEVTo-GHwQ5QUVV4oL9audKkHnMppqd68qGYUFpPQqFywsPCZGZgh4p0zxzD4vtrwQ6R1Kavc8BSj0pn30LivB_9BVxBBN9CiY9OQb/w400-h268/A_OCBE_150215_ATB_4E.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ocean Beach, San Francisco</td></tr></tbody></table><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">And this is what I find subversive. In a culture obsessed with measurement and gain, rankings and titles, surfing stands somewhat singular. It says "try me" on a whim and a dare. It brings a man or woman, teen and a few elders into the chilly ocean—saltwater and all—offrring but a simple message: enjoy. You may or may not agree with my deducction, but it's hard to deny: surfing certainly is spiritual.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I can't join these soul surfers (I did ask my caridologist) but please know, I nod and bow to those of you looking for but one thing on a Monday, Wednesday or Saturday morning: the perfect wave. <br /><br />I'll end with the closure of a former surfing club president wrote on his emails: stay stoked. I mean it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Photo Credits</b><br /><a href="https://www.nps.gov/goga/getinvolved/ocean-beach-planning.htm">Ocean Beach</a><br /><a href="https://creatures.com.au/blogs/news/surfboard-bike-racks-to-get-you-moving">Bike </a><br /><a href="https://www.kalw.org/show/crosscurrents/2019-09-30/the-first-surfers-to-brave-san-franciscos-ocean-beach">Local Surfers</a></span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-60606287276713752362024-03-22T08:19:00.000-07:002024-03-22T09:50:26.375-07:00Sports and Spirituality: Making Teaching Fun Again<div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I asked a few colleagues at lunch the other day, "When is teaching fun?" I heard answers like "when you are not grading." Someone else said, "when you are not giving detention for dress code." I didn't get the information I was seeking. And then I realized that no one should ask this question at the end of the third quarter. Timing is everything, right?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Here's the good news. In spite of the grind and the rampant senioritis, I have answers. Teaching is fun when I get to engage with my favorite topics, play with ideas, make connections, think creatively and invite young people to come along. For me, it fun to teach and talk about culture, language and of course sports and spirituality. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Though I do teach <i>Sports and Spirituality</i>, a senior elective in the Religious Studies department, one need not have a class dedicated to the topic alone. I think there is a way for every teacher to incorporate what they love into their curriculum. There's a lot to be said for the teacher who is enthusiastic and passionate about the subject. #Differencemaker. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">So to keep some, if any, fun in teaching—give this a go. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">You can use this information at the beginning of class as students settle in or as a fun way to wrap up the period. Whether or not you are an educator, each one offers something to think about. Enjoy.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLt4GYGIHuB-XeW_SCcvklR0RpaUqWgPFG_DebVUcaNcIz7fKXMIKe27ib_GbJGhZq9S3PrYp0tkwmZwV57m4sfhkhDgF1sXuSm7kyy8F_hUNnTxejf2k6hzLK3N8CspdylD3EueOd-ooxTGuOkChyDsw09lhyPY-rGesX8QaE-_Ptyi7VdY-ozLtCUQFr/s977/Baseball%20is%20back.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="977" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLt4GYGIHuB-XeW_SCcvklR0RpaUqWgPFG_DebVUcaNcIz7fKXMIKe27ib_GbJGhZq9S3PrYp0tkwmZwV57m4sfhkhDgF1sXuSm7kyy8F_hUNnTxejf2k6hzLK3N8CspdylD3EueOd-ooxTGuOkChyDsw09lhyPY-rGesX8QaE-_Ptyi7VdY-ozLtCUQFr/w400-h225/Baseball%20is%20back.png" width="400" /></a></div><b style="font-family: georgia;">Opening Day, South Korea and Population Demography</b></div><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">March 20 marked Opening Day for Major League Baseball. If you feel the need to put an asterisk by that, I unerstand. For 28 of the 30 MLB teams, Opening Day is not until <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/mlb-opening-day">Thursday, March 28</a>. To further complicate matters, MLB teams have the home opener (if their team starts on the road), Opening Night and Opening Day. I have written about this <a href="https://sportsandspirituality.blogspot.com/search?q=Opening+Day">misnomer</a> before. Regardless, t</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">he San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers traveled to Seoul for a two game road stand in </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">what is </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">the first time an official MLB game has been played in South Korea.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">A number of questions should follow:<br /><ol><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Why South Korea?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Why those two teams?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Does having more than one Opening Day compromise the significance of the tradition?</span></li></ol></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">A few answers: For one, baseball has exploded in popularity in South Korea. As noted by sportswriter Jee-ho Yoo,</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> "People just love baseball here." Turns out the country has produced 28 MLB players and the first to be drafted in the United States. Chan-Ho Park, who pitched in MLB for nine years, threw out the first pitch—wearing a dual team jersey. Perhaps that is why those two particular teams made the cross-Pacific flight to what is the sixth largest metro area in the world.</span></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMS8BIgpbH2pykqqwtm_MiZtWRZeUN8K_ITq2N7553GrMtJWcYFQ2YRPnh40woYJdx49rg5Q8HF1gN_7qgLgR7mnWc7nGl6QaGlBgs1Qi_T-_xjAmbef3YQVPLXsJu_oywWBEzR4suo-5_0tdFUN2Yb42hBi4qHFOuD9ejrySzuO8d7yGw3sQO9zUtB1w/s977/Chang%20no.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="977" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMS8BIgpbH2pykqqwtm_MiZtWRZeUN8K_ITq2N7553GrMtJWcYFQ2YRPnh40woYJdx49rg5Q8HF1gN_7qgLgR7mnWc7nGl6QaGlBgs1Qi_T-_xjAmbef3YQVPLXsJu_oywWBEzR4suo-5_0tdFUN2Yb42hBi4qHFOuD9ejrySzuO8d7yGw3sQO9zUtB1w/w400-h225/Chang%20no.png" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sixth largest!? Yes, Seoul is home to 24.3 million people. I think it's valuable to teach and share population demongraphy. Ask students if they have been to Seoul. Invite students to guess the other answers.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div>Thank you to YahooSportsAM for the material...and the hint: The five largest metro areas are in Japan, India, Indonesia, China and the Philippines.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Answers: </b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Tokyo, Japan (36.5 million); </li><li>Delhi, India (30.1 million); </li><li>Jakarta, Indonesia (29.8 million); </li><li>Shanghai, China (26.9 million); </li><li>Manila, Philippines (25 million)</li></ul></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Most students got two or three out of the five. And, I had but a handful of Opening Day purists. Students think it is good to grow the game and give international exposure.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Feel free to research the faith traditions of those countries named. I guessed higher, but Korea is 11.9% Catholic. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><b>A Different Kind of Holy Week</b><br />The 2024 Masters will take place April 11-14. The events that preceed the first major of the year are magnificent; each one steeped in tradition. It starts in Augusta’s clubhouse on the Tuesday night of tournament week with the Champions Dinner. The reigning champion sets the menu and gets to pay the bill for this elite dinner party. Past winners only.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The 2023 winner Jon Rahm who hails from Bairika Spain created a menu that reflects his Basque heritage. My mouth started watering and I recalled traveling to the Northeast part of Spain to walk the Camino Ignaciano. Each day concluded with a delicious meal featuring cured meats and flavors much like what you see here.<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbRC4R3IUW1Z4xyokf2ducbtKB4aOdhrWDCINyKcgeP2gcjl2G7aDX_2LZIP4Q8d-tp_CCE01KICKtESkD6rlemDHWUAnoItSrhn9OJkm4gPAPlelFS79fhU4FEsmOT_00uLpb2a0ClMLX0Osws156m4i-EaNef25wDmCkMW-qQODp7OPMT80A-Dwdbt0/s726/Masters%20Dinner%2024.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="650" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbRC4R3IUW1Z4xyokf2ducbtKB4aOdhrWDCINyKcgeP2gcjl2G7aDX_2LZIP4Q8d-tp_CCE01KICKtESkD6rlemDHWUAnoItSrhn9OJkm4gPAPlelFS79fhU4FEsmOT_00uLpb2a0ClMLX0Osws156m4i-EaNef25wDmCkMW-qQODp7OPMT80A-Dwdbt0/w359-h400/Masters%20Dinner%2024.jpg" width="359" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ignatius of Loyola, the patron saint of the school where I teach and the founder of the Society of Jesus is also Basque. Having lived over 500 years ago, it can be challening to relate to his identity, personality and humanity, too. However, food is a fundamental for connection. It speaks to culture without words....all taste buds.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>March Madness</b><br />I came to find out that "eight schools in this year's men's NCAA tournament have won multiple national championships." Thanks again to YahooSportsAM. This weekday resource asked me to name them (hint: three are in the same state), I started to wonder if any Catholic colleges made the cut. Negative.<br /><br />I then considered what Catholic University has the most NCAA championships. I held on to hope that my alma mater has that locked in for the women's tourney. The Irish do, with two titles in 2001 and 2018. For the men, the answer is difiifferent. Want to guess? Villanoa has three. Impressive.<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdOy7_W40wsiJjrmyAVTIHauTEHCHVNaAstAmWAFySYO1405SxMiXaG0G38il57Vt9VM1SFlJiwbuuFh_-MyCVKM6DsBiu5osaxItBodXD-JuwkJVjHNmzz4HY-olVz4mMKML79FUgVgdBqh4ldqDL6osK9ngPRSGZwWQlsHUzUZhpi7rpJsUBOuJhmk7/s977/Trophy.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="977" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZdOy7_W40wsiJjrmyAVTIHauTEHCHVNaAstAmWAFySYO1405SxMiXaG0G38il57Vt9VM1SFlJiwbuuFh_-MyCVKM6DsBiu5osaxItBodXD-JuwkJVjHNmzz4HY-olVz4mMKML79FUgVgdBqh4ldqDL6osK9ngPRSGZwWQlsHUzUZhpi7rpJsUBOuJhmk7/w400-h225/Trophy.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">When speaking about Catholic schools in this context, I always find it worthwhile to teach about the religious communities that founded them— the Augustinians at Villanova and </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">the Congregation of Holy Cross at Notre Dame. Invariably that information is news to people. So much so that Sister Jean Lenz, OSF included an anecdote about this perception in her book "<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/newsletters/yahoo-sports-am/">Loyal Sons and DAUGHTERS</a>: A Notre Dame Memoir</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">." </span></div><div><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: georgia;"><blockquote>It's hard to imagine that I knew nothing about the Congregation of Holy Cross and its relationship to the University of Notre Dame during my adolescence on the South Side of Chicago. I suspect if anyone tested me along the way, I might have guessed Notre Dame was run by the Jesuits, a belief which fits into that somewhat legendary story about how the Jesuits took a poll to find out—among other things—which of their universities was considered the most well know, only to discover that Notre Dame had landed the top spot. </blockquote></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Furthermore, it has always been surpring to me how many people thought I went to school "back East." South Bend, Indiana is as midwest as it gets. Why not get students to locate each school on a map? South Bend sits on the SOUTH bend of the St. Joseph River. Sometimes life makes sense....</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I hear it often: <i>I would love to teach Sports and Spirituality! </i>Others tell me they wish they could take a class on Sports and Spirituality. Here! Here! </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Wth this blog post, I hope I got your mind thinking of ways to get those synapses flying, your noggin moving and face smiling. There's always a lot to learn. Why not make it fun?!<br /><br /><b>Photo Credits</b><br /><a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/newsletters/yahoo-sports-am/">Chan Ho Park, Opening Day and MM Trophy</a><br /><a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/jon-rahm-reveals-his-menu-for-the-2024-masters-champions-dinner-165734943.html">Menu</a></span></div>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-90720998352048322282024-03-17T08:29:00.000-07:002024-03-17T20:51:40.513-07:00A Case for a Good Editor: Thank You, Kobe<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Spelling, pronunciaion, using proper nouns, writing in paragraphs. Proofreading your word, making edits and keeping it "tights" (thank you, Hemingway) may be out of style in the personal lives of my students but not in my classroom. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">D<i>o teachers today need to double down on a classical education? Does my personal commitment to detail make me a grouch or an Ignatian educator? Might the answer be both?</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">While I have given up some battles at this point in the year—detention for dress code or tardies for students not in their seat when the bell rings—I have left a few dogs in the fight. The fundamentals of writing is one of them. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqPf5wm3ePGypYfu1JfM0UXA122863Zk1ZfWDrRTcM5xRY_N7y6AfJdWU2hZeuTBfVmBuH0gS4rlgk-xG44goIWO90ItEroJ3AmuCW-OsVYgVwAMhkJ6vwkY87G2I_FE-5TrL9la5n6-wKhHPBxsqan6OuPjkkP7S-e7oDi_VvB-7vfpcJyPflwMuXpiN/s2400/Kobe%20statue.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1995" data-original-width="2400" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWqPf5wm3ePGypYfu1JfM0UXA122863Zk1ZfWDrRTcM5xRY_N7y6AfJdWU2hZeuTBfVmBuH0gS4rlgk-xG44goIWO90ItEroJ3AmuCW-OsVYgVwAMhkJ6vwkY87G2I_FE-5TrL9la5n6-wKhHPBxsqan6OuPjkkP7S-e7oDi_VvB-7vfpcJyPflwMuXpiN/w400-h333/Kobe%20statue.webp" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">For exampl,e a</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">ny student that submits a paper without paragraphs gets a deduction in points and the same comment: p</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>aragraphs help you organize your ideas and your reader to comprehend them. The usage of paragraphs is</i></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i> a non-negotiable.</i> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">I circle, highlight and mark any "I" or name that is not capitalized. I have shared the best tactic I was given for how to proof read. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">I went out of my way to tell my seniors that the Super Bowl is a 1) a proper noun and 2) two words.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Yes, this a hill I am willing to die on. But why? Why is accuracy in language and the fundamentals of writing important? The recent unveiling </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">of the Kobe Bryant statue in front of Crypto.com Arena gave me an opporunity for students to get the "why." to ask my classes what they thought.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I showed the photo of the new statue. One student, a basketball player, was excited to tell us it is the first of three to be placed in front of the Lakers' home court. Those to come will </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">feature Bryant in his No. 24 jersey, and the other will be of him standing next to Gianna, who died with him and seven others in a 2020 helicopter crash.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> But the first, unveiled on 2/8/24 (a special date) already needs revision. Why? At its based is</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> a replica box score of Bryant's 81-point game. José Calderón is misspelled as Jose Calderson, Von Wafer is "Vom Wafer," and "DNP — Coach's Decicion" has a typo. There's also a formatting mistake in Bryant's career accomplishments. The Lakers are working on a fix.<br /><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKwG19unyUJtiZJqkuXl41VG9-JOa79YfqCZOnsDVUA7oT7dgxaHCbv296smNmM8Jq3WyPZP1A8MCFqSU7sO76sJ16iFjFv77-SALNcps4FL2ELIGXLyciGEYPp9w_8HPjr9XH3FdMpTFmKyR1DIThHL0ENDyq9AxrNQWeJ7cyztnl8Zdm7Mu_JF9J1yM/s728/Edits.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="728" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKwG19unyUJtiZJqkuXl41VG9-JOa79YfqCZOnsDVUA7oT7dgxaHCbv296smNmM8Jq3WyPZP1A8MCFqSU7sO76sJ16iFjFv77-SALNcps4FL2ELIGXLyciGEYPp9w_8HPjr9XH3FdMpTFmKyR1DIThHL0ENDyq9AxrNQWeJ7cyztnl8Zdm7Mu_JF9J1yM/w400-h300/Edits.webp" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I told my class, "As you know I can be a stickler for grammar, spelling and more, but honestly, why should the Lakers fix this? Seems like it will cost a lot of money. Who really cares? Aren't they making a big deal out of nothing?" Responses varied.<br /><br />One student said "it should have never happened in the first place. Period."<br /></span><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Agreed. But it did happen. So why not leave it?</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: georgia;">Another student said "it shows respect for those people and their accomplishments." </span><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Okay. So attention to details matters.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: georgia;">I asked "if you change one letter in your last name, does that make a difference? Might some of you have a different name altogether?" A few realized that could be true.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And when one student said "One approach to take is to assume you are always wrong. As someone else to verify. E</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">veryone needs a good editor." I wanted to do a backflip. I asked the class, "Did everyone hear that?"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I admitted that I took on the role of devil's advocate, and was happy to do so. Why? If their teachers and peers don't advocate for proofreading, good writing, editing and more—this is what happens. Rather than talk about the statue and its signficance, we now focus on this. Much to their suprise I added, "And as much as I don't like the Lakers, I'm not throwing any stones here. To their surprise, I shared the story of when something similar happened at SI." I will link the story here.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IKP8NR8eFJETDntzmBvxXnOUCD_Y-Cc0tBeolMBmkGaNumoTF7bHGNhujPO9asnK6eSO5IFEnyHpSSqvaRktVSRuLrTzQCu3nqED_G2zSMEO2XgPdyCwiuip5fK_su58QDmqMDnXYy0BDLplTsntavDJ1oTPdQD_dAKEMQNSBEzjddeB8taBDVnqIL8v/s1568/In%20Latin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1568" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IKP8NR8eFJETDntzmBvxXnOUCD_Y-Cc0tBeolMBmkGaNumoTF7bHGNhujPO9asnK6eSO5IFEnyHpSSqvaRktVSRuLrTzQCu3nqED_G2zSMEO2XgPdyCwiuip5fK_su58QDmqMDnXYy0BDLplTsntavDJ1oTPdQD_dAKEMQNSBEzjddeB8taBDVnqIL8v/w400-h189/In%20Latin.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Discipline of any sort requires commitment, a steadfast spirit, a belief in purpose and a willingness to "stick to it." My guess is that if we extend that to writing, it will most likely carry over into other areas of our lives as well.<br /><br />Full disclosure: I know there are several necessary edits needed. for this post, too<br /><br /><b>Photo Credits</b><br /><a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/kobe-bryant-statue-features-several-typos-lakers-working-to-correct-them-235422391.html?.tsrc=1317">Kobe</a><br /><a href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/03/11/spelling-errors-discovered-on-kobe-bryants-crypto-com-arena-statue/">Edits</a></span><p></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-32281853342871348812024-03-10T09:39:00.000-07:002024-03-10T22:08:58.990-07:00A Story to Celebrate on International Women's Day: The San Diego Splash<span style="font-family: georgia;">The month of March has been designated as Women's History month and </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">March 8 is International Women's Day.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> If you are on social media, no doubt you were reminded and/or made aware of this celebration. But what exactly does it all mean? In other words, what are we to do with a day that has grown in popularlity and public recognition? How are we to proceed with a month that Americans are ever more familiar with and supportive of? It's not a major holiday or a minor one. Here's my approach: share a story. </span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3zlFGXPCDZh0Kbw4BJHcTGsk3_jCCb3V7zvTwc_vdNnnH6eb6cN-trZpL9FvoK-bRUUAnKHhUOzy1IBb1USJS9v3UZSYPK8L0h66qLzk3dhevtdFe2Ka2JgcP9dCw3xj9Y2b9v-Qzrx1ZCeYf1mnHnLjJtCRYBZQPYMK-cXrVMQiZoxgjidQZM6m2m7E/s977/SPlash%20on%203.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="977" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3zlFGXPCDZh0Kbw4BJHcTGsk3_jCCb3V7zvTwc_vdNnnH6eb6cN-trZpL9FvoK-bRUUAnKHhUOzy1IBb1USJS9v3UZSYPK8L0h66qLzk3dhevtdFe2Ka2JgcP9dCw3xj9Y2b9v-Qzrx1ZCeYf1mnHnLjJtCRYBZQPYMK-cXrVMQiZoxgjidQZM6m2m7E/w400-h240/SPlash%20on%203.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">First, I'll begin with a story. I decided I would search for answers to my question on ChatGPT. I figured why not? That's where many of my students find their own. I asked this chatbot, developed by OpenAI "What does International Women's Day mean?" I got a good answer.</span></div><div><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">It is a day dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the achievements, contributions, and advancements of women worldwide. The day also serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for gender equality and the need to address challenges and disparities that women face.</span></span></blockquote></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">In particular, I appreciated the k</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">ey aspects and meanings of International Women's Day. I think these suggestions can serve as an important path for proceeding. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div><b>Celebrating Achievements:</b> IWD provides an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of women in various fields, including politics, science, arts, business, and more. It highlights their contributions to social, economic, cultural, and political development.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Advocacy for Gender Equality:</b> International Women's Day is a platform for advocating gender equality and promoting equal opportunities for women in all aspects of life. It draws attention to persisting gender disparities and works towards fostering a more inclusive and equitable world.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Raising Awareness: </b>The day serves as a catalyst for raising awareness about issues such as gender-based discrimination, violence against women, and systemic inequalities. It encourages conversations and actions to address these challenges.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3V3FleuN5eC-cYsgZ__uo3lZ2b2Vo4TzGGlHDhetVK_Yme2uLiR9-0IY2iz3SXR2bJiCiYR5z06dpzAoIyIyJdefx5vmNf0XjMCDqU3zW_oEhRgHifvBW6_PfMcrEe9HT891-9mOjlwSiT0_Pwr9nDOQew3CGpCnDwrqLLKip4_smXBoiSG_XeqvpwOck/s1024/IWD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3V3FleuN5eC-cYsgZ__uo3lZ2b2Vo4TzGGlHDhetVK_Yme2uLiR9-0IY2iz3SXR2bJiCiYR5z06dpzAoIyIyJdefx5vmNf0XjMCDqU3zW_oEhRgHifvBW6_PfMcrEe9HT891-9mOjlwSiT0_Pwr9nDOQew3CGpCnDwrqLLKip4_smXBoiSG_XeqvpwOck/s320/IWD.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><b>Inspiring Change</b>: International Women's Day inspires individuals and communities to take action towards creating a more inclusive and gender-equal world. This can involve challenging stereotypes, supporting women's rights, and promoting policies that advance gender equality.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Empowering Women</b>: IWD is a time to empower and uplift women, fostering a sense of solidarity and unity. It encourages women to pursue their aspirations, break barriers, and overcome challenges in their personal and professional lives.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Recognizing Intersectionality</b>: International Women's Day recognizes that women's experiences and challenges are diverse and can be influenced by factors such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and more. It emphasizes the importance of an inclusive approach that considers the intersecting identities of women.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Highlighting Unfinished Work</b>: While celebrating progress, International Women's Day also highlights the unfinished work in achieving gender equality. It encourages continued efforts to address existing disparities and challenges.<br /><br />However, the problem with AI is what too often goes missing: the personal touch, the unique approach that makes any ritual or obligation meaingful or memorable. (From what I am told, will only get better). I believe a key aspect for IWD is sharing stories of women past and present. And I believe one I used in my recent talk at Regis Jesuit's Diversity Day 2024: The Wisdom of Women in Sports and Spiritulaity is worth sharing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9657YjrjgHJZdEttVvMje-T4RihXVcffCtPl5tqqznIvbQooe1wWz4Fg6izNJMTdtnPKWGdm20A8JBptxprVdl6RIFcrW83L9LuriZwxMbgJs17oB0GDxfLr0hssN4mAHi2oFjWG_AdnnokemVBOoiZqPNaz89_BZUSg5GCOwzowlIEs1HTQotpKkyzQ/s870/splash.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="870" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ9657YjrjgHJZdEttVvMje-T4RihXVcffCtPl5tqqznIvbQooe1wWz4Fg6izNJMTdtnPKWGdm20A8JBptxprVdl6RIFcrW83L9LuriZwxMbgJs17oB0GDxfLr0hssN4mAHi2oFjWG_AdnnokemVBOoiZqPNaz89_BZUSg5GCOwzowlIEs1HTQotpKkyzQ/w400-h194/splash.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div>First, meet the San Diego Spalsh— a group of trailblazing women in their 80s and 90s who played basketball in San Diego Senior Women’s Basketball Association (SWBA). <div><br /></div><div>They are the subject of “<i>Make A Splash</i>—a new sports film about a team of women in their 80s and 90s – not from the 1980s or 1990s – who play real basketball, with off-ball picks and turnaround jumpers." (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/may/27/you-cant-stop-marges-shots-the-rise-of-the-splash-an-over-80s-basketball-team">The Guardian)</a></div><div><br /></div><div>These pioneers have powerful stories to share regarding equal rights for women in sports. They continue to lead by example and shatter stereotypes regarding women in sports & beyond. It would be tempting to watch the players and say: Wow, look at those old ladies make cuts and sink those shots! Aren’t they just so … cute? It would also, like an air ball, miss the point.”</div><div><br /></div><div>As you watch, pay attention to the 96 year old Grace Larsen. Larsen, a former municipal court deputy clerk in San Diego, always enjoyed sports but didn't have the opportunity to play organized athletics in her youth because they didn't exist for girls at the time. Instead, she played football in the street or basketball in gym class. One of the most basic lessons they teach us is to play because you can. What an invaluable lesson for all of us.</div><div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />The lives of the players are their coaches are forever changed by the sisterhood that comes from being in a league of their own. They travel for competition, they practice and develop set plays. Some players communicate more effectively with one another on the hardwood. Others share similar struggles and life losses off the court. They celebrate birthdays and the end of life, too. In short, they love one another.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6jpVj3CIv7M" width="320" youtube-src-id="6jpVj3CIv7M"></iframe></div></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Their wisdom cannot be hidden. In one poignant scene, they watch a group of young girls playing their game. One woman shouts, “That's the future right there!” Another adds, “My school—we weren't allowed to play full court basketball.They didn't have many sports for girls.” Her teammate announces “Title IX gave an okay for women to be athletic, period.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><div>There are many ways to teach about the importance of Title IX, Women's History Month and International Women's Day—and I can make a strong argument that we should. But, I think stories that reveal that truth, might be the most convincing way for everyone to understand its impact and celebrate what it means. I found a memorable, meaningful one in ESPN’s Fifty/50: Make a Splash but there are countless others. Look and listen, show and tell. Make a splash...<br />Splash on three....!</div><div><br /><b>Photo Credits</b><br /><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/may/27/you-cant-stop-marges-shots-the-rise-of-the-splash-an-over-80s-basketball-team">Hands in</a><br /><a href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/meet-san-diego-splash-inspiring-150236554.html">Team work</a></div><div><a href="https://www.cta.org/event/international-womens-day/2024-03-08">IWD</a></div></span></div>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-71394624415854623782024-03-07T07:22:00.000-08:002024-03-07T07:33:15.963-08:00Good Recommedation, Great Friend: The Gift of Building Others Up<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We get recommendations about shows to watch and movies to see all the time. <i>What prompts you to put that series into your queue? What gets you to press play? How often do you really listen to a friend or family member's advice?</i><br /><br />I believe I follow up on a recommendation based on the message and the messenger. Sorta. If it's a messenger I know and trust, a person who "gets" my passions, interests, indiosyncracies— then I am all in. I'm grateful for these influencers. And one of the best is my friend and classmate, Alex Montoya.<br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcDAaq3SooCjk05KqiijMEDG04ypve1pKCSpVgqxOIuXCoHckkdpq1OIU2nTwvNv6SQhAKTfNtX2DymiA0dRCfTtSS-MSqeOWyx5kUVC7aP3IXZH8n5euQtaRCgnXvSgRxzuT1rSPxvWpXFlX_yUBb0ohksqwc4YFxKCBYRyjSlAlR88JJ9D1KXhzkRFa/s980/harry-benson-esq060120wearetheworld011-1592325209.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="980" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcDAaq3SooCjk05KqiijMEDG04ypve1pKCSpVgqxOIuXCoHckkdpq1OIU2nTwvNv6SQhAKTfNtX2DymiA0dRCfTtSS-MSqeOWyx5kUVC7aP3IXZH8n5euQtaRCgnXvSgRxzuT1rSPxvWpXFlX_yUBb0ohksqwc4YFxKCBYRyjSlAlR88JJ9D1KXhzkRFa/w400-h256/harry-benson-esq060120wearetheworld011-1592325209.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out this photo....Cyndi Lauper. MJ. The Boss. Is that Kenny Loggins or Billy Joel?!</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia;">In late January 2024, Alex sent me a text that said: Y</span><i style="font-family: georgia;">ou have to see “The Greatest Night in Pop” on Netflix. Wow.</i><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Alex knows me. He knows and shares my love of music. I opened up my laptop and 96 minutes later came up for air. I must have emailed and texted any and everyone my age and older who I knew would delight in the collaborative genius.</span><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">However, I thanked Alex for the recommendation first. We shared our observations and musing. His insights are always on point—or rather in tune and on key. He asked me when I was going to write about the program for this blog. I gave it a pass—but not a hard one. I quoted from another one of our favorites movies and said "negative ghostrider. The pattern is full." I added, "Remember, this is a blog about sports and spirituality!" Though I have touched on music over the years, my focus is always on sports...sports with a spiritual problem. And nothing about this documentary connected those dots. That is, until it did. It does. It has. It will. Here's the scoop.</span><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyb3mbGTycILYQkSZbseui7KyLU_L_kx8YHrcQErFaWdnVDFezDZdpIr4TLpiQoL5M-djwnSk2p59UbavXV-h-H3VSRJ7I8pEyYQSG1QI7adrTGzO0vYWUuQOuAV3TELP2m6Ch5-t2es579q7GU1TiLf8nniPbIZhBywollQHUuj2sogXUt6rjWZBgTBzx/s884/Readers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="680" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyb3mbGTycILYQkSZbseui7KyLU_L_kx8YHrcQErFaWdnVDFezDZdpIr4TLpiQoL5M-djwnSk2p59UbavXV-h-H3VSRJ7I8pEyYQSG1QI7adrTGzO0vYWUuQOuAV3TELP2m6Ch5-t2es579q7GU1TiLf8nniPbIZhBywollQHUuj2sogXUt6rjWZBgTBzx/s320/Readers.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Readers look good on you, A-Mo</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia;">Thirty five plus years of being a Springsteen fan has given me a lot of expsoure to and understanding of The Boss. I've seen him live 23 times, I have read at least five books about him, countless articles and more. I always pay very close attention to his message, his body language, his affect and his insights when he speaks in concert and especially in interviews. When Bruce Springsteen weighs in on a music documentary, people listen. Though I find him rather diffident, he is a legend, a musical genius, a singer and a songwriter, a poet and a performer.</span><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Springsteen plays an important part in the recording of "We Are the World." Coming in hot from the Born in the USA tour, he made a good effort to be in Los Angeles for the session. Almost 40 years later, he still looks good (he turns 75 on 9/23). He recalls why he decided to show up and what that great night was like. As the egos were checked at the door and different voices found their harmony, in one snapshot scence (from today) Springsteen said, "Steve Perry can sing. He's got that great voice, up in that Sam Cooke territory."His words did not surprise me. The realization I had from the documentary however did.</span><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Bruce Springsteen always always always builds up other musicians. In countless interviews, I have heard him name the music he is listening to and what music he is excited about. He thanks those who have gone before him, who has made an impact, and how they did it. I know who they are because he builds them up. Examples include The Clash, the Sex Pistols, Bob Dylan, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Elvis Costello and more. He speaks to their strengths. He shares what inspires him about other artists, too. What an exceptional quality.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jH2-J_N3h8eTpFcyUDyF0WJE2SYBwdcjXrGnUkur6zMsTsYwCH9AZfboVMqfj_b6BK5rJq47IKpBNK9rxX-FgK8T04quaerXNPP7h0VHxuDorkITcz4vMun6dM0itFfVE4uwJ_1HbNOmjCqrA2GqGNsk34zfugejQLhEQsgopCsVUDHYHTUiqEyjTqXK/s302/Smiling%20Boss.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="302" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jH2-J_N3h8eTpFcyUDyF0WJE2SYBwdcjXrGnUkur6zMsTsYwCH9AZfboVMqfj_b6BK5rJq47IKpBNK9rxX-FgK8T04quaerXNPP7h0VHxuDorkITcz4vMun6dM0itFfVE4uwJ_1HbNOmjCqrA2GqGNsk34zfugejQLhEQsgopCsVUDHYHTUiqEyjTqXK/w400-h221/Smiling%20Boss.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">One could say that Bruce is able to compliment others because he is so secure and grounded in who he is and the success he has had. To me, that's a sad, sullen justification. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Not everything in life is a competition. To give credit where credit is due, to offer praise and build someone up costs nothing. It's just so easy to tear others down. People do it all the time. However, I've noticed—it may feel right at the moment, but ultimately it leaves everyone feeling less connected, less loving, less whole...less holy. Life is hard enough. I don't know why we can't build each other up instead of tear each other down. </span><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">This singular, stand out quality in Bruce Springsteen has prompted me to look for it in others. Fortunately, I have found it in a few people. Though my Dad is not an athlete (today) one of the reasons I think my he is a great sports fan is because of the way he builds up certain athletes. For example, Jeff Ulbrich was one of the candidates for the position of defensive coordinator with the 49ers. Ulbrich, who is currently with the Jets played at linebacker for the Niners for nine years. My dad said, "I loved his drive and desire on the field. He was a total overacheiver. The man always played hard. I can see that now as he coaches on the sidelines. Doesn't surprise me." One might read "overachiever" as a put down—it's not. Ulbrich played up. He was more than his height and weight and what his scouting report ever put into print. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUSYqTYpU0ZwdZ1UE_2qemwOdtfm7xM3dbBpB_cFs7gPgoGFZPGrsDDiIGZ_Tehd_I0iFLqIdSIrtN_6803I5uLm4z3f6c2oiV4vJVI0D4VHwpI2mewMH6p2KNq47zHdym7zCsMvWYExCDRLOMCOimRcsxxDsVflhTYT5BQ0PCFiI1Bl571EuQzEyx89T/s1200/Jeff%20U.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUSYqTYpU0ZwdZ1UE_2qemwOdtfm7xM3dbBpB_cFs7gPgoGFZPGrsDDiIGZ_Tehd_I0iFLqIdSIrtN_6803I5uLm4z3f6c2oiV4vJVI0D4VHwpI2mewMH6p2KNq47zHdym7zCsMvWYExCDRLOMCOimRcsxxDsVflhTYT5BQ0PCFiI1Bl571EuQzEyx89T/s320/Jeff%20U.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">For reasons like this, I enjoy talking to my Dad about sports. He has a good habit for finding the best in a player, especially when they are on our team....and even when they are not. L</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">et me be clear—what I am referring to should not be confused with toxic positivity (more on that another time. </span><a href="https://tmspn.com/broncos-legend-calls-out-russell-wilson-over-his-toxic-positivity/" style="font-family: georgia;">Sorry Denver</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">).</span><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">In my Lenten journal from </span><a href="https://www.grottonetwork.com/stories/free-lenten-reflection-guide" style="font-family: georgia;">The Grotto Network</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">, I was invited to respond to this quote and question today, Day 22 of Lent</span><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><i style="font-family: georgia;"></i><blockquote style="font-family: georgia;"><i><span style="color: #741b47;">He who goes aboutto reform the world must begin with himself. <span style="font-size: x-small;">—St. Ignatius of Loyola</span></span></i><br /><span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Name one change you would like to see in the world. How can you make a starting point within yourself for that change? </b></span></blockquote></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I truly would like to live in a world that builds others up. I hope we can see, recognize and celebrate the gifts and talents of one others and ourselves. Let us not always view ourselves in competition with one another. As written in the song "We are the World" We're all a part of God's great big family And the truth, you know, love is all we need."<br /><br />Thank you, Alex for building me up all these years and believing in my writing. I managed to get a little sports and a whole lot of spirituality in here.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">Photo Credits</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a32868751/we-are-the-world-history-interview/">We are the World</a><br /><a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bruce-springsteen-trump-cbs-this-morning-903705/">Boss interview</a><br />Jeff U</span></div><br />Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-66891993703300652022024-02-27T22:25:00.000-08:002024-02-27T22:41:37.982-08:00MasterClass on Hope and a Hole-in-One<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">My friend, Missy received a year-long subscription to MasterClass as a gift from her neighbor. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">What a wonderful, ingenious present. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Launched in May 2015, MasterClass is an online learning platform that streams lessons delivered by recognized masters of their craft. It is proud of profess "</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Our instructors are the best in the world." Check out the <a href="https://www.masterclass.com/homepage">list of teachers</a>; MasterClass tells the truth. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijsiuZ-SOFm_pOD2TxSFGlvMzgiFPLFdNaKCEqCL7TI5ATdyKI9eyJnP7jDYV_0vBhn85S8VvgUJnE_cJO5JQGf9hXLw7dfeIM03JXMazcptIt2z2uYKrGRrxDE0m7YXwKlqVJmr00V0T2v1HEat0jAw6_jjJJ5eLY73m2NNq1gPlYOMJMsNL3_Svifap/s3041/Ace1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2890" data-original-width="3041" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijsiuZ-SOFm_pOD2TxSFGlvMzgiFPLFdNaKCEqCL7TI5ATdyKI9eyJnP7jDYV_0vBhn85S8VvgUJnE_cJO5JQGf9hXLw7dfeIM03JXMazcptIt2z2uYKrGRrxDE0m7YXwKlqVJmr00V0T2v1HEat0jAw6_jjJJ5eLY73m2NNq1gPlYOMJMsNL3_Svifap/w320-h304/Ace1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Missy </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">told me about George W. Bush's class on "Authentic Leadership." A long time fan of 43, I leaned in and </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">watched the trailer. I laughed so hard and was so impressed by W's affect, I signed up for the 30-day trial. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> I was genuinely interested to hear what he would have to say about making tough decisions, building a team, public service, personal diplomacy and his latest passion: art. I had no idea that President Bush's MasterClass would relate to golf and the feat of a faithful friend. I'm glad it did. Here is the story.<br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />I don't have an official leadership or title at work. For example, I'm not a school administrator nor do I have any aspirations to work as an athletic director. Heck, I'm not even sure I will work as a head coach again. This might explain why my mom asked me why I enrolled in this particular class. I told her that I think we all benefit from learning more about leadership. I figured the other topics could speak to me and be of some benefit. It was...it is. <br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rXrT7NylMcY" width="320" youtube-src-id="rXrT7NylMcY"></iframe></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I loved hearing W's insights on leading the country and a company—the Texas Rangers. As much as I kept thinking of how the course connects to different aspects of my own life, I couldn't help but think of my friend Malia and how these topics would be of interest to her. Why? In January 2024, Malia was named president of the Olympic Club—a private athletic and social club in San Francisco, CA. She is the third female president in the club's 164 years of history.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In my 10+ years as a member, I have served on three different club committees. I appreciate learning from and witnessing multiple styles of leadership among the committee members and chairs who seek to make the club even better. Full disclosure, Malia happens to be a good friend, and one of the reasons our for our friendship is not only golf but our shared interest in club governance. In committee roles, I have been privy to Malia's due diligence toward all matters that pertain to the club. She works tirelessly toward clear and consistent communication between staff and members. She is gracious and respectful, smart and visionary. She will remember your name and your story. She smiles and says hello. She is a lot of fun. In short the club is in very good hands. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9yzmtZ8LL856kze8NczP_CM06cG1VGKLltkvyBpyg9K7kT8dg4bp5mrVcCq3Cf9_NI-IH3XrV6NRdaXXtbrsr6I2kIhZUkhuXapoTeWxOiXXeeTKDYCVC8ZLajQdpuimsFOmtBhvIkxgT4DNfpZ_690-xqW6mIlrRu-O9NwrabcjkQTN0Lk-8qncQdBb/s1122/Malia%20for%20Pres.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="1122" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK9yzmtZ8LL856kze8NczP_CM06cG1VGKLltkvyBpyg9K7kT8dg4bp5mrVcCq3Cf9_NI-IH3XrV6NRdaXXtbrsr6I2kIhZUkhuXapoTeWxOiXXeeTKDYCVC8ZLajQdpuimsFOmtBhvIkxgT4DNfpZ_690-xqW6mIlrRu-O9NwrabcjkQTN0Lk-8qncQdBb/w400-h329/Malia%20for%20Pres.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">As written in The Olympian Magazine, Malia said she grew up in an athletic family. She added, "I'm the weakest player of the group. So everyone wants to partner with me because of my strokes." All joking aside, like her parents, <a href="https://sportsandspirituality.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-hole-in-one-astonishingand-worth.html">Malia has hit a hole-in-one</a>. That is until Sunday February 25, 2024 when she hit her second ace. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Standing in the tee box on the seventh hole of the Ocean course, she didn't think she hit her ball right. Regardless, we followed the path of the ball. I saw it bounce on the right side of the fairway just short of the green. It started rolling and didn't stop until it found a home in the cup. One of the women in our foursome said "I think it went it." The other woman agreed. We told Malia to use her rangefinder to look on the green for the ball. It was nowhere in plain sight. Ever one to play the odds, I said "Malia, both Brook and Bonnie are pretty sure it went in. I think if the two of them saw the same thing, we must have something there." She laughed. She smiled and kept (relatively) quiet until we could confirm what we just saw. As we approached the green, we all knew what happened. We were able to capture on video her victory path toward the hole. She reached in and there it was: a hole-in-one. <br /><br />I can't tell you what that must feel like as I keep wishing on my birthday for my first one. However, to witness one is exciting enough. #Adrenaline city. And when something this exciting—surprising, joyful and unexpected as a hole-in-one happens to a person, it's just not the event that makes the impression, it's everything else about it, too.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-2V3lGZedDUJBmJYHxBw3rQX0CcxSO7FQ9eSeVrA1flyNK4v-2ehwnV44DfPCde-ee-mqyZ_N2YcfBBNHsoQnmvJYA7-LSfr0X4PUCGuTqBUDthvm5MTQM4inG672FMFCW1EnLMGMSSvd0NYqR3KSkWX82YvYdbqqzEZHM6Fb-95gpJXNIXgQppz5Bf0/s4030/ACE%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1273" data-original-width="4030" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-2V3lGZedDUJBmJYHxBw3rQX0CcxSO7FQ9eSeVrA1flyNK4v-2ehwnV44DfPCde-ee-mqyZ_N2YcfBBNHsoQnmvJYA7-LSfr0X4PUCGuTqBUDthvm5MTQM4inG672FMFCW1EnLMGMSSvd0NYqR3KSkWX82YvYdbqqzEZHM6Fb-95gpJXNIXgQppz5Bf0/w400-h126/ACE%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Malia's first concern was to follow the due process that this was a certifiable hole in one. Because Hole 7 is under repair, all tees have been moved to one singular tee box. Ever mindful of protocol, Malia reached out to the head pro who worked with another staff member to get the green light. She did. And for anyone who asks, yes, she hit a hole-in-one from the championship tees. <br /><br />After the round, during which Malia hit for the cycle—eagle, birdie and par, our group accompanied her to the pro shop where she thanked the staff members for their help. They handed over an OC pennant, commemorating the feat. We then went to the Champions Bar where she greeted folks with an introduction and the big news."Enjoy a beverage of your choice, on me" she said. To see the reactions of other club members—the smiles, the fist bumps, high fives and hugs was what made the ace that much more special. <i>What hole? What club did you use? </i>It was awesome to see the unsuspecting people around us meet Malia under the most auspicious of circumstances ;-) <br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UlB_YnC5_4igvmXi7s8Hr1M0JUpJBdESSs8uu4pRXokyq8bEEeK4mBhFB94KYhWYYuK1ZmuEeNnmhnm6JLIJ5xsQMtdBlPNXP0fvIpu-a26Zc-1dL7wfhTIykokzBt9Y9s5M51rIauut-Z0LLSTPx7wTtgHJqDkpJFQIWX4oMwjbmF3aZLYO5TWOJw1b/s1440/M%20with%20Flag.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0UlB_YnC5_4igvmXi7s8Hr1M0JUpJBdESSs8uu4pRXokyq8bEEeK4mBhFB94KYhWYYuK1ZmuEeNnmhnm6JLIJ5xsQMtdBlPNXP0fvIpu-a26Zc-1dL7wfhTIykokzBt9Y9s5M51rIauut-Z0LLSTPx7wTtgHJqDkpJFQIWX4oMwjbmF3aZLYO5TWOJw1b/w300-h400/M%20with%20Flag.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I had to leave the spirited gathering to celebrate my sister Sarah's birthday. After our dinner, I asked Sarah—an artist and painter— if she would be interested in watching the final chapter of George Bush's MasterClass, entitled "Happy are the Painters" with me. I read the description </span><p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">Join President Bush in his personal studio in Maine. The former president concludes his class by sharing why he decided to start painting and how he views learning as a lifelong pursuit.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;">This session focused on not only why he started but why he continues to paint. In addition to his love of learning, Bush used the words of another world leader who took up painting after his time in office to explain why it's his passion today. Churchill said</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely. Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end of the day.</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Though these words appeared on the screen beside the artistic work of Churchill, I couldn't help but connect his sentiment to what occurred on the golf course earlier that day. I thought back to Malia's hole in one. With 20/20 vision, my mind's eye sees her standing in the tee box, her stroke, the arc of the ball mid-flight and the result of her effort. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFevK3fYjtcDeqTxOFpPDRHS6B13S_A5rbPqwVLt4CoRIn6alyCupW2F9Taoogibh-7afVGI3wcwwJr6w4-xfnNzqarMENspPEHXLap18DTbAJEaxLTb6XHPTKFAfEV0z8HKTBxV-8Xsa7igaE5PoLKIblAcY26Kl1xJeY36iGKnJqtCxm9uwGRrwfCa4/s910/GWB.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="910" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFevK3fYjtcDeqTxOFpPDRHS6B13S_A5rbPqwVLt4CoRIn6alyCupW2F9Taoogibh-7afVGI3wcwwJr6w4-xfnNzqarMENspPEHXLap18DTbAJEaxLTb6XHPTKFAfEV0z8HKTBxV-8Xsa7igaE5PoLKIblAcY26Kl1xJeY36iGKnJqtCxm9uwGRrwfCa4/w400-h265/GWB.webp" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">We golfers are the painters of sport. Each round is characterized by its own number of strokes. The golf club is our brush.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> We can only play in the light. Indeed, the game is an exercise in hope. It never leaves me lonely.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">During the round, one can feel inner turmoil. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Many strokes are toiled and exacting. B</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">ut there's always some part of the experience that offers an inner peace—the beauty of the course, exposure to the elements and the changing of seasons that time with the game affords. When the strokes are smooth—light and easy, fluid and fun the painters, I mean golfers are very happy.<br /><br />How lucky are we to keep company with friends to the end of the day? Friends we may have met through this artistic medium that we celebrate and honor in many ways. But for whom on Sunday, February 25 we did for a singular brush stroke, a hole in one. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Congratulations, Malia or as many people call you—Madame President. Time for us to figure out what is your presidential number....</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Photo Credits</b><br />The Olympian</span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-67294636366044528422024-02-24T13:21:00.000-08:002024-03-22T09:51:11.418-07:00An Additional Lens for Sports Fans: Art But Make It Sports<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This question is going to sound ridiculous. Hear me out. When you go to a game or watch sports on TV, what are you looking for? Obviously you aim to see an athletic contest, a victory and a defeat, a display of talent, athleticism, grit, </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">good sportsmanship,</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> and so forth. B<i>ut what else do you pay attention to? A specific athlete? the star players? </i>I would argue that what captures our imagination reflects who we are and is worth further consideration. Though I have long believed this to be true, PBS Newshour brought this to light in meaningful and unique way.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1RqRRP8UW9U2Xr8TeqrglCO8bQajDtNMj-y-kCPj8LEUCB9GNpU79uga0-75-g8jH-RNOvrj_85GzTzi4T4B1iKTFJbGeeO6j242aWpUusQSSLkn7xlNXq9tgWV5RumvB4e4hkiD-h3F20LctwuOgee4eSVsLsHp7fYdaqnVkmLq2uFy271xolVYpYJc/s1086/ArtBut%20Make.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1086" data-original-width="856" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1RqRRP8UW9U2Xr8TeqrglCO8bQajDtNMj-y-kCPj8LEUCB9GNpU79uga0-75-g8jH-RNOvrj_85GzTzi4T4B1iKTFJbGeeO6j242aWpUusQSSLkn7xlNXq9tgWV5RumvB4e4hkiD-h3F20LctwuOgee4eSVsLsHp7fYdaqnVkmLq2uFy271xolVYpYJc/w315-h400/ArtBut%20Make.jpg" width="315" /></span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>Part of me thinks it's amazing that anyone goes to games anymore. Between the cost, the time and effort, let alone the comfort of my couch and the high def of my TV screen—it is just so easy to stay at home. Another part of me is amazed at how many people do in fact not only go to gamea but watch them on TV, live-streamed and more! Clearly, sports offers us something more than entertainment. It is not a mere diversion. <i>So what is it that we are seeking? What are we finding?!</i><br /><br />If you are a coach, it's hard not to pay attention to how other coaches comport themselves before, during and after the game. <i>How do they talk to their players? How do they respond to bad calls? to mistakes their athletes make? </i>As someone related to referees, I can't help but take notice of the zebras on the gridiron and the hardwood. <i>Do they move the game along? </i></span><i>How often are they talking to athletes and to coaches? </i><span>For my friends in the dean's office at school, I know they are always looking at how other student bodies demonstrate school spirit—both in what they say and how they say it. And, as a teacher of Sports and Spirituality, I am perennially on the hunt for moments of grace, inspiration, selfless play, undeniable sportsmanship, respect, stories and more. This blog has been in the works since 2009 because I have found it. </span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wKBe5DI8HWHsEgSBFomDrgAd2wsiuC3ruFiX-Cv-kQW5LRgQkRkJeprOzloyvcZd0-ovW5AgXnJhWZwd_SmYyVLT6SHWWjY4yTVETmmr8mYdAHNDtoZJsSA0YGmxvBvVtbkcohyv8zi3BjiTHGMWYIbwgi9CrdrzykiPKjf08tT6UAI7by9-nJY5rHqk/s1070/KD%20and%20Co.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="1070" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wKBe5DI8HWHsEgSBFomDrgAd2wsiuC3ruFiX-Cv-kQW5LRgQkRkJeprOzloyvcZd0-ovW5AgXnJhWZwd_SmYyVLT6SHWWjY4yTVETmmr8mYdAHNDtoZJsSA0YGmxvBvVtbkcohyv8zi3BjiTHGMWYIbwgi9CrdrzykiPKjf08tT6UAI7by9-nJY5rHqk/w400-h384/KD%20and%20Co.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">But I never find it on my own. Quite often friends, family, fans and colleagues share ideas, examples, stories and situations that might resonate with my vision of sports. For example, on #SuperSickMonday, the day after Super Bowl LVIII, a colleague shared a segment from PBS Newshour about an artist who pairs photos from sports games with nearly identical paintings from history (often religious). According to their social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and a website), Art But Make it Sports aims to "turn Art into Sports (and vice versa) | “Everything I didn't know I needed" - follower testimonial | No AI used | See inspiration? DM/tag us." This digital media project was launched in 2019.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I strongly recommend that you watch the video for yourself. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">(</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://youtu.be/zjXzxzTagzw?si%3Dz8VRJFWVWGbfABz1%26t%3D2936&source=gmail&ust=1708896091825000&usg=AOvVaw3vC0tnEVrmW8KFuRNoVWCQ" href="https://youtu.be/zjXzxzTagzw?si=z8VRJFWVWGbfABz1&t=2936" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Here's the link.</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> Hopefully it gets you to the time stamp, but if not, the piece begins at 48:55).</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">The curator, LJ Rader admits "I try to see things through a sports lens, even if it is a piece of fine art....trying to figure out what could that moment of art be in sports? What could I compare it to, image wise, that might make someone look at it and say "Yes. Yeah, I get it. I can see the parallels here?!" </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5PU0cpFiF9IkhoRBrerHGJ9rQUuqK5rL9Pfqxb8f1rESzTB34AgMq4yYEobPhip2WoPYuJQFXjqRwCEFrkgeGR_yB9HifdGPig-gSemrn977ZkknE8Os4EKFfPYYb2jRW6YTIWfOz_Uq6x28lTvLDoPxWiR5KSxuMs-YcGQ0iqmKFXM9pMUVNpiytTi7/s1098/Brock.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="882" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5PU0cpFiF9IkhoRBrerHGJ9rQUuqK5rL9Pfqxb8f1rESzTB34AgMq4yYEobPhip2WoPYuJQFXjqRwCEFrkgeGR_yB9HifdGPig-gSemrn977ZkknE8Os4EKFfPYYb2jRW6YTIWfOz_Uq6x28lTvLDoPxWiR5KSxuMs-YcGQ0iqmKFXM9pMUVNpiytTi7/w321-h400/Brock.jpg" width="321" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><span>Rader admits that people are not used to seeing art and sport talked about (and put together visually). I have to admit, I hear the same exact thing when I mention sports and spirituality. His reasons for the connection he finds between the two aren't much different than mine. However, the spiritual life is often abstract and needs to be made visible and concrete. And yet, Rader enjoys the challenge of connecting abstract art with sports, as well.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>I have told my students that one of my goals is to include a work of art (usually a painting or a sculpture...sometimes a photographic image or a song) into every class. Why? </span>Christian Wiman, the author of "My Bright Abyss" explains it well. He writes, <br /></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">The purpose of theology, the purpose of any thinking about God, is to make the silences clearer and starker to us, to make the unmeaning — by which I mean those aspects of the divine that will not be reduced to human meanings — more irreducible and more terrible and thus ultimately more wonderful. This is why art is so often better at theology than theology is. </span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Art But Make is Sports has not only made my job a whole lot easier, it has provided an additional less for how I see each game. <br /><br /><b>Photo Credits</b><br />All images art from <a href="https://www.instagram.com/artbutmakeitsports/">Art But Make it Sports.</a></span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-23643837228598156382024-02-19T08:31:00.000-08:002024-02-19T12:33:45.911-08:00Analytics Aside: Five Lessons from Super Bowl LVIII<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I woke up Sunday morning with a spring in my step and a smile on my face. I said to myself, "it's Super Bowl Sunday" and this one is special. Why? It's not every year, that your team is in the NFL Championship game. I loved hearing from friends throughout the country with text messages like "Thinking of you today!" and "Go Niners." I went to Mass in my Niners' gear and took note of how many others in the congregation did too. I found my way to the grocery store and was delighted to see extra staff on hand as people got the goods for the second biggest feast day in the US (Thanksgiving Day is #1). I put on my CMC jersey. I packed my Super Bowl snacks and arrived at a super spirited party, knowing the next four hours plus would not be easy. Sadly, that premonition proved to be true. But not all was lost at Super Bowl LVIII. I gained a few insights and life lessons. They are not about questionable calls. You won't find much by way of analytics. Regardless, I think these are a few worth sharing. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEhFdiIRgb92I3k7a5TQR5Jv6JvWvTdXDVg0rxB8i_j0vN5VCX-BNu5LYyQK9LnkZeS8lfvEDLJMzPYUOTq1iJAi2Gto2JU3rFej73v9EJDgZ3A9dHuQHtbdOIoKrF503ALzzBDHSWCCxs-PKH-PaR2JIGerzZJqyIiq7L341nFN7m9CCXNMUOzNMTh2-F/s4932/Niners%20Point.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3032" data-original-width="4932" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEhFdiIRgb92I3k7a5TQR5Jv6JvWvTdXDVg0rxB8i_j0vN5VCX-BNu5LYyQK9LnkZeS8lfvEDLJMzPYUOTq1iJAi2Gto2JU3rFej73v9EJDgZ3A9dHuQHtbdOIoKrF503ALzzBDHSWCCxs-PKH-PaR2JIGerzZJqyIiq7L341nFN7m9CCXNMUOzNMTh2-F/w400-h246/Niners%20Point.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>"Super Bowl" is two words and a proper noun.<br /></b></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">As a teacher, you have certain tools in your toolbox. The words of William O'Malley SJ, the author of "Building Your Own Conscience" have served as one of the better ones. He writes, "The first step toward wisdom is to call a thing by its right name. Then you'll handle it as it deserves." I would like to add that writing and spelling it properly are important too.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Maybe I missed the memo, but it seems that proper nouns and the usage of paragraphs are out of fashion for writers under the age of 18. Though social media cares little for the rules of grammar, I cannot and do not let this bad habit slide in my classroom. I have told my students paragraphs are important because they help you, the writer organize ideas and the reader to understand them. Furthermore, proper nouns indicate importance and mark distinction. The Super Bowl is not "Any Given Sunday." It's the NFL championship game. Thus, its title requires differentiation and discipline.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-DWkqf8lES-lnfGdgdF5PNIu5DwRtb6q_fA7T2kHFjoZ5I6SeaQ1ZsRaXpyLKndCjHKDpe1EpBDBQ4HcKB8bQ61WvUC1-9WWbsy_ezm817Mv6BzGViXDJqg-mEnuYMf4C7m54_KrgC5334cdTwwtDD7jRIvfDJnFN2ZabAqJ0MS38WFfzadyckvY0gZ0/s800/Niner%20fan.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg-DWkqf8lES-lnfGdgdF5PNIu5DwRtb6q_fA7T2kHFjoZ5I6SeaQ1ZsRaXpyLKndCjHKDpe1EpBDBQ4HcKB8bQ61WvUC1-9WWbsy_ezm817Mv6BzGViXDJqg-mEnuYMf4C7m54_KrgC5334cdTwwtDD7jRIvfDJnFN2ZabAqJ0MS38WFfzadyckvY0gZ0/w400-h266/Niner%20fan.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>We all watch in our own way<br /></b></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">I attended the friend of a friend's annual Super Bowl party. The hostess happens to be an identical twin. I had no difficulty telling them apart because one twin only came down for the halftime show. A die-hard Niners fan, she couldn't watch the game with others for several reasons—she gets too nervous, the crowd's commentary can be off-putting, and she really wants to watch the game. I came to find out she is not an outlier—I know many people who do the same.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">When it comes to watching a sporting event we care about, fans have their preferences. For example, good sound is incredibly important to me. I am an info hound and I want to hear the commentary. I need those around me to remain positive. I can't handle it when others rip on the players and critique with unbridled authority how and why they are messing up. I have a hard time staying calm. If you are telling me a story about something during a key play, I won't listen. Why? During a championship game—the World Series, the Super Bowl, etc. the stakes are just too high.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Over the years, I have come to terms with who I am in these environments. I hope I'm a fun and knowledgable companion—but I know I can be overly emotional, tense and on edge. While I can handle being with others, I live by the principle we all can and should watch in our own way. No apologies required.<b><br /></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCeoPiOIJX2bxWO8JY_W4Jat7Y-UCE4wtZFvmsxzugPaiGzNMiu2beFZWGrrlt7t2XWTPrtsgv4hdT6BIFfiEodjYD0eQRePS10wBlilYgygfFWofBMhUMhvkwpklKaaphigWgVZfOqRZrejR8VliuKl-GgytwphK29dzDLgIG_k99QOQ6H57DYSJFMC4J/s1250/Mucinex.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="1250" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCeoPiOIJX2bxWO8JY_W4Jat7Y-UCE4wtZFvmsxzugPaiGzNMiu2beFZWGrrlt7t2XWTPrtsgv4hdT6BIFfiEodjYD0eQRePS10wBlilYgygfFWofBMhUMhvkwpklKaaphigWgVZfOqRZrejR8VliuKl-GgytwphK29dzDLgIG_k99QOQ6H57DYSJFMC4J/w400-h238/Mucinex.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><b style="font-family: georgia;">Super Sick Monday</b><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I went into work the day after the Super Bowl with my head hung low, licking my wounds and wishing things were different. But at least I went to work. According to the Morning Brew "</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">16.1 million employees are expected to take off work the day after the Super Bowl, according to the UKG Workforce Institute. In all, 14% of US employees plan to miss at least some work on “Super Sick Monday,” </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Perhaps you have heard, but many believe we should observe a national holiday the day after the Super Bowl. I am down with that, and here is my suggestion / solution for how that can happen.<br /><br />President's Day is observed in the United States on the third Monday in February. Why not move the holiday to the second Monday in the month? The rationale for the current date is because Lincoln was born on February 12 and Washington on February 19. While I understand the goal of honoring a day between the two birth dates, given the larger context of who and what President's Day honors, the distinction is nominal.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">One third of the American people watched the Super Bowl—a </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">number that is not decreasing</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">. In short, a lot of spirited gatherings and house parties that involve overeating, drinking, gambling, yelling, jumping, screaming and more make for a work force that is not optimal come Monday. What do we lose by aligning President's Day with Super Bowl Sunday? Maintaining the status quo is a zero sum gain.<br /><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bb70ssm1AXr4eCrcVcU3wfeGfJhFDfKQF_BZZNoMBf1yL7eOFEl3eo1LlKV7Ug3RIgWRcD1OgfLeK37Jatn4Hpa8Tu4dDaxKvPI_5VLnSNIt3HoVE0CTAXW7Uj6Kys-U4CZS3RK3Z94v1pvww4tybM1EaLdOyStynt5w40xkntOo9cCxMX7x6FYgKe4E/s1000/niners_chiefs_sbliv.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9bb70ssm1AXr4eCrcVcU3wfeGfJhFDfKQF_BZZNoMBf1yL7eOFEl3eo1LlKV7Ug3RIgWRcD1OgfLeK37Jatn4Hpa8Tu4dDaxKvPI_5VLnSNIt3HoVE0CTAXW7Uj6Kys-U4CZS3RK3Z94v1pvww4tybM1EaLdOyStynt5w40xkntOo9cCxMX7x6FYgKe4E/w400-h240/niners_chiefs_sbliv.webp" width="400" /></a></div><b style="font-family: georgia;">Tennyson had it right...</b><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Whether you return to work on Monday or Tuesday after the Super Bowl, those of us on the losing side know it's not easy. As a Niners fan, losing Super Bowl LVIII was especially tough. Sports fans know the window of opportunity is so small. We have gotten close in recent years and this year we got that much closer.</span><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I knew I would have to face my colleagues and recount the loss. One coworker said, "I would rather lose in the playoffs that get all the way to Super Bowl and fall short." I understood what she said. The two weeks between the AFC and NFC championship games are filled with hype. The amount of attention and energy given to your team is astounding. To lose in the playoffs means you are free of the distraction two, three or four weeks sooner.</span><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I asked my students to weigh in on this matter: agree or disagree. They each said it is antithetical to the nature of the game to not go all the way. One student added, it's like that saying, "it is better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all." I responded "so Tennyson had it right. I have to agree."</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TQnuQuGlCrKnomp2RnyG3tK62GSOO6JmQfi2vKGCnaAMXJJsoxLq2A38JcfcFAt_FwnKB5ZC4oqxBTECc0XyzZkrLXgaGDwYXQWy3pmO6SbaFm96tBTwpyXcYBww7KkZMEnkkXGabeMduesXu8VDomcOZ1YDeyncMFQPdC0_o4_RSIIEpboSZ0SyWgjp/s1280/KC_Prayer_vigil_02162024.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TQnuQuGlCrKnomp2RnyG3tK62GSOO6JmQfi2vKGCnaAMXJJsoxLq2A38JcfcFAt_FwnKB5ZC4oqxBTECc0XyzZkrLXgaGDwYXQWy3pmO6SbaFm96tBTwpyXcYBww7KkZMEnkkXGabeMduesXu8VDomcOZ1YDeyncMFQPdC0_o4_RSIIEpboSZ0SyWgjp/w400-h225/KC_Prayer_vigil_02162024.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>What could be more American?<br /></b></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">In Sports and Spirituality, I have a project centered around the Super Bowl called Faith and Football. A minor theme is "What could be more American?" We address what the Super Bowl—positively and negatively— reveals about our culture. Unfortunately the events surrounding the Chiefs' victory parade—an altercation that resulted in gun violence that killed one woman and injured two dozen others reflects one of the darkest truths of our society. Respect for human life is not a given. It is too precarious, and continually under threat. The fact that a public celebration ends in shooting, death and injury is beyond tragic. It is unacceptable. It's hard to say this, but given the number of shootings we have had this year one must conclude: it is American.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMopYhHoxT-384d-nb6USjrYvRKGF_T_gXRJf3jKp-OTGCBlHmqaiURzNMtDB0w0dc6x-sLc2l1PBYTVAFS2QMOxmhCxTJu2nZ67V0adkjGLp1Sz9O1kgHlRm8FyLKtv1QvsZi2NWXdCbMhJzfk5tOVlJptshjVRDS-YQKMho7ewW_MP4UkAo9uvjdM3Cn/s620/hug.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="620" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMopYhHoxT-384d-nb6USjrYvRKGF_T_gXRJf3jKp-OTGCBlHmqaiURzNMtDB0w0dc6x-sLc2l1PBYTVAFS2QMOxmhCxTJu2nZ67V0adkjGLp1Sz9O1kgHlRm8FyLKtv1QvsZi2NWXdCbMhJzfk5tOVlJptshjVRDS-YQKMho7ewW_MP4UkAo9uvjdM3Cn/s320/hug.webp" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>In Conclusion<br /></b></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">The second that Mahomes connected with Hardman, I stood up, I thanked and hugged the host and I left. I would be lying if I told you I enjoyed the game. As much as I loved the morning and the two weeks building up to the game, once the clock started running, I was a nervous wreck. I did not enjoy the game. I was hoping for a parade on my 50th birthday. You read that right. The city of San Francisco announced—pending a Niners win— that it would host a victory parade on Thursday, February 15, 2024. School would have been canceled (maybe?!) and I could enjoy the milestone with the Gold Rush, etc. The Chiefs had their own plans.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I called my Dad to talk about the loss. He ended the conversation by telling me that he was already hopeful for next year. A number of our starters would return and we had that much more experience to draw from. In fact, the Niners are the betting favorites for next year already. Super Bowl LIX takes place on February 9, 2025. I'll still be 50... no need for a parade, I'll take the sixth Lombardi trophy for the Niners. Gladly. There's always more to learn, question, hope for and discover.<br /><br />Thank you to the San Francisco Forty-Niners for a great season.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Photo Credits</b><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/KQEDnews/status/1756929521897628058">Prayer Service</a><br /><a href="https://coltswire.usatoday.com/2020/02/02/2020-super-bowl-chiefs-49ers-picks-predictions/">Super Bowl LVIII</a><br /><a href="https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2023/01/29/photos-san-francisco-49ers-ousted-from-playoffs-after-purdy-injury-31-7-loss-to-philadelphia-eagles/">Brock Hug</a><br /><a href="https://www.reuters.com/sports/nfl/no-words-right-now-49ers-stunned-after-another-super-bowl-loss-chiefs-2024-02-12/">Pointed</a><br /><a href="https://www.adamkoehlercreative.com/Super-Sick-Monday">Super Sick Monday</a></span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-49335625634815021442024-02-10T08:55:00.000-08:002024-02-10T10:03:03.806-08:00Can We Talk About Juju?<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am a religious person and a spiritual person. I'm not superstitious (I learned the hard way on that one. Guatemala, 2007). I've never used a Oujia board or seen a psychic. Nary a tarot card or Zodiac sign will be found among my possessions. I don't dabble. BUT, I don't mess with juju. Do you? And what I really want to know is: <i>Can we talk about it?</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHWsiBmcDjE5rZNN9DMCn7gkC2EjGFpPsdwdt5Nw8IqQqsRRHrf49ACwnLxlZYj3K-baWfEfefYK4II7YD_JjeJxsMqbmnjoLT3HsMTq3I_TAAzPuvDHk4wY-wYfQqwHC0-IsKP7za9rCEpRlTyItHxF5WTN6lnp2GMAfx8Nytn9hImOLHR9znS1QaoP3/s600/silver-linings-playbook-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHWsiBmcDjE5rZNN9DMCn7gkC2EjGFpPsdwdt5Nw8IqQqsRRHrf49ACwnLxlZYj3K-baWfEfefYK4II7YD_JjeJxsMqbmnjoLT3HsMTq3I_TAAzPuvDHk4wY-wYfQqwHC0-IsKP7za9rCEpRlTyItHxF5WTN6lnp2GMAfx8Nytn9hImOLHR9znS1QaoP3/w400-h265/silver-linings-playbook-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">To be honest, I thought the word was made up. I think it's a fun word to say. Turns out, there's more to it. According to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/juju-magic">Britannica</a></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Juju is an object that has been deliberately infused with magical power or the magical power itself; it also can refer to the belief system involving the use of juju. Juju is practiced in West African countries... It is neither good nor bad, but it may be used for constructive purposes as well as for nefarious deeds. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Juju operates on the principle of spiritual contagious contact based on physical contact. The underlying belief is that two entities that have been in close contact have similar properties even after being separated. It then becomes possible to manipulate one in order to reach the other. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It is thought that spiritual similarity can be created by deliberately placing two things in physical contact. The underlying belief is that spiritual assimilation and fusion will take place, with one entity absorbing the qualities of the other. Amulets, charms, and mascots are all common forms of juju. Usually worn for protective purposes, those objects have been infused with a particular type of energy, and wearing them is expected to create paths and possibilities for the wearer, as well as guard them against ill fortunes and evil spirits.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk_dVB5xapbuclJ-AK60M3vsItC8S_1lglp3-f6rHDpQTNcBBka_spnL1_5AOwlcORY5C1oGiy69hwEmvt7o_ku83qVH9t2HUIcFWRpXdB_F_0AuPZRKZbV8PGf_q6TyP4funDkE52ieLyNUnbWmgF3tib09rnK32EYoYJtN7JgepXI3cZc3lbaBzOvDi/s1280/Juju%20gamblign.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1280" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYk_dVB5xapbuclJ-AK60M3vsItC8S_1lglp3-f6rHDpQTNcBBka_spnL1_5AOwlcORY5C1oGiy69hwEmvt7o_ku83qVH9t2HUIcFWRpXdB_F_0AuPZRKZbV8PGf_q6TyP4funDkE52ieLyNUnbWmgF3tib09rnK32EYoYJtN7JgepXI3cZc3lbaBzOvDi/s320/Juju%20gamblign.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Wow. And yet, when I think how and when I reference juju...this description rings true.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">For example, I am most sensitive to the juju when I gamble. If I don't like the feel of the table or if a person joins it and brings new juju, bad juju, I will walk away.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Like many sports fans, I am mindful of the juju. For example, when people ask "If we win the Super Bowl, what day is the parade?" I can hardly answer the question. I have no problem with pundits and fans making predictions, but to talk about real possibilities and plans? No can do. Bad Juju. <br /><br />Combine sports and gambling—which many of us do—and the juju takes on a life of its own. The movie, "Silver Linings Playbook" captures that dynamic perfectly. I too have blamed certain people for messing up my team's juju.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AKRCOAVtXgU" width="320" youtube-src-id="AKRCOAVtXgU"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">So what gives? Or rather, why give into the juju. "<a href="https://www.ncregister.com/blog/i-dont-want-your-good-juju">I Don't Want Your Good Juju</a>" a post </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">featured in the National Catholic Reporter, </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">captures my question... and my answer.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Futhermore, I don't pray to roll my point on craps. I don't ask God to guide my hand in Blackjack when I decide to split the eights. I will never pray for my team to win the game—parlay or not. I will however ask God for the health and safety of all athletes. I am happy to pray that my team uses their talents to the best of their abilities and glorify God in the process. I pray for a game that is fair. Do I pray for a game that is fun? why not!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Prayer is raising our hearts and minds to God. It is fundamental to my relationship with the Lord. Prayer is communication—listening and yes, asking. But I don't see God as a slot machine who grants my wishes—as much as I might want them to come true! Prayer is so much more. It is sacred and holy. Authentic prayer is as raw and it is real. And, I believe it's worth making the distinctions. <br /><br />In short, I save prayer for the big stuff, for the real stuff. As much as I enjoy gambling and love sports, they have their place. Obviously sports enhance my life. They make it more meaningful and fun, but they don't control it (I am sensitive to the fact that others might feel differently e.g. Kyle Shanahan and his family. I think Brock Purdy is sincere when he thanks Jesus for the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl). And thus, it is in that same spirit that I can tune in to the juju and tune it out. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I hope Super Bowl LVIII is a great game and my team plays to the best of its abilities. May the best team win and the juju be kind ;-)<br /><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDVcsEo0Zr_qUmngHNg1T85Yh_xWBGzsnHckc2snNBryP7BeAg37gRf9i4XAc5dd1YDh7desZFxmrw4PA2161AAF7OQHO5977jsSAw77gTOVq6LGSanmz809h_fpl4TpAX2ea2hXQmECgG8ZdVwi6FJuswtBkme6-v9PmOKisFipHdNPkTCTOleWOt2M2/s800/super-bowl-stadium-800x500-2a7ec7d60a%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDVcsEo0Zr_qUmngHNg1T85Yh_xWBGzsnHckc2snNBryP7BeAg37gRf9i4XAc5dd1YDh7desZFxmrw4PA2161AAF7OQHO5977jsSAw77gTOVq6LGSanmz809h_fpl4TpAX2ea2hXQmECgG8ZdVwi6FJuswtBkme6-v9PmOKisFipHdNPkTCTOleWOt2M2/s320/super-bowl-stadium-800x500-2a7ec7d60a%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">And just to prove there is a prayer for just about everything, here's a <a href="https://www.prayerideas.org/super-bowl-sunday-prayer/">Super Bowl Sunday Prayer</a></span><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia;"><i>Dear God, As we gather with family and friends to enjoy the NFL championship game, may we recall the truths and qualities that make sports wholesome and good. May the virtues of preparation, experience, teamwork and determination be on display. Not only on the field but within our lives. Enable discernment, trust, good conduct and sportsmanship. Establish grace in both winning and losing and fill us with hope and anticipation for the new season yet to come. Amen.</i></span></blockquote><p><span style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Photo Credits</b><br /><a href="https://www.allegiantstadium.com/events/detail/super-bowl-lviii-opening-night-fueled-by-gatorade">Allegiant</a><br /><a href="https://cineccentric.com/2020/02/04/love-loss-and-obsession-in-silver-linings-playbook/">Tiffany and Pat</a><br /><a href="https://psf.app/nfl/viva-las-vegas-super-bowl-lviii-projected-to-break-gambling-records">Jackpot</a></span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-22463071162759042012024-02-08T08:51:00.000-08:002024-02-08T10:37:35.131-08:00Timely Words, Timeless Message: Thank you, Nick Bosa<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Nick and his brother Joey Bosa attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida—</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">one of the top ranked football high schools in the country.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Had he gone to a Jesuit high school, I have to wonder:<i> Would he have given his affective halftime speech in Latin?</i></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9T_WZgLEDW_CGwWE2IFm37B18Q_gK0aQj9ypT-Z3L3NLSgv1g_AFAGHm7acrDukNyoPzlInKwy9wSvjX0tZKTxkeRRsAF6ZVydN3FYdMUr2Rh0mnatoMMK48XDIs0sUHMDnGNnEfY7O53DCdS5LkoYArp8SCkj7YhruwCxh-7xg2SvcieV_G_BnyPGYG/s868/Nick%20then%20and%20now.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="868" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9T_WZgLEDW_CGwWE2IFm37B18Q_gK0aQj9ypT-Z3L3NLSgv1g_AFAGHm7acrDukNyoPzlInKwy9wSvjX0tZKTxkeRRsAF6ZVydN3FYdMUr2Rh0mnatoMMK48XDIs0sUHMDnGNnEfY7O53DCdS5LkoYArp8SCkj7YhruwCxh-7xg2SvcieV_G_BnyPGYG/w400-h191/Nick%20then%20and%20now.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><i>How's that?</i> As football fans know, the 49ers played a terrible first half against the Detroit Lions in the </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">NFC Championship</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> game</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">. Trailing 24-7 at the half, one has to wonder what was said to spark the change that led to 27 unanswered points and the biggest comeback in NFC Championship history. Turns out there were a few—and the 2019 defensive rookie of the year / 2022 defensive player of the year gets credit for the ones that stuck.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">According to <a href="https://www.nbcsportsbayarea.com/nfl/san-francisco-49ers/nick-bosa-halftime-message/1696915/">NBC Sports BayArea</a>, Bosa told his teammates to </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">“do your job.” He said, “That’s all we need to do. Just do your one-11. In that first half, there were break downs. One guy each time. Obviously it’s hard for me to know exactly what’s going on, but you just got to do you job.”</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlHHWctyiI4h6a3pDHSaHvXCVv03n7EmZxabKm9SVr08I4U81QAJ2iZm1DeZjcd6E_C3JjNduA2qEMjgdSR_gl2y8x60dnVIqDVJLkY58lEuLzyuDQmwRI-NK_yC59_AMeqGqbHDZYjFioVHdXOmEn9hT7MRoOMl6rPwXtJeCqTyUHz0nzCxSa0dN9j9z/s275/Pillar.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlHHWctyiI4h6a3pDHSaHvXCVv03n7EmZxabKm9SVr08I4U81QAJ2iZm1DeZjcd6E_C3JjNduA2qEMjgdSR_gl2y8x60dnVIqDVJLkY58lEuLzyuDQmwRI-NK_yC59_AMeqGqbHDZYjFioVHdXOmEn9hT7MRoOMl6rPwXtJeCqTyUHz0nzCxSa0dN9j9z/w400-h266/Pillar.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Coming in to work on Monday morning, colleagues were relieved, exhausted but excited about the 34-31 win. At the lunch table, people kept talking about Bosa's message. <i>Why?</i> We get it. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone in the American workforce—teachers and students included—did the same?!</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">When it came time to share his speech in Sports and Spirituality, the motto of Jesuit High in Portland, Oregon came to mind. These three Latin words are etched into their cornerstone. They serve as the name of their alumni magazine. I would like to know how often coaches and athletes, teachers and students reference it: </span><i style="font-family: georgia;">Age Quod Agis</i><span style="font-family: georgia;">. Translation: Do what you are doing. </span></p><p><i style="font-family: georgia;">Age Quod Agis</i><span style="font-family: georgia;"> might be even more important in 2024 than when the school was founded in 1956. The world of distractions has increased while our attention spans have not. To <i>do what you are doing</i> is a discipline. I could argue it is a spiritual discipline, too. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiWN_1l8RoeW3MKuKtmqUTE8ejCDWNRdO5dOhzW2JpWcC8RNJFcOUlA8R0SGFpm85p2zQGMn9U-QXBj16F8CsIC7dNUo9BS1SEPhmXIuFazUaHJPfZD5_41Q3OYf0RPpYfNOCaxvbk_EZyh_Rk6mo8GQts-JDNc5Led0oiWZcohzb2eFvNTswucAabC89/s1200/nick-bosa-trent-williams-GettyImages-1961126960.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZiWN_1l8RoeW3MKuKtmqUTE8ejCDWNRdO5dOhzW2JpWcC8RNJFcOUlA8R0SGFpm85p2zQGMn9U-QXBj16F8CsIC7dNUo9BS1SEPhmXIuFazUaHJPfZD5_41Q3OYf0RPpYfNOCaxvbk_EZyh_Rk6mo8GQts-JDNc5Led0oiWZcohzb2eFvNTswucAabC89/w400-h225/nick-bosa-trent-williams-GettyImages-1961126960.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">In its most practical form, <i>Age Quod Agis</i> also means "do your job." Every player on the team has a specific role. Every position has its own demands and requirements. The QB need not do what the center does. The safety should not do what the defensive end is doing. However, sometimes, we feel like we have to do it all. Other times, it's easy to put our tasks onto someone else. No. Do what you are doing. Do your job. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">According to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-nfl-myths-20180127-story.html">LA Times</a>, "rousing half-time speeches make a difference in a game’s outcome is a myth." I get it, but you and I probably name one, two or three instances when the legend stands tall. And I believe 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa gets credit for his valuable contribution</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">His words stuck because they were on point. That reminder was necessary. Those timely words emerge timeless. From the Roman Empire on...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Photo Credits</b><br />Nick then and now<br />Pillar (I took this photo!)<br /></span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-23154928009832131202024-02-04T10:33:00.000-08:002024-02-04T10:34:56.675-08:00Enter the Dragon—Christian McCaffrey and the wisdom of Bruce Lee<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's Saturday morning and the grind of the your weekday routine in on pause. Weekends... sleeping in... free time, it feels like a luxury.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">You wake up and ask yourself: </span><i style="font-family: georgia;">Do I go to the gym? </i><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's cold outside and warm in bed. Who wins the battle? Someone, somewhere has created a list of why you should put your shoes on, pound the pavement, and pump some iron and get going. Thanks to ESPN, I found another one.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5Jfs105Q35b6x4QunkzvexeQiqdXN-1OFfUpl5uIsotMci7AJdQ8wnQ-UOFOSWBe5tBeZpLY34pLjvYNZJ2IYEjttg1kfPKw2HaoVbHaPYEG_FrDZRYgyOz47AuBjcRYGCQErTLcb6IMtjVPZ199CUD3B_oGmIBnhDmNRT_kNdBPEiI-VS_tAElMg-iE/s802/Be%20Like%20Water.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="802" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5Jfs105Q35b6x4QunkzvexeQiqdXN-1OFfUpl5uIsotMci7AJdQ8wnQ-UOFOSWBe5tBeZpLY34pLjvYNZJ2IYEjttg1kfPKw2HaoVbHaPYEG_FrDZRYgyOz47AuBjcRYGCQErTLcb6IMtjVPZ199CUD3B_oGmIBnhDmNRT_kNdBPEiI-VS_tAElMg-iE/w400-h231/Be%20Like%20Water.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Last Saturday, I almost lost that battle, but the day's forecast forced my decision. I made it the sixth floor and it was remarkably quiet. I'm someone who prefers a crowded, but not packed house. I like talking to acquaintances, watching how hard some people push it and reminding myself I can always do a little better. I had to look to the TV screen up above for that support.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">To my utter delight, I saw within one minute two of my favorite people: Christian McCaffrey and Bruce Lee. I couldn't look away.<br /><br />SportsCenter updated a story about the influence the martial artist Bruce Lee had on the mental and physical training of Broncos great Ed McCaffrey and his son Niners running back Christian. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Their input, their realizations, connections and reflections are so good, I'll let them speak for themselves. Furthermore, this profile put </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">CMC in a new light. While watching the NFC Championship game, I couldn't help but notice the stretching, bending, and harnessing of energy which Lee models. The master's influence lives on!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q3FA5sCZ2hE" width="320" youtube-src-id="q3FA5sCZ2hE"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I began teaching about Bruce Lee in Sports and Spirituality when I learned about his philosophy vis a vi his daughter, Shannon—the author of </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3HNjHqa" style="font-family: georgia;">Be Water, My Friend: <i>The Teachings of Bruce Lee</i></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">. In an interview on NPR, she said, "for those of you who are unfamiliar with this quote of my father's, it first came into understanding around the practice of martial arts, which we will use as a metaphor throughout this book for living one's most engaged life. But most important to me, the idea of being like water is to attempt to embody the qualities of fluidity and naturalness in one's life." Released during the lockdown of COVID, I found </span><a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/10/10/922589570/in-be-water-my-friend-bruce-lees-daughter-tells-her-fathers-story" style="font-family: georgia;">its message</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> poignant to our times. CMC connects it to his style of play, his role on the team and approach to the game.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Several of Lee's teachings, as highlighted on the video are worth remembering, practicing and passing on.</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>The meaning of life is that it is to be <b>lived</b></i><b>.</b><br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Defeat is a state of mind</i><br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>If every man would help his neighbor, no man would be without help.</i><br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.</i></span></li></ul><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Water keeps moving!</i><br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">And of course, the best: <i>Be formless, shapeless...like water. </i><br />You can read more, here.</span></li></ul><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPIpFSQ1m_W87ZMjxN0iGf85faH3-SezQyR83A2P90Dc4Sv-OpNiWUPG7hk3tp6TQ05dASNonMEDvJ_sEe6_40PnPYezP5R1RRkhLftPf6ZBuqrf75-d7ur9dq9mHjvTvXKGhyphenhyphen6KPYH5cmvgyfEX51uBQbNMXZWxMsVcTOMgbd2idV8RvnDLPo6gXl5sE/s300/CMC%20yellow.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPIpFSQ1m_W87ZMjxN0iGf85faH3-SezQyR83A2P90Dc4Sv-OpNiWUPG7hk3tp6TQ05dASNonMEDvJ_sEe6_40PnPYezP5R1RRkhLftPf6ZBuqrf75-d7ur9dq9mHjvTvXKGhyphenhyphen6KPYH5cmvgyfEX51uBQbNMXZWxMsVcTOMgbd2idV8RvnDLPo6gXl5sE/w400-h224/CMC%20yellow.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If I meet an professional athlete, I try to offer a thoughtful or creative comment. I know I can always say "I'm a big fan" or "thank you for the 2014 World Series" but I try to make a connection. When and if I meet CMC, I know EXACTLY what I will say: </span><i style="font-family: georgia;">Be water, my friend. </i><span style="font-family: georgia;">Given the outcome of Super Bowl LVIII, I may add something else.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If I had not gone to the gym that morning, I would not have seen this video. In this year of the dragon, "Enter the dragon." <br /><br /><b>Photo Credits</b><br />Yellow shirt<br />Niners</span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-601205332139774542024-01-27T12:34:00.000-08:002024-01-27T12:34:00.634-08:00An Inside Look at Aryna Sabalenka's Personal Training: It's Not Complicated<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Congratulations to Aryna Sabalenka, winner of the 2024 Australian Open. Coming into Melbourne as the defending champion and number two woman in the world, this is Aryna's second Grand Slam title. I describe her as one of my favorite players and I know others feel the same way. One reason might stem from her favorable profile in the Netflix series "Breaking Point." And the release of <a href="https://www.netflix.com/watch/81692683?trackId=14170289&tctx=1%2C0%2Ca891297a-815a-4ede-8f0b-0cbdfde9cf42-249122418%2CNES_782913AABEB0C386D1EB3E7E210B3E-994911DC4F528C-3D271942A8_p_1706381293379%2CNES_782913AABEB0C386D1EB3E7E210B3E_p_1706381293379%2C%2C%2C%2C81569920%2CVideo%3A81692683%2CdetailsPageEpisodePlayButton">Season 2, Episode 1: The Curse</a> offers a lesson for any and everyone. No tennis shoes required.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7r_tnCPfBE6qzubgBz6acTqIiWIdvj4r-PzVy8B-7ezRO919CqHhSCsemBigFxjZKZ6bvTatpIDiz4wTJZDyHkW-WavDf-8FxCMeWQmpEuEKNXsKS3cdKjjjHU1dTjBzw1uY2HdOuVgVwUxSxRkNr-bP-4oWTKZ83AIB6I63cjP-hwzrUug2rwUNrttO6/s1058/Winner%20Aryna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="796" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7r_tnCPfBE6qzubgBz6acTqIiWIdvj4r-PzVy8B-7ezRO919CqHhSCsemBigFxjZKZ6bvTatpIDiz4wTJZDyHkW-WavDf-8FxCMeWQmpEuEKNXsKS3cdKjjjHU1dTjBzw1uY2HdOuVgVwUxSxRkNr-bP-4oWTKZ83AIB6I63cjP-hwzrUug2rwUNrttO6/s320/Winner%20Aryna.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Season 2 begins with the first major of the year—the Australian Open 2023. Going into that tourney, Aryna had been a Grand Slam semi-finalist five times and a finalist once. Winning is hard enough. Carrying the desire she to prove her father right is a whole lot more. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sergey </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sabalenka </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">passed away suddenly in November 2019 at the age of 43. He told Aryna that she would win a Grand Slam before she was 25. Aryna, the eldest of two girls said, </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">“I’m just trying to fight because my dad wanted me to be No.1. I’m doing it for him so that’s what is helping me to be strong right now."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Aryna turned 25 on May 5, 2023. The Aussie Open was the last Grand Slam event before that milestone birthday. Aryna fulfilled his prophesy when she defeated Donna Vekić 6-3, 6-2. For Aryna, seeing her family name on the trophy and wall of fame was the honor she sought. Mission accomplished.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSrVAgc51Mr-rhkErcz53_U4tMT_xlZFqMOja_K_YdPCW9KmiZ89yCgqz-3qvFtMAzIvhedDTKU29IilpZVtunzR0gm8UfzAhQ5WV4uCAtP_963eTJjqNtUao4l4pO8h7-0qtwjW7CLl4co25TNGEfr0BK0ijIk0bhlADRKmvmUbfQOeiXSErjEqi65bx/s600/with%20her%20dad.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="600" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSrVAgc51Mr-rhkErcz53_U4tMT_xlZFqMOja_K_YdPCW9KmiZ89yCgqz-3qvFtMAzIvhedDTKU29IilpZVtunzR0gm8UfzAhQ5WV4uCAtP_963eTJjqNtUao4l4pO8h7-0qtwjW7CLl4co25TNGEfr0BK0ijIk0bhlADRKmvmUbfQOeiXSErjEqi65bx/s320/with%20her%20dad.webp" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Start at minute 30:30 to 31:44 of Breaking Point.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In addition to intense training, continued high level competition, stretching and massage, Aryna's personal trainer Jason Stacy noted "we started working on her breathing. Breath control is emotional control. If you can just take a second, you lower your heart rate by how you're breathing, think more clearly, make better decisions." <br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">This practice, this focus is so simple. To me, it is so obvious, and yet it's such an important reminder. Time and again, I realize that what we need to do to stay healthy, focused, and on point really isn't that complex. My sense is that an entire market exists based on wanting it to be—but it's not.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcrvMvAWxoysyoQn8G8NQ_JKqTmxNOz85zOuoiHtwAXwTgpYMg1rTXFZTl3q0IFiFLZlBG9dL9IFEHSAgO1_L34hxWDK-PcYpSJQp94sfsA6C1ROx3RHsEtya-KW0b_yJnLYrZbVuXSeX3-g34l5M8FXZKDtn0COUcd7pXKO8rpZtdGFbXzAkDtMEIOHk/s3000/Winner%20V.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcrvMvAWxoysyoQn8G8NQ_JKqTmxNOz85zOuoiHtwAXwTgpYMg1rTXFZTl3q0IFiFLZlBG9dL9IFEHSAgO1_L34hxWDK-PcYpSJQp94sfsA6C1ROx3RHsEtya-KW0b_yJnLYrZbVuXSeX3-g34l5M8FXZKDtn0COUcd7pXKO8rpZtdGFbXzAkDtMEIOHk/s320/Winner%20V.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Look to great athletes and listen to them for reassurance. For example, when asked: What do you think people would find most surprising about your wellness routine? Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs said, "</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">No surprises, the rules are the same for everyone – eat well, sleep well, hydrate, stay active, remain positive and driven." Only thing worth adding might be to focus on breathing.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The word spirituality comes from the Latin, <i>spiritus </i>or breath. We have it in us to develop a healthy spirituality, which can lead to a living faith. A starting point is to bring intentionality—practice and purpose to our breathing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">A warm congratulations to Aryna Sabalenka! I would love to hear how your practice of breath control paved the way for another Grand Slam title. Here's to many more.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>photo credits</b><br />Aryna and her Dad<br />Victory<br />Number One</span></p><p><br /></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-55216703220998807262024-01-21T20:46:00.000-08:002024-01-22T07:24:25.266-08:0023 and Me: How and Why We Wear a Sports Jersey<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">One of my favorite scenes in "Silver Linings Playbook" is when the main character Pat Solitano, played by Bradley Cooper, asks his therapist for wardrobe advice. Thanks to <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/characters/nm0177896">IMDB</a>, the conversation is here. <br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6n3K0SRnICBx7Ejv5WYOsIwL1g_FpDkM3_OddF03W71KHaZopY5Iz43NgTgwXnTCUhJjItrAAwVzGRw5-JlsXZWp7uZyUtIhLYesIa8Wj4m_ajfIACL5hp0WqcoGsiOXKYfQo6WLcVb1v6jaTkeInPpqZlXHoJVtnp5dbMAHmadb4ysN91QlhowD1-PWU/s640/DeSean%20Jackson.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6n3K0SRnICBx7Ejv5WYOsIwL1g_FpDkM3_OddF03W71KHaZopY5Iz43NgTgwXnTCUhJjItrAAwVzGRw5-JlsXZWp7uZyUtIhLYesIa8Wj4m_ajfIACL5hp0WqcoGsiOXKYfQo6WLcVb1v6jaTkeInPpqZlXHoJVtnp5dbMAHmadb4ysN91QlhowD1-PWU/s320/DeSean%20Jackson.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Pat:</b> Hey, my friend Ronnie is having this party on Sunday night and it's like a real hoity-toity thing. And his wife Veronica is a real stickler for... I don't know. My mom got this Gap outfit she wants me to wear, but I want to wear a jersey that my brother Jake got me from the Eagles.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Dr. Cliff Patel:</b> Which jersey?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Pat: </b>DeSean Jackson.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Dr. Cliff Patel:</b> DeSean Jackson is the man.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Pat:</b> Well, that settles that.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Choosing what to wear is one question, but when it comes to donning a sports jersey—deciding who to wear is another. And, as a sports fan, I think it is one that deserves careful consideration. Here's how. Here's why.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMrjOVs4QcZvhPJ7ZkxEx6Mj06lRukLwtlm7_TCCN1iE4xOUE6pmOHRVYR88fZOgdZ-GCGuE8DPrJyLeAlJxjQVowc0ercuw-HAos5iYY42wFD5WX59AG04LmHmjg5id4ULjG2GYwy7vM9LNdfpgVF9zP_KCBxx_JvNXTVAp0D3gjN2CZYJ2_hHrFeDDQ/s3088/23%20and%20me.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="3088" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKMrjOVs4QcZvhPJ7ZkxEx6Mj06lRukLwtlm7_TCCN1iE4xOUE6pmOHRVYR88fZOgdZ-GCGuE8DPrJyLeAlJxjQVowc0ercuw-HAos5iYY42wFD5WX59AG04LmHmjg5id4ULjG2GYwy7vM9LNdfpgVF9zP_KCBxx_JvNXTVAp0D3gjN2CZYJ2_hHrFeDDQ/w400-h300/23%20and%20me.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">On Saturday, January 20 the San Francisco 49ers played the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional playoff game. Instead of joining friends at a local bar or my golf club. I caught all I could at my parish crab feed. I knew the dress code varied—semi-casual to slightly dressy—but I felt the time was now. Move over DeSean Jackson, it was time for #23, Christian McCaffrey.</span><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I received my first and only football jersey this Christmas from my brother. When he asked what I would like for Christmas I suggested a couple of options related to the Niners. I thought he would opt old school, but instead he went big. So big, that I brought his gift with me to school to show my students. I was nervous and I was excited. As I unfolded the red and white, several of them said "that's sick." Read: awesome. Thank you, Mark!</span><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I don't have it in me to wear clothing or gear of a team that I cannot stand behind. I won't wear anything with the name of a another school; I know who I am and I know who to whom I am loyal. For example, last weekend when I traveled to Duke University, I enjoyed my time in their bookstore but no purchase was made. One might want to get a hat or a shirt as a way to remember their trip—I get that, but it's not my style. Therefore, wearing something as official and specific as a player's jersey means a lot to me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I wrestled with several options, before I committed to the CMC jersey. I like so many of the players—past and present. I thought <i>Should I go with a legend? or a player with a connection to Notre Dame? Am I partial to offense? Why not go defense?!</i> I took my time and thought about who I want to represent. I asked myself, <i>Who can I stand behind?</i></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyLVsiYrmnIwH1MtoQntYjIiWxkUt_5Ayl3smuCa43JXPoQuWkGmr3y7kxSMzmEItTBPy13vYWm3zU3O2qfaVuS4WoJH0j4kq3IOgAFfjTP4xtca6buxO9KbZUvN4XMcBaa543gmIqFBmCEAJ-nEC2-OZH1SZukIYPiEplLr93DyR-l9U2jRz0keI7Voq/s770/23%20and%20CMcC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="770" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyLVsiYrmnIwH1MtoQntYjIiWxkUt_5Ayl3smuCa43JXPoQuWkGmr3y7kxSMzmEItTBPy13vYWm3zU3O2qfaVuS4WoJH0j4kq3IOgAFfjTP4xtca6buxO9KbZUvN4XMcBaa543gmIqFBmCEAJ-nEC2-OZH1SZukIYPiEplLr93DyR-l9U2jRz0keI7Voq/w400-h225/23%20and%20CMcC.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In short, I love McCaffrey's game. I don't know how the man makes so much happen on the field. His scoring, rushing, defensive and receiving stats are off the charts. His athleticism is unparalleled. I am in awe of the ways he breaks the tackles and gets open, how he gets back up time and again keeps moving. While I'm not a Stanford fan, I do appreciate what one of his former college coaches said about him. "Christian does the small things incredibly well. It's no surprise to me how all of that adds up. His game is the way it is because of his </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">incredible attention to detail." I love his insight and admire his observation. From that point on, I decided: </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">No DNA required, it's 23 and me.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">After mass today, I saw the head chef and leader of the St. Vincent de Paul men's club crab feed. I thanked him for a great meal and another wonderful gathering. He said "I loved your McCaffrey jersey." An alum of St. Ignatius, I told I brought it to school and showed my class. He replied, "it is sick. It's awesome. Let's go Niners."<br /><br /><b>Photo Credits</b><br /><a href="https://archive.courierpress.com/features/movies/football-fans-get-a-close-up-in-silver-linings-ep-443725552-324752201.html/">Pat Solitano</a><br /><a href="https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/172628-christian-mccaffrey-career-defining-performance-cardinals/">Christian </a></span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-61129243535544036752024-01-18T21:39:00.000-08:002024-01-23T21:56:59.455-08:00Arthur Ashe Stands on Monument Avenue in Richmond, VA <p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The third Monday in January, honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., is the only federal holiday designated by Congress as a national day of service. In other words, Americans are encouraged to observe the holiday by making a positive impact on their community and live a faith that does justice. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">I always say it is "not a day off, it is a day on." It is a day to do—to give, to live the message of Dr. King and more. This year, I traveled to Richmond, VA to see the statue of the late tennis great, Arthur Ashe in appreciation for how he used his platform to share messages much like MLK's.</span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2QSDGziJBpf9fXCNkIc7u6x_llf44vpsj14sAltyQ-Y3bivyDZQF86584E2YqtNARbIo1BcD6Jv2CXNmazl9itN6grdU5k8samWnXoZed6oU8i3jMbvq3h5SPCK8uInhzGyq-zBHsiHwnz3qo07EqO5oSYIMt9stEx0n04tc-25JORk2VypAbkGAmgv6/s4032/Full%20Statue.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2QSDGziJBpf9fXCNkIc7u6x_llf44vpsj14sAltyQ-Y3bivyDZQF86584E2YqtNARbIo1BcD6Jv2CXNmazl9itN6grdU5k8samWnXoZed6oU8i3jMbvq3h5SPCK8uInhzGyq-zBHsiHwnz3qo07EqO5oSYIMt9stEx0n04tc-25JORk2VypAbkGAmgv6/w300-h400/Full%20Statue.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">One of my favorite quotes from King speaks to his belief in service. He said,</span><p></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;">Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>I believe when we lovingly and generously give our time and talents in service to others we become so much more. I do not think King was overly idealistic about the power of service. An author, orator, leader and community organizer, Dr King remains an American hero because he gave his life in loving service to others. But he wasn't the only one to weigh in on service and its importance. <br /><br />Arthur Ashe said, </span>“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Perhaps he was speaking about King, but I also believe Ashe was speaking from the heart. The namesake of the main stadium at the USTA National Tennis Center, fortunately there is no shortage of information about his life. But for the purpose of this blog, however, I would like to share the story of the statue that stands in his honor in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aaIOmygDQFNxVSEtFbkJV6R_igUt7SJR2KR-RJh6u-XdoB6SaFR-PSU-x1BAx8c7XmAiwrpmiIQLEtq9MGHpb0RekH54gH5V1zlON7vItK2AIkJ-e0yQPb4x_AF_tnl4B5-TBR6G54aW2kPuesaq7bXyvLQMbQK5P_9VtVWey_sx2w73upJLWv0AHiRd/s1200/AA%20Stadium.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aaIOmygDQFNxVSEtFbkJV6R_igUt7SJR2KR-RJh6u-XdoB6SaFR-PSU-x1BAx8c7XmAiwrpmiIQLEtq9MGHpb0RekH54gH5V1zlON7vItK2AIkJ-e0yQPb4x_AF_tnl4B5-TBR6G54aW2kPuesaq7bXyvLQMbQK5P_9VtVWey_sx2w73upJLWv0AHiRd/w400-h225/AA%20Stadium.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">In 1996, the city of Richmond posthumously honored Ashe's life with a statue by sculptor Paul DiPasquale on Monument Avenue, a street that had been traditionally reserved for statues of key figures of the Confederacy. This decision led to some controversy in a city that was once the capital of the Confederate States during the American Civil War. However, the video short </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eaf6gAARDJ0" style="font-family: georgia;">Arthur Ashe Statue Sets Precedent for Monument Avenue</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">, explains how and explains why.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In 1992, </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Arthur Ashe publicly announced that he</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> contracted HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, He</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> began working to educate others about HIV and AIDS, a disease that at that time was laden with social stigma. For </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">DiPasquale, t</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">hat heroism "created in my mind what looked like a social need to recognize this native son of Richmond, and of Virginia, born and raised here, who was an international star and world champion, three times over."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The sculptor admits "Monument Avenue didn't seem to fit." However, in talking to Ashe about this statue and what it should include in his mind "the question changed from <i>Why put Arthur Ashe on Monument Avenue? </i>to <i>Why shouldn't we put Arthur Ashe on Monument Avenue</i> <i>to honor this man? And update Monument Avenue?"</i></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Eaf6gAARDJ0" width="320" youtube-src-id="Eaf6gAARDJ0"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Twenty eight years later, all of the Confederate statues and their pedestals have been taken down and removed from Monument Avenue. The events surrounding the murder of George Floyd prompted this change. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">DiPasquale adds "Monument Avenue is a long avenue. There is plenty of room for other heroes—but Arthur Ashe still stands on Monument Avenue." <br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">I traveled to North Carolina over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend to visit one of my closest friends, who moved to Raleigh and to meet up with two former students who are members of the Duke men's basketball team in Durham. Realizing I wasn't all that far from Washington, DC I asked my brother, sister-in-law and nieces to meet me in Richmond, VA.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZxeQeGL7HYAZxKKmFUdirMLbzlD-I0EGtjmAKHLV-5J8MAMnIP7v1QNfLhhZOdphsGU87LE0kRKmEzx5cZgtjMsVQECbfxYhjynlkTDRUPvbX3VWIIbyzwobsZqc88A0XMscnd-mCAX0KBGa-w9KuLt6Zx7OPaMD-eO3TVZnj8KCfQIP2-_cp26x76qi/s512/AA%20grass.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZxeQeGL7HYAZxKKmFUdirMLbzlD-I0EGtjmAKHLV-5J8MAMnIP7v1QNfLhhZOdphsGU87LE0kRKmEzx5cZgtjMsVQECbfxYhjynlkTDRUPvbX3VWIIbyzwobsZqc88A0XMscnd-mCAX0KBGa-w9KuLt6Zx7OPaMD-eO3TVZnj8KCfQIP2-_cp26x76qi/w400-h240/AA%20grass.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">When I was considering what we could do or see in Richmond, all I knew was that I wanted to see the Arthur Ashe statue on Monument Avenue. Visiting that space provided me with an opportunity to recognize this great American. My brother informed me that when he died, h</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">is body was laid in state at the Governor's Mansion, located in Richmond, VA. According to CNN.com, "He was the first person to lie in state at the mansion since the Confederate general Stonewall Jackson in 1863." Even in death, Arthur Ashe emerges a sober but true hero.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I returned to school the day after what would have been Dr. King's 95th birthday, eager to teach my students about Arthur Ashe—the story of his statue and how he lived out a message that resonated with MLK. I would like to know why he requested that his shoe laces be untied. I'm glad he played a game that I love. I remember those press conferences and his grace. <br /><br />Maybe true heroes demonstrate grace like that of Richmond's own...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Photo Credits</b><br /><a href="http://www.cmgww.com/sports/ashe/biography/">Ashe at Wimbledon</a><br /><a href="https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/sporting/a44890252/arthur-ashe-stadium-history/">Stadium</a><br />#GrottoNetwork</span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-29564585368500594822024-01-07T15:17:00.000-08:002024-01-07T22:14:33.924-08:00To Call Them Cheaters is Just Too Easy: Michigan Football and Integrity<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I think of myself as a positive person. I try to see the good in people, places, institutions and organizations and give them the benefit of the doubt. However, I have entered into new(ish) territory. I find myself actively, passionately rooting against a team: the University of Michigan Wolverines</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">. Their entry into the College Football national championship has raised many questions for me. <i>What's it like as an alumni of the school to cheer for a team like this one? How do you defend your alma mater? What do you think of Coach Harbaugh? </i>For those who are Michigan fans: <i>What's it like to stand behind a team that has a foundation of sand? </i>And for me and others who share my misgivings: <i>Is it wrong to cheer against a team (even when it doesn't affect your own?) And why should I even care?</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oBNKNRYTRb32Zlq-mIacg1uSOArU071KAALTgeB4iMNyzkq7v7vxpLaKtgObiEOrRLk5O-8DjupBh4kobDdSb7GOID1P0DuzVLN9VuRUD95PVYHFgSWL4wnYYyZ2OfvGWF5RxkDPYt27YntClI6-YsUTNDcBcKRP7J3IdlhXQKY1TiRQxC5V25uak-Dt/s832/Jim%20H.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="832" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oBNKNRYTRb32Zlq-mIacg1uSOArU071KAALTgeB4iMNyzkq7v7vxpLaKtgObiEOrRLk5O-8DjupBh4kobDdSb7GOID1P0DuzVLN9VuRUD95PVYHFgSWL4wnYYyZ2OfvGWF5RxkDPYt27YntClI6-YsUTNDcBcKRP7J3IdlhXQKY1TiRQxC5V25uak-Dt/w400-h215/Jim%20H.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">From an early age I have had it out for USC and for the Los Angeles Dodgers. I never wanted to see their success, and on occasion I've delighted in their demise, but this one feels different. I feel my blood begin to boil. I went so low as to cheer for Alabama. I fear the worst on Monday, January 8 but hope for the best (the University of Washington story is so good). <i>What gives?</i></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Notre Dame and Michigan are natural, long time rivals. I learned the alternative lyrics to their fight song within two weeks of my freshman year. The home opener that Fall day, September 3 1992 resulted in a tie (17-17). While I never wanted a "Muck Fichigan" shirt—that's definitely not my style—I saw plenty of them. I don't think I have ever rooted FOR them but certainly not actively against them.I know I am not alone. Ohio State, Michigan State, Central Michigan—any Big 10 school football fans share my sentiment. Here's why.<br /><br />To refer to Michigan as a bunch of cheaters is easy. To me, however that label is short sighted. What grates me about this team is their utter and total lack of integrity. As written in <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-football/news/jim-harbaugh-timeline-michigan-sign-stealing-cheeseburger/0de07eee9a735307e89b010e">The Sporting News</a>, </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">the 2023 season for Harbaugh and the Wolverines has now been marred by an investigation into sign-stealing allegations, a scandal that follows closely on the heels of another of alleged recruiting violations and lying to the NCAA during its investigation. His program has also come under further scrutiny when former quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss was fired after the 2022 season amid an investigation into computer access crimes.</span></span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">They have violated sportsmanship rules, NCAA rules, and privacy rules. Their actions have led to a four game suspension for the head coach and the firing of others. At what point is enough, enough? or too much?!<br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />There isn't a program out beyond reproach, but this one—</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">has yet to take responsibility for their actions. Were it my alma mater, I would keep a very low profile. I wonder, if they raise the championship trophy on Monday, <i>how many people will see its tarnish? Will you?</i></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ok31QQwGmgIC2-O0xE9OlPWAZF-6yQIv9OVGwhWmNHu8r5RcVxb8XrF4v8hX_N9ZDZVta-Ke50yy9R-V5PifGvkvAgz-yd08s11eSFNYekfz_9YorRi_2MMXRdm0QiIjoPWGHuuqgUiRPzC72Eovt0liZa93M8BU96tDc86IoYfZNeKz3p00xqF4JoUV/s634/Migh%20Cheating.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="630" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ok31QQwGmgIC2-O0xE9OlPWAZF-6yQIv9OVGwhWmNHu8r5RcVxb8XrF4v8hX_N9ZDZVta-Ke50yy9R-V5PifGvkvAgz-yd08s11eSFNYekfz_9YorRi_2MMXRdm0QiIjoPWGHuuqgUiRPzC72Eovt0liZa93M8BU96tDc86IoYfZNeKz3p00xqF4JoUV/w398-h400/Migh%20Cheating.jpeg" width="398" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Integrity is a catch-all virtue. It combines honesty with bearing responsibility. It builds trust and leads to human flourishing. Integrity is compromised when the truth is hidden. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Since the beginning, Harbaugh has denied knowledge of the sign-stealing scheme and said he never instructed staff members to break NCAA rules.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> A friend said "he reminds me of 45...always feels he's picked on and is never responsible for his actions." Ouch. I wonder how things might be different, if Harbaugh admitted otherwise. He still hasn't, but recourse was taken. As written on <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38865291/why-big-ten-suspended-michigan-football-coach-jim-harbaugh-next">ESPN</a>,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">"This is not a sanction of Coach Harbaugh," Petitti wrote. "It is a sanction against the University that, under the extraordinary circumstances presented by this offensive conduct, best fits the violation because: (1) it preserves the ability of the University's football student-athletes to continue competing; and (2) it recognizes that the Head Coach embodies the University for purposes of its football program."</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Everywhere he goes, Harbaugh has taken programs from the red to the black. He works incredibly hard, he demands a lot of himself and his players. With Harbaugh, there is no confusion—he wants to win. It's his job to win. The perpetuation of offenses however sends the message:</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> winning is the ONLY thing. It's not a matter of why you win or how you win, it's "Just Win Baby!" (FWIW: I would love to see Jim Harbaugh as the head coach of the Raiders—a team that thrives on disfunction). Thoughts?</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGtHx0qYomkRUnLHwUZwSBxNX3WAtsPJQBdvJoMInXG7i5eMy83EeGfLhI0a7zUG6hYnfHvxaiBSCC2KAW4d7ZtzO6yT3_p5c1c-28YWa_a8VS6ufFCZZkYCDXfGkugFHFfU4r9SPglv5WrT9zxSwUqd9p4JtU5JBbhZhtYMhZBWvBB88xNdSYth3uOF_/s800/michigan_uYmM8Gl_t800.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGtHx0qYomkRUnLHwUZwSBxNX3WAtsPJQBdvJoMInXG7i5eMy83EeGfLhI0a7zUG6hYnfHvxaiBSCC2KAW4d7ZtzO6yT3_p5c1c-28YWa_a8VS6ufFCZZkYCDXfGkugFHFfU4r9SPglv5WrT9zxSwUqd9p4JtU5JBbhZhtYMhZBWvBB88xNdSYth3uOF_/s320/michigan_uYmM8Gl_t800.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />If I went to Michigan, I honestly do not know how I could—in good conscience be excited about this team. I've asked people who I respect and trust to answer this question. I ask it from a place of curiosity and not judgment. I have yet to hear a principled response, most Wolverines waffle. They've lived with Harbaugh for eight years now. They've beaten Ohio State, too (I get it).</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm not throwing stones.This is not newish territory for me. Super Bowl XLVII, featured my San Francisco 49ers against the Baltimore Ravens. A life long Niners fan (thanks Dad), I actually felt dirty—a moral slime—cheering for my team. This team was undeniably physical, but they played dirty...tons of penalties...a whole lot of very late hits. Losing in the Harbaugh Bowl was disappointing, but not in the way it could have been had I loved this team.The elder brother, John Harbaugh and the Ravens beat Jim Harbaugh and the Niners 34-31. Seems that the better Harbaugh won. (This team also didn't have a series of league offenses that went unaccounted for or left fans scratching their heads. That was one year later when Niner LB Aldon Smith was arrested for a DUI and played a game a few days later....Harbaugh explained why he allowed Smith to play. I did not support that decision. Niners lost and Smith went into rehab that week. I supported that one).<br /><br />There could be a rematch of the Ravens and Niners in the 2024 Super Bowl. I will be thrilled if my team plays in it. They aren't perfect but I can say as a fan, they've made my job a whole lot easier. We fans hold our own responsibility and this game has brought that task into a new light.<br /><br />Good luck to the University of Washington, Huskies. <br /><br /><b>Photo Credits</b><br /><a href="https://awfulannouncing.com/college-football/michigan-cheating-scandal-bigger-story.html">Harbaugh</a><br /><a href="https://www.newstribune.com/news/2023/nov/13/michigan-vs-everybody-school-fighting-cheating-allegations/">Michigan vs.</a><br /><a href="https://thegame730am.com/michigan-excuse-bingo-for-jim-harbaughs-4-game-suspension/">Bingo</a></span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-22093940057148003702023-12-20T10:05:00.000-08:002023-12-20T21:49:11.210-08:00Reflections on 23 Straight Days of Blogging for 2023<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Having a full week off at Thanksgiving provided me the opportunity to relax, take a breath and look around. Maybe I should have kept my eyes closed—I noticed that basket that lives by my desk could not be contained. I let months of magazines and articles pile up. I did a personal inventory: <i>What had I been reading? What was I missing? And how did I let things go?! </i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeRCqAcK84EczCUpkCqmkELTNzRjd3W1QrQvClwffe2kE_HeL4meSaRMIBRXdVqQDZnswBgG44C5HhfPvPBb7WkjZr8VziYPNwlJXWmhfxdjL4-OELqpVFQVPHDDF3F6Qa4ZLxeDbqXgtcoPBFMRcZgGpChmqIaON_gry3kEDmzKxvotFsKXfWoiZ5433/s400/Basket%20as%20of%20Jan%202022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="400" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKeRCqAcK84EczCUpkCqmkELTNzRjd3W1QrQvClwffe2kE_HeL4meSaRMIBRXdVqQDZnswBgG44C5HhfPvPBb7WkjZr8VziYPNwlJXWmhfxdjL4-OELqpVFQVPHDDF3F6Qa4ZLxeDbqXgtcoPBFMRcZgGpChmqIaON_gry3kEDmzKxvotFsKXfWoiZ5433/s320/Basket%20as%20of%20Jan%202022.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am fascinated by the idea of "inbox zero," but I know all too well (shout out Tay-Tay) what will never be. And yet, I recognized with this (new) break, I could do something about this mess. I have learned it takes 21 days to build a habit. I started to wonder, about writing as a habit. It is something I would like to do more regularly. <i>Could I?</i> <i>If so, how? </i>An idea was born.<br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">On the Happier podcast, Gretchen Rubin and sister Elizabeth do an annual challenge with listeners. Rubin writes, "</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">We’ve done #Walk20in20, #Read21in21, #Rest22in22, and #GoOutside23in23. Framing a habit this way makes it feel more fun–and also easier to maintain."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've embraced their challenge since 2020. I have stuck with reading 21 minutes a day for the past three years. Last year, I aimed to play 22 different golf courses and attend mass at 22 new Catholic churches. Come August, I modified the challenge and <a href="https://sportsandspirituality.blogspot.com/2022/12/reflections-on-my-22-for-2022.html">combined the two</a>. Mission accomplished! </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCsDhr0USrpj7Lgy5DF62Ehyphenhyphenf3sqIAZKPDGEgrZLAaaHiMDP1L33z_bSFELarkTPVYm__a1lZdqGpbeKErzFWYizRmaatziBA6j6tF6C8wHM0kcrZEDt6AXRTl6EBwi0FpkTy0Wpq-iFhxkN7_1jpfb4XXBVPStFysZ9uFvfQDltvJLJ8_Iov0sVQGrsA/s1276/Church%20and%20GOlf.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="1276" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCsDhr0USrpj7Lgy5DF62Ehyphenhyphenf3sqIAZKPDGEgrZLAaaHiMDP1L33z_bSFELarkTPVYm__a1lZdqGpbeKErzFWYizRmaatziBA6j6tF6C8wHM0kcrZEDt6AXRTl6EBwi0FpkTy0Wpq-iFhxkN7_1jpfb4XXBVPStFysZ9uFvfQDltvJLJ8_Iov0sVQGrsA/w400-h160/Church%20and%20GOlf.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">At the onset of 2023, I thought I would attend a combined total of 23 different sporting events and religious services. I didn't need an excuse to attend Wimbledon, but this goal made for a good one. And still, I lost steam somewhere in last January or February. I let it go and was okay with no 23 for 2023.... until I saw that basket.<br /><br />I save articles because they spark an idea for a blog posting. Sometimes I need the information for teaching. The joy of offering a class like <i>Sports and Spirituality</i> is that what I read, write about and require is symbiotic,—one feeds into the other. The annual challenge provided a solution: blog for 23 straight days in 2023. Game on.<br /><br />The first thing I want to say about this challenge is that I did it. I wrote everyday for 23 straight days. A colleague noticed that I was pumping out a lot of content. I told him I don't recommend it. At time, I was sleep deprived. I exercised less. I didn't have time for other things. In response, he said, "but you did it. You did it." Thank you, Darius for affirming the accomplishment. Truly, there is satisfaction in setting out to achieve a goal. I did it. yay!<br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6KQ9dobWQ9SPvvvUXOWdP6Spw2DK_qV-Qw3yWw9iL1nlue_GT5cQ0mNAOLbcAKhffVEcWQiv_EorUpFh34mA-geSfzRDUWO2C9P9YKI7YAerAluk6urAPsesfSAkcrPhxVS9IkgQpQ0zCf4wtg2-BwxF-_SRiVy3ikmL-5iQPruy-UwmBhApYTXeZ4RU/s846/Proud%20of%20you.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="844" data-original-width="846" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH6KQ9dobWQ9SPvvvUXOWdP6Spw2DK_qV-Qw3yWw9iL1nlue_GT5cQ0mNAOLbcAKhffVEcWQiv_EorUpFh34mA-geSfzRDUWO2C9P9YKI7YAerAluk6urAPsesfSAkcrPhxVS9IkgQpQ0zCf4wtg2-BwxF-_SRiVy3ikmL-5iQPruy-UwmBhApYTXeZ4RU/s320/Proud%20of%20you.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Second, it was fascinating to see how bound a person can be to a commitment. More than once, I told myself "I don't have to do this." However, deep down inside, I knew I had to do it. There is some sort of moral fiber—a "stick-to-it-ness" that I have always been aware exists inside me. I was back in touch with that entity. I'm glad it's there.</span><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Third, it was amazing just how many ideas came to me in the knick of time. For example, one I night I while waiting to pick up my friends' son, I took notice of a new kind of </span><a href="https://sportsandspirituality.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-wonderful-holiday-tradition-christmas.html" style="font-family: georgia;">Giving Tree/Angel Tree</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">. It wasn't early in the evening, but without a doubt, that had to be the post for the day. I have long subscribed to the mantra: </span><i style="font-family: georgia;">seek and ye shall find</i><span style="font-family: georgia;">. I did! But I also believe that there's something to be said for being found. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Fourth, it's not insignificant just how much happens in a 23-day time period. In that three- week plus time frame, my alma mater named a new president, an icon in the St. Ignatius College Prep community passed, our country observed as national holiday, I attended a college football game, a beloved radio host lost his job and a celebrity came clean about a <a href="https://sportsandspirituality.blogspot.com/2023/12/fore-thoughts-on-ozempic.html">hot topic</a>—the day AFTER my post. I would like to think she read it, but reality suggests otherwise.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3Ar5g8soj1UWLecsWPiHQgCgo3H48z8CbDR1qFjMhlOjCAwjx7Lvh1QWpLnxOyGQJLLcPbRgVq4nIta0XQBfwIbPRr9aTKCcOqrVsA1sxhvCIZpop1N9cG-WSwF4zB2zoByZp9ICvdGA98xusi9Ujn7Q9C_JpSOTCJbhxupSpRqbG8U8Uo0mbcgZYR_G/s3600/23-before-2023.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3600" data-original-width="2400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3Ar5g8soj1UWLecsWPiHQgCgo3H48z8CbDR1qFjMhlOjCAwjx7Lvh1QWpLnxOyGQJLLcPbRgVq4nIta0XQBfwIbPRr9aTKCcOqrVsA1sxhvCIZpop1N9cG-WSwF4zB2zoByZp9ICvdGA98xusi9Ujn7Q9C_JpSOTCJbhxupSpRqbG8U8Uo0mbcgZYR_G/w266-h400/23-before-2023.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">For anyone seeking to take on a personal challenge, this is what I learned. Here are but a few recommendations from my 23 for 2023</span><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Start when you have some free time. The Thanksgiving break provided me with the hours to lay enough of a foundation that made it harder to opt out. By the time I returned to work, I already had six days under my belt. The finish line wasn't close, but it wasn't impossible.</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">I have a number of drafts on my blog. I had already done some strong writing and worked through the ideas. Too often I let perfect be the enemy of good. I just hadn't finished the thought or in this case, the post. Similar to my basket of papers, I wanted to work through those drafts. 23 for 2023 allowed me to finish four of them!</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Be aware, and okay with the fact you will make sacrifices to accomplish this goal. Because I knew that I was going to write for 23 straight days, I realized my missing my morning workout or getting less sleep was for a short period of time. Was it worth it? Only you have to answer the question. If it's not, reconsider your goal. For me, it's a yes and a no. I'm a both/and person; this is fitting!</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Many people will make an argument for accountability. In this instance, I was accountable only to myself. I did tell but a few people I trust and respect but overall, the goal was mine. I did not do it for financial gain, for honor or glory. I did it because I was curious to discover how it would go, what I would learn and how it will affect me in the future.</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Am I a better writer?</i> Maybe. <i>Do I have more respect for those who write for a living?</i> 1000%!! And I'm related to one! <i>Was it fun? </i>YES. I love sharing my stories and making connections. I wouldn't have a blog if I didn't. <i>Would I do it again? </i>Probably not. I could, but I have my day job ;-) <i>My biggest take away?</i> What I heard from my coworker and from my own self: I did it. Young kids delight in doing things by themselves. I guess that never goes away.<br /><br /><b>By the numbers. </b>In the 23 for 2023 posts, They were inspired by<br />book: 3 posts<br />video: 1 post<br />article: 2 posts<br />podcast: 2 posts<br />event: 5 posts<br />magazine article: 1 post<br />Notre Dame: 4 posts (only 4?!!)<br />health issue: 3 posts<br /><br /><b>Questions for you the reader: </b>What is a tension in your life? Or an area of dis-ease? Meaning, something you want to contain or tidy up (think of that basket). What can you do to get to the bottom of it...or simplify. Consider a way to frame the task you want to undertake. Think of the advice and go. As Gretchen Rubin would say "Onward and upward!" Here's to 24 in 2024 and guess what it is....</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">For 2024, our challenge is…#Write24in24!</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Depending on your goals, your specific project, and what’s manageable, you can write for 2-4 minutes or 24 minutes a day. Click here to read tips and strategies for approaching this year’s challenge in the way that works for you.</span><br /><br /><b>Photo Credits</b><br />23 for 2023<br /><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/1133197934/you-did-it-proud-of-you-congratulations">You did it.</a></span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-11674635741581796192023-12-14T22:41:00.000-08:002023-12-14T22:44:22.042-08:00Phil Jackson's Eleven Rings: A Gift for Any Coach<div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">Dear Reader, </span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">Genuinely curious. A friend or family member gifts you a book for Christmas. It is not a read you put on your Christmas list. Yes, gratitude and appreciation is implied—but how many times out of ten do you read said book? </span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">I say this because one of my favorite gifts was the book "<a href="https://amzn.to/41kQtbd">When Life Gives You Pears: The Healing Power of Faith, Family and Funny People</a>" by Jeannie Gaffigan. My brother gave it to me, I gave it to a friend and have recommended it to countless others. In the event you need a recommendation for a friend who has several children...a woman of faith...someone who needs a good laugh—Gaffigan's work is worth it. If your child happens to participate in high school sports, espeically during the winter season, here's something for their coach: <a href="https://amzn.to/41kQtbd">Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success</a> by Phil Jackson.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkngNwY3BN0sH8YGA5vgh9kaRMNQ3U7DoKQOTTH4MnJEkBhs87RrscyKrh6AoHigeCL1UEjmriy2uHDpvcodkGUvtUaSAucwyJYjQ3q38tWbA6cxkQL1Gm85Yhtj2wzAqDhyphenhyphenMLHUaKU640Crl7qQ3MjmxBy4JrmHhJK1kRlyJsmKQOUTwGJA21bYmuW2z/s3833/Jackson%2011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3833" data-original-width="2707" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkngNwY3BN0sH8YGA5vgh9kaRMNQ3U7DoKQOTTH4MnJEkBhs87RrscyKrh6AoHigeCL1UEjmriy2uHDpvcodkGUvtUaSAucwyJYjQ3q38tWbA6cxkQL1Gm85Yhtj2wzAqDhyphenhyphenMLHUaKU640Crl7qQ3MjmxBy4JrmHhJK1kRlyJsmKQOUTwGJA21bYmuW2z/w283-h400/Jackson%2011.jpg" width="283" /></a></div></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;">Whether or not this person coaches or plays basketball is inconsequential. I say this because the head coach of the Golden State Warriors Steve Kerr has read and re-read "<a href="https://amzn.to/3Tn0T83">The Inner Game of Tennis</a>." In fact, he sighted this as a source that prepared him for the position of head coach. None other than Pete Carroll, head coach of the Seattle Seahawks recommended it to him. Two coaches of two completely different sports consulted one another on a book about an entirely different one. Sounds fascinating. I gain so much insight through compare and contrast. </span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><br />I read "Eleven Rings" because a former student recommended it to me. As you can see from the tabs, I found more than a few things worth remembering. The purpose of this post is to not to get you to buy the book, but to learn a few ways Jackson opens his teams to Sports and Spirituality. If you decide to make the purchase, I would love to talk to the recipient of this book. It's so rich. It's real—Jackson did the work, and it's inspirational.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4d0mJLc5QRKcHljWvixpz57BaCy64tjoge45HZwpcDbWB1pGqaDglYwNV6CTsOHtCiMw2VPirjr-O43yqHU9kVPaZmiE7KT7dRkMK4GyJtAtYcvxdivY9G9oIKSU4sYOMy8aGJQQwo9s5vIlryhYXN6aGQwuHX_z-ekmQYhoHQ8_izK5n-yBJPoCBU6Kh/s257/Zen%20M.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="257" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4d0mJLc5QRKcHljWvixpz57BaCy64tjoge45HZwpcDbWB1pGqaDglYwNV6CTsOHtCiMw2VPirjr-O43yqHU9kVPaZmiE7KT7dRkMK4GyJtAtYcvxdivY9G9oIKSU4sYOMy8aGJQQwo9s5vIlryhYXN6aGQwuHX_z-ekmQYhoHQ8_izK5n-yBJPoCBU6Kh/w400-h305/Zen%20M.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><span style="background-color: white;">According to Dolly Duffy, the executive director of the University of Notre Dame's alumni association, the number one request from alumni and friends during shelter-in-place was for spiritual resources. On the Wednesday before Easter 2020, 50,000 people went online to pray with the University's President, Father John Jenkins. This desire for meaningful prayer reminded me that our hunger and thirst for God is unassailable. I believe coaches are in</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"> a privileged place to help the people they work with tap into their desire for meaning, for connection, for the holy, and the </span><span>unassailable. Jackson does this in unconventional ways. Maybe a coach you know is open to leading in this way. I have taken but a few of his basic principles and included them .Jackson writes: <br /></span><span><blockquote><span style="color: #cc0000;">I'd like to give you an overview of the basic principles of mindful leadership that I've evolved over the years to help transform disorganized teams into champions. You won't find any loft management theories here. With leadership, as with most things in life, the best approach is always the simplest. </span></blockquote></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Enjoy. Pass them on. Read them for yourself or give them to a coach you care about/who cares about your child. Merry Christmas!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGbHwiduWFBMqVz1PzJZqMycmTf3bBQWtOi3XXFXzt1weg2ZjO67M9QJcSokzYw6YtKwFDrESNmBpn1U52tHKuahYta444yil93RKM6aYEkzGYlyZceI9sM2cBvc1kaNJ6GzjgAuNeFnjHjKR_xAONkFngI4-lrwqZ1vcItAUpbHvaay6aqEJBDiiNFGt/s259/Hugging.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGbHwiduWFBMqVz1PzJZqMycmTf3bBQWtOi3XXFXzt1weg2ZjO67M9QJcSokzYw6YtKwFDrESNmBpn1U52tHKuahYta444yil93RKM6aYEkzGYlyZceI9sM2cBvc1kaNJ6GzjgAuNeFnjHjKR_xAONkFngI4-lrwqZ1vcItAUpbHvaay6aqEJBDiiNFGt/s1600/Hugging.jpeg" width="259" /></a></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia;"><b>The Jackson Eleven: #5. Turn the Mundane Into the Sacred</b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">As I see it, my job as a coach was to make something meaningful out of one of the most mundane activities on the planet; playing pro basketball. Despite all the glamor surrounding the sport, the process of playing day after day in one city after another can be a soul numbing exercise. That’s why I started incorporating meditation into practices. I wanted to get players something besides x’s & o’s to focus on. What’s more, we often invented rituals of our own to infuse practices with a sense of the sacred.<br /> </span><div><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">At the start of training camp for instance, we used to perform a ritual that I borrowed from football great Vince Lombardi as a players formed a row on the baseline. I’d ask them to commit to being coached that season, saying “God has ordained me to coach you young men, and I embrace the role I’ve been given. If you wish to accept the game I embrace and follow my coaching, as a sign of your commitment. step across the line." Wonder of wonders, they always did we did this in a fun way with it but with a serious intent the essence of coaching, as a sign of your commitment, step across that line.” Wonder of wonders, they always did it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">We did this in a fun way, but with a serious intent. The essence of coaching is to get players to wholeheartedly agree to being coached, then offer them a sense of their destiny as a team.</span><br />
<span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>The Jackson Eleven: </b><b>#6 One Breath = One Mind</b></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Mindfulness meditation is an easily accessible technique for quieting the restless mind and focusing attention on whatever is happening in the present moment. This is extremely useful for basketball players, who often have to make split-second decisions under enormous pressure. I have also discovered that when I had the player sit in silence, breathing together in sync, it helped align them on a nonverbal level far more effectively than words. One breath equals one mind.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>The Jackson Eleven: </b><b>#8 Keep your eye on the spirit, not on the scoreboard </b></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Management guru Stephen Covey tells this old Japanese tale about a samurai warrior and his three sons: the samurai wanted to teach his sons about the power of teamwork. So he gave each of them an arrow and asked them to break it. No problem. Each son did it easily. Then the samurai gave them a bundle of three arrows bound together and asked them to repeat the process. But none of them could. That’s your lesson, the samurai said “if you three stick together, you will never be defeated.“</span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><b>Hearing the Unheard: </b>I was always looking for new ways to get inside the players’ heads. When I started coaching the Bulls, I had the players create what I called a personal shield, a simple profile based on questions such as What your greatest aspiration? Who’s influence do you the most? And what is something people don’t know about you? Later I asked them to fill out a more formal questionnaire and use their answers to probe more deeply drain our one on one meetings midway through the season.</span><br /><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">My favorite psychological tool was one called a “social bull’s-eye,” which creates a picture of how people see themselves in relation to the group. On one of our long road trips, I’d give each of the players a sheet of paper with a three ring bull’s-eye, representing the team’s social structure, in the center. Then I’d ask them to position themselves somewhere on the bull’s-eye based on how connected they felt to the team. Not surprisingly, the starters usually placed themselves somewhere near the eye, and the back ups scatter themselves in the second and third ranks. One year back up forward Stacy King, a fast talking, stylishly dressed player who made everyone laugh, drew himself hovering far outside the third ring. When I asked him why, he said, “I don’t get any playing time, Coach.” Which wasn’t true, but it was how he felt. On the surface, Stacy seemed confident and gregarious, but inside he felt like an outsider struggling for recognition. I don’t think I ever figured out how to heal that wound.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilN073D9azAGxSTJMgmjTN4IaoynxtLdTygpS4o0Fws2TwCgKPicXmU-vtQB2TOxP9Cgj2ip5h33qGfvjWZpYB_kqUZk3_aqDrAJOLgHJqsJLgBeknGhD9qzjAmGBekRXybMlyP6ernLmNdTKOYOGVWFveXtZ6KcdRA1YUeX0q4fDb5ieVLFjHN3x1Lh-q/s1296/Convo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="1296" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilN073D9azAGxSTJMgmjTN4IaoynxtLdTygpS4o0Fws2TwCgKPicXmU-vtQB2TOxP9Cgj2ip5h33qGfvjWZpYB_kqUZk3_aqDrAJOLgHJqsJLgBeknGhD9qzjAmGBekRXybMlyP6ernLmNdTKOYOGVWFveXtZ6KcdRA1YUeX0q4fDb5ieVLFjHN3x1Lh-q/w400-h225/Convo.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><b>Bittersweet Victory: </b>Getting the players to turn inword wasn’t always easy. Not everyone on the bus was interested in “spiritual” realization. But I didn’t hit them over the head with it. My approach with subtle. Every year the team went on a long West Coast trip in November when the circus took over the stadium for a few weeks. Before the trip I would select a book for each of the players to read, based on what I knew about them. Here’s a typical list: Song of Solomon for Michael Jordan, Things Fall Apart Bill Cartwright and Zen and the Art of motorcycle Maintenance John Paxson.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">As the regular season wound down, I thought it was important for us to have closure as a team. This was the end of an era, and I wanted us to take some time to acknowledge our accomplishments and the strength of our connection. My wife suggested that we perform a ritual that she had used with children whose parents had died in the hospice program where she worked so I scheduled a special meeting before the start of the playoffs and asked everyone to write a short paragraph about what the season and our team had met to them. We met in the travel room. It was just off the inner corner of the team, the players the coaches and the training staff. Only about half of the people wrote something ahead of time that everyone spoke.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />I could do go...I'll let Jackson's book speak for itself! What a gift</span></div></div>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-64875938630677202252023-12-13T22:34:00.000-08:002023-12-14T07:53:11.279-08:00Fashion Forward: From Gary Player On<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In November, I had the chance to interview one of my heroes, <a href="https://sportsandspirituality.blogspot.com/2023/11/an-inspiring-conversation-with-danielle.html">Danielle Green '99</a>. In our conversation I learned that her former teammate Niele Ivey helped her pick out the dress she wore for the 2015 ESPY awards. I wasn't surprised. I follow Ivey, who is now Coach Ivey, the head coach of Irish women's basketball team is featured on social media. It's hard not to notice her—she has a dynamic presence, she is passionate and so often she looks like a million bucks. The color, the style is bold and it's beautiful. Danielle agreed. She said "fashion is huge in women's athletics." Her insight made me pause and take notice. I think it might be true for men, too. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdatNsHgaqL3Qrm6s2mr2Ufl29exQHmtBqrVaQc906P6dNopFmZVQ7LSib-xxBdapEDHI4e0qTHDaIK0pPR7jqW_-tFlg4mSqVIpTspGJuFScZZg21lu0xsu5_GCmXou3027FVK-ltpWAge5YIRIYvn7CKvrmIMKYHGpyWJFDbs81Fb0T6A0AV-ltnG-h/s714/Coach%20Ivey%20Green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdatNsHgaqL3Qrm6s2mr2Ufl29exQHmtBqrVaQc906P6dNopFmZVQ7LSib-xxBdapEDHI4e0qTHDaIK0pPR7jqW_-tFlg4mSqVIpTspGJuFScZZg21lu0xsu5_GCmXou3027FVK-ltpWAge5YIRIYvn7CKvrmIMKYHGpyWJFDbs81Fb0T6A0AV-ltnG-h/s320/Coach%20Ivey%20Green.jpg" width="287" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Much was made about a recent wardrobe choice of the San Francisco 49ers. Upon arrival in Philly before the Sunday, December 10, 2023 match up, several</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> players set the tone by showing up to the game wearing all black.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">On "Inside the NFL," </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">all-pro left tackle Trent Williams said,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia;">A couple of week ago, I already knew I was gonna come all black</span></p><p><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I knew that was gonna be my mindset. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">My mindset was gonna be time to kill. We're going to a funeral.</span></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="color: #990000; font-family: georgia;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The final score, Niners 42, Eagles 19 proved this was not a wardrobe malfunction.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpmc9sWmue9TImMnNdz7mYJ2uEC1yP7pTy0SlPREDnZ5vD_Y4msCxguQV3Duoc_0Rf3Krl6lw87B76d2jgehNb-YjsRE7LFfOQzwf4LD1p5pET-zHXO2HuTpeVktq5HQkdQ-ZDhUX7-G6a_-Bjqxz9LTFqsIEjfZKAjy1ix5msOgktH_jctpSSpYg2jCO/s640/Deebo.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpmc9sWmue9TImMnNdz7mYJ2uEC1yP7pTy0SlPREDnZ5vD_Y4msCxguQV3Duoc_0Rf3Krl6lw87B76d2jgehNb-YjsRE7LFfOQzwf4LD1p5pET-zHXO2HuTpeVktq5HQkdQ-ZDhUX7-G6a_-Bjqxz9LTFqsIEjfZKAjy1ix5msOgktH_jctpSSpYg2jCO/w400-h268/Deebo.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Athletes find new, unique, playful and meaningful ways to communicate through clothing. While football requires a team uniform, athletes find ways to express themselves from <a href="https://sportsandspirituality.blogspot.com/2019/12/something-to-wear-my-cause-my-cleats.html">My Cause, My Cleats</a> to the duds they don pre and post game. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Athletes who play an individual sport however, have (some) freedom to express themselves through their apparel. Yes, many have contracts with certain lines of clothing and their sport may require a dress code— but there is room to make a statement. They have been doing that for decades.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaP-UsGA3LUXWMD8xqGf2YUjWRTpB_-efS0t2BRPlnlTCe4CNDRN6dTwIjwnMNQHfYoyPZeGR81EUC1pnx43vmYX2NQA-Pd7xJD9GkvxVBzNKas4Cnd0SJFzNVulTBJFLthU8UqLt0uuat5oHD6tg1FsYuYibqClRh88vyUjwficRXqGEy5wsbH6r1qNJD/s1299/Black-and-White-pants-at-Open-2000-resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1299" data-original-width="923" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaP-UsGA3LUXWMD8xqGf2YUjWRTpB_-efS0t2BRPlnlTCe4CNDRN6dTwIjwnMNQHfYoyPZeGR81EUC1pnx43vmYX2NQA-Pd7xJD9GkvxVBzNKas4Cnd0SJFzNVulTBJFLthU8UqLt0uuat5oHD6tg1FsYuYibqClRh88vyUjwficRXqGEy5wsbH6r1qNJD/s320/Black-and-White-pants-at-Open-2000-resized.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm sure many examples come to mind, but in the Winter USGA Golfer's Journal magazine I learned about a pair of pants worn by Hall of Fame golfer, Gary Player. Known for wearing all black, the South African wore these pants at the 1960 Open Championship to show his support for ending apartheid. Player stated the pants were "a quiet protest, of bringing white and black together." He wore them again in the 2000 Open Championship at St. Andrews. They are now up for auction. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">While golfers are not required to wear a certain color (like all white at Wimbledon), they don't vary all that much from a norm. There is no "bad boy" of golf in terms of apparel, as seen when Andre Agassi wore denim washed shorts and neon colors. Still, </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Player's pants made a strong statement. His message was clear.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> It still is. Simple, yet potent. </span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WAnEMpBLFU4" width="320" youtube-src-id="WAnEMpBLFU4"></iframe></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I do enjoy the posts of Notre Dame women's basketball traveling to their next game. What they wear on the runway, albeit an airport, tells me a little bit about who they are and of course who they represent. They have made their own statement in the past when they were among the first to wear an "I Can't Breathe" t-shirt in their pre-game warm-up. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Whether it's a team's collective decision to make a statement before a game or an athlete's decision to stand behind an important cause, sports are entertainment AND much more.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Photo Credits</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Deebo, <a href="https://stylemounties.blogspot.com/2011/08/smarty-pants.html">Gary Player</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-85176439745611188102023-12-12T22:51:00.000-08:002023-12-12T23:07:00.484-08:00A Wonderful Holiday Tradition: The Christmas Giving Tree—Sports and Spirituality Style<span style="font-family: georgia;">I reviewed a number of polls listing the <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/efacademyblog/top-10-holiday-traditions-in-the-us/">Top 10 Most Popular Holiday Traditions</a>. You can probably guess what rings in the yuletide cheer: decorating a Christmas tree, baking cookies, putting up and looking at twinkly lights. I wasn't surprised to read "write a letter to Santa" but I wasn't expecting to read about "<a href="https://foter.com/top-10-american-christmas-traditions">hanging the holiday pickle</a>." There was however one tradition that I did not see. It's an important one and I know many people, many parishes, family and friends rally around it: The Christmas Giving tree.<br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiUPt3JdXMh-UTAgEdHYFRvUrd0cjjHcNYIf7EKK6aCYXZF_TrKjAteeuH4yuRDnB4712D5kHLn4AY5Y1QemRvrx4Xg-_zSz35SweJWQf771Dv9AUye9mz7ctt4s0pvRogQWEmD3t7RXOGULP6H_G_cQmCGTTxUFjWcbmN_Ot7jKjmkBQnHC1T10qfbsO/s4032/Another%20type%20of%20GT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2159" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiUPt3JdXMh-UTAgEdHYFRvUrd0cjjHcNYIf7EKK6aCYXZF_TrKjAteeuH4yuRDnB4712D5kHLn4AY5Y1QemRvrx4Xg-_zSz35SweJWQf771Dv9AUye9mz7ctt4s0pvRogQWEmD3t7RXOGULP6H_G_cQmCGTTxUFjWcbmN_Ot7jKjmkBQnHC1T10qfbsO/s320/Another%20type%20of%20GT.jpg" width="171" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">In case it is something you are not familiar with, a giving tree is a charitable version of the Christmas tree a school, church or community puts in a public place. Hanging on this tree are ornaments labeled with the name of a charity, a specific present or a gift card amount. The giving tree does much more than serve as a festive decoration—it enables a person to choose an ornament, make a purchase and give back.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />My friends' son had his final scout meeting of the year at Calvary Presbyterian Church. While I was waiting to pick him up, I noticed that their giving tree was not like the others I had seen before. Attached to its branches were zip-locked bags of gloves, A few held socks. One even had a pencil pouch! Another had art supplies. I was a little surprised. Sadly, here in San Francisco so much gets taken from public places without permission. But next to the tree was a sign, inviting someone, anyone! to "take what you need, give what you can." I loved the creativity, the generosity and the opportunity. That's the holiday spirit!<br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnXO-4C4Xvdv8tGhnJ35kJUSAHOlf6aLcul-tF4aFNM8zJ_fDC_da5RlrCf46VlbAaW8Hrca-crYVXC7h2Ty6NItVjJKKcqeXg5ljEFQEHuiofMkisjHftpFJRHn3dc_mO3tGre1v8yWyBP0yHZJ4UvLj1-U-OrI97oonPlegpR66uh2GmZCOwmhA0dmz/s3982/Calvary.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3982" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnXO-4C4Xvdv8tGhnJ35kJUSAHOlf6aLcul-tF4aFNM8zJ_fDC_da5RlrCf46VlbAaW8Hrca-crYVXC7h2Ty6NItVjJKKcqeXg5ljEFQEHuiofMkisjHftpFJRHn3dc_mO3tGre1v8yWyBP0yHZJ4UvLj1-U-OrI97oonPlegpR66uh2GmZCOwmhA0dmz/s320/Calvary.jpg" width="243" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I started to wonder why I had not seen this type of Giving Tree before. And then I began to imagine how sports teams, athletic offices, boys and girls clubs, community centers and gyms could create their own Giving Tree: <i>Sports and Spirituality </i>style.</span><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ideas for what to hang in ziplock bags on this sports tree include</span><br style="font-family: georgia;" /><ul style="font-family: georgia;"><li>batting gloves</li><li>goggles or a swim cap</li><li>sleeve of golf balls, tees and ball markers</li><li>head band/wristbands</li><li>sunscreen/lip balm</li><li>ball pump</li><li>gift cards to Dick's Sporting Goods, etc.</li><li>baseball, basketball and football cards—for the sports fans among us.</li><li>Other thoughts? Ideas?!</li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8XohESSvrRsyLa4XM6ZJ-uxD08xMCHdHxdKA-G2xiZDs1Ekh17Z6IKEjie63OLfuOjjeHS4iVgRMUi-bnchHd3OiZFQKyeyXys4AmskhlLDfaVDAflve7Q0rEDmp7QpZNO3r2Z9CWOFHpNE_EOcfe-jJ2SupcXL9cwDaKCI7U2SsX5J4euPWo36SPGBl/s4032/Pop%20Art.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx8XohESSvrRsyLa4XM6ZJ-uxD08xMCHdHxdKA-G2xiZDs1Ekh17Z6IKEjie63OLfuOjjeHS4iVgRMUi-bnchHd3OiZFQKyeyXys4AmskhlLDfaVDAflve7Q0rEDmp7QpZNO3r2Z9CWOFHpNE_EOcfe-jJ2SupcXL9cwDaKCI7U2SsX5J4euPWo36SPGBl/w400-h300/Pop%20Art.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Invite your sports teams to give and to help others get what they might need. To participate in athletics isn't cheap, but they can be formative and fun. They encourage fitness and help people make friends. <br /></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Our prayer at school today focused on the words: comfort and joy. I can't help but consider how this type of giving tree brings tidings of comfort to athletes and joy to all who participate in the decoration and deliveries this Christmas. </span></div>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-87840525671586619872023-12-11T23:28:00.000-08:002023-12-11T23:53:50.493-08:00FORE! Thoughts on Ozempic<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I played golf on Friday on my home course. My score was unremarkable. I had one birdie thanks to a killer 18 foot putt. I cobbled together a few pars, but I also picked up on two holes. Two! I've been playing this game for a solid ten years now. While I have certainly improved from those beginner days, I wonder to what degree I have come to accept, the type of golfer I am. <br /><br />I work at my game—I take lessons on a quarterly basis. I try to play most weekends. I get in a whole lot of golf when I'm on break, especially in the summer. But yes, I can and will keep my day job. Still, I would like to shave a few strokes off every round. I want more GIRs. I hope those will make room for a string of pars and an occasional birdie. That would take a whole lot of work and yet, I have an answer to my problem: a new drug. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXQHZAjEp5PCPsrXc13Y1dE-mYAmifqjn9KdGNbzx3rYr1Pu0IX8I0IEW6skfbCJdSodAJnk4hR-PAH7nYcOCY_J0n0j0mfdLN3kGkEsUhAAq92SjLnA2bDh_fCKwMikkJUvzfsGDGCtzYeFnKv9xHdcjiMCI090bP9U_dU7udLpBfOGftQ4a_3llA5Yf/s810/Need%20Oz.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXQHZAjEp5PCPsrXc13Y1dE-mYAmifqjn9KdGNbzx3rYr1Pu0IX8I0IEW6skfbCJdSodAJnk4hR-PAH7nYcOCY_J0n0j0mfdLN3kGkEsUhAAq92SjLnA2bDh_fCKwMikkJUvzfsGDGCtzYeFnKv9xHdcjiMCI090bP9U_dU7udLpBfOGftQ4a_3llA5Yf/s320/Need%20Oz.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Though quite costly, the only confirmed side effect of this drug is that once a person stops taking it, their game will return to what it once was. (A trial examined people who had taken the golf drug once a week for 68 weeks and then stopped using it. After a year, participants gained back two thirds strokes they lost). A good number of golfers taking this drug report that they are less interested in golf— but they play anyway. Of note, the improvement is fast. The index will drop in a short amount of time. The results are obvious, thanks to the World Handicap System. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">What I find interesting about this drug is that most golfers won't admit that it is the reason their game has gotten better. When asked "how did you get so good?" they tell other club members “It’s not one thing, it’s everything.” and it is the result of "willpower." While that may be true for some of the men and women out there at the club, the majority of us are getting older—not younger. We have to work harder to keep muscle mass, maintain balance and flexibility. However, this drug is just the trick. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Long term effects are unknown, but the bottom line is why put off for tomorrow what you can achieve today?!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If this story sounds like an extended metaphor, it should. According to the New York Times The Daily podcast, no other drug has become a household name faster than Ozempic. Odds are you know someone who is taking it.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAd0HEU6NQidQ3OftcL3MhrLZ2s-1uAAaGtCxRzvfGjuiUTRATXxhMAmw6WZZAL_sbEDmz5Qtf0fcicq8yFt1_KtzxlNr6NlcDkk4W9kt4_ciIpGwowp5LdeurXRs1n_Mk4kKWVdQlI-i8A3LIzjs7O31T9iHvLBsxlhyphenhyphenJja1p88klXscUC6ob3u5Cl8B-/s900/ozempic-.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="900" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAd0HEU6NQidQ3OftcL3MhrLZ2s-1uAAaGtCxRzvfGjuiUTRATXxhMAmw6WZZAL_sbEDmz5Qtf0fcicq8yFt1_KtzxlNr6NlcDkk4W9kt4_ciIpGwowp5LdeurXRs1n_Mk4kKWVdQlI-i8A3LIzjs7O31T9iHvLBsxlhyphenhyphenJja1p88klXscUC6ob3u5Cl8B-/w400-h225/ozempic-.webp" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />I want to be very clear about this: all metaphors are limited. Some of comparisons help a reader recall, remember, understand and appreciate an idea on a much deeper level. Other parts of a metaphor fall short. Still, I find value in using them in writing and teaching.<br /><br />Second, I also want to acknowledge Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications for weight loss related to diabetes and obesity have truly helped people. Praise God! I value the work of modern medicine and am by no means anti-drug.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Third the purpose of this blog is to express my concerns and raise a few ethical questions about it. I welcome yours. I'll start with a story....<br /><br />I've talked to one friend about her experience with Ozempic. I wondered if she was taking it, but </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">I didn't bring it up because it's her business.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> In our conversation, she opened up about her "why" for taking it. I asked about her hopes and her fears—as related to taking the drug. She admitted that she had not told her husband she was taking the drug and for a brief period of time last summer, she went off of it. She gained the weight back. <br /><br />To my surprise, she asked me what I thought. I would have left the conversation at that but she wanted to further engage in a dialogue. Since we were sharing honestly with one another, I relayed my questions—ethical ones, a few causes and yes, my concerns. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">On a macro level, it makes me very sad that our culture places so much attention and emphasis on thinness—yes, being thin. While thinness is still an obsession, i</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">n the last ten to twenty years, </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">I thought we made significant strides toward body positivity. We have seen this in ads, mannequins, totem characters and yet we really don't. Yes, fat shaming is intolerable, but to be overweight is a heavy burden—both physically and socially. Moving away from this culture of thinness might be a losing battle. There are explicit and implicit messages everywhere you look. Social media doesn't help.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUHIuJc16kZlFDepa6N5sHCCxsbfL2Jo69NjMFkCrx7P_00yiagujaIrdYQ2iwX98O7EvZ-3DSdl0YjeLfRkxua12B2FoKdIN9l13Vzf6U2QbNrUKh06RplmssEhVfKMAGEQ7fnUGsEzmDkBJA-6_riE27NJRUOZBFDV-kdQVebJTtfm8v41MH3pgtKnn/s600/dove11-3-2014-20141103043443118.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUHIuJc16kZlFDepa6N5sHCCxsbfL2Jo69NjMFkCrx7P_00yiagujaIrdYQ2iwX98O7EvZ-3DSdl0YjeLfRkxua12B2FoKdIN9l13Vzf6U2QbNrUKh06RplmssEhVfKMAGEQ7fnUGsEzmDkBJA-6_riE27NJRUOZBFDV-kdQVebJTtfm8v41MH3pgtKnn/w400-h200/dove11-3-2014-20141103043443118.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Of further concern to me is the way that Ozempic recalibrates the paradigm for thinness. People who are healthy and fit now look heavy. This distorted view of how we see ourselves is the enemy of self-acceptance and self-love. I think we should always be seeking to improve ourselves in every way possible. I believe that we will have to make sacrifices along the way to do that. That road is not easy. It takes patience, self discipline and support. We will have setbacks. We might even fall. So what's the solution? Take a drug? </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The emphasis on a our physical appearance, especially thinness recalculates how we see beauty, too. Physical attractiveness is entirely skin deep and light weight. But each of us has our flaws—physical and otherwise. To be self assured and to comfortable in your own skin, that's a big part of beauty. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Last year, the US Surgeon General issued a public health statement on loneliness in our culture. Will there be one in the future about self acceptance? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">On the personal level, what bothers me most the willingness take a drug to solve a problem that for some people is NOT a problem. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">My friend does not have a weight problem. She's always been active and like me, would love to drop a dress size. At our age, the weight is getting harder and harder to keep off. (I do want to thank for all the sisters who warned me that the Traveling Pants would start to get tight...and tighter). My friend</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> isn't unlike a number of people taking the drug. They carry and extra 10, 20 maybe 25 pounds.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">…take an injection 2x a week and those extra lbs are gone. As written in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/22/well/ozempic-diabetes-weight-loss.html">New York Times</a>, </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">“These drugs were not designed for normal-weight people who want to get down to be super thin.” None of this </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">sits right with me.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLADbAixuxYrG2kZWXKA0ZQbQRyVfy6gg8LPbx7N-rQq4ppzIMjVsVHCOzqNjYkkqGb-iJbPiSQ-OXNwluxrqb9dWmlSgfn8vRvJ5p1e6gT2xeMOYXv5D_KYgO_xFsm0igG9ITVs2RJDRjE4aA_kZCvapCRv8QTLBrHhgV1ifl8wr04xcvUttBd15PR10/s1262/curion.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1262" data-original-width="840" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLADbAixuxYrG2kZWXKA0ZQbQRyVfy6gg8LPbx7N-rQq4ppzIMjVsVHCOzqNjYkkqGb-iJbPiSQ-OXNwluxrqb9dWmlSgfn8vRvJ5p1e6gT2xeMOYXv5D_KYgO_xFsm0igG9ITVs2RJDRjE4aA_kZCvapCRv8QTLBrHhgV1ifl8wr04xcvUttBd15PR10/w266-h400/curion.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got this questionnaire today!</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia;">While my friend was honest with me, she wasn't honest with her husband. The ethics teacher in me says I hope she will be—for the sake of integrity. It's hard to be honest in "some" areas of our lives and not others. We've all experienced this truth; I know I have. I would like to know how taking Ozempic affects how she sees other people. I'd be curious to know if she's seen subtle changes.</span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">My friend does not play golf, if she did, I would continue to speak vis a vi the golf metaphor. Play in a foursome with people who make you feel good about who you are—both on and off the course. Whether or not you are fitting into that golf skirt from seven years ago is not the point—it never was. If you shoot an 80 today, great. If you shoot 95, that's fine too. Don't be afraid to move to the appropriate tee. Life is just too short... I don't think there's a drug to change that. <br /><br />Ozempic has taken me on a moral journey I did not expect to take at my age. As completely tempting as it would be to drop that dress size, plus, I feel too committed to the principles of working toward my best self all while doing what I can to accept myself for who I am. I think this is something I have to model for high school students and athletes, and my nieces. I've read a number of articles about the topic and my biggest gripe is the power we have given over to a drug. Whether or not we want to admit it, this drug is changing a person physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. That's worth careful consideration. Fore!<br /><br /><b>Photo Credits</b><br />Dove<br />Drug<br />Shot</span></div>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-22320050458942437032023-12-10T23:19:00.000-08:002023-12-10T23:26:38.086-08:00Balboa Island Holiday Home Tour: Sports and Spirituality Style<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">My mom and I traveled to Southern California for the <a href="https://www.balboaislandnb.org/holiday-home-tour">25th Annual Balboa Island Holiday Home Walking Tour</a>. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Walking through all eight of them, I was reminded of just how much (or little) you can learn about a person from their home. And my favorites were among those where Sports and Spirituality is evident.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMeZ5YsI_KFqOI7D3OTBrLxWUWdYWguF2enThjK_v_FCTQIyEs62HOR35CXsRxsvqIoRgbCsd7lGPA2pcAswjN7RAQI7QOK5DTTEEBGzaiUwXVEt4zDzQescBZA57qkAO0eNLl8e60TfjuVtOYMPSas_0WR9c0yk1rdnWRztVD6g5ityvacmPUtp5Rdbw/s3320/Sign%20BI.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2594" data-original-width="3320" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMeZ5YsI_KFqOI7D3OTBrLxWUWdYWguF2enThjK_v_FCTQIyEs62HOR35CXsRxsvqIoRgbCsd7lGPA2pcAswjN7RAQI7QOK5DTTEEBGzaiUwXVEt4zDzQescBZA57qkAO0eNLl8e60TfjuVtOYMPSas_0WR9c0yk1rdnWRztVD6g5ityvacmPUtp5Rdbw/s320/Sign%20BI.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This event has become a special holiday tradition and way for me to spend time with my mom. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Given that we both live in the Bay Area, we arrived into the iconic harborside community in Newport Beach as tourists. We aren't there to visit friends or family, to go sailing or hit the beach. We are there because we delight in the quaint shops and restaurants, the views of the water from the canal or the paved concrete boardwalk that circles the island. And, the homes and cottages—many which are designated as historic landmarks are just fascinating. They are small and tight, cozy and colorful—offering a different and vibrant way to live by the beach. Balboa is one of my favorite places in the US.<br /><br />All eight homes were beautiful and unique. One stop was the home of an artist. Filled with color, the highlight of visiting that home was the opportunity to see the artist's studio—on the top floor of her home. I imagine the vistas of the Pacific Ocean add some inspiration! Another home was the most minimalistic abode I have ever seen. Neutral tones of taupe, cream, black and white were used in every room on every floor. The only color in the place was from the holiday pillows, bath mats (in every bathroom) and a small blue and gold placard on the windowsill in the work out space: Play Like a Champion Today. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9dEMJzLknwXsZrU3W_HkLkWLumPqpSZw7PzwhvpmKfcb7x_CIFjU-g76AbCMd2cbCzZ_GF7NorIkLnoDXOhhAS1OaJ4r4TvX0MQUQSQrmUNWLhCqQJx-HLM0xNyPLzGafkYDD6AY6m_ZYlfJP4tgiiXqstr_9uUzuM-MtKS8_R9qughybyC4_UDh8LU41/s4032/Galatins.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9dEMJzLknwXsZrU3W_HkLkWLumPqpSZw7PzwhvpmKfcb7x_CIFjU-g76AbCMd2cbCzZ_GF7NorIkLnoDXOhhAS1OaJ4r4TvX0MQUQSQrmUNWLhCqQJx-HLM0xNyPLzGafkYDD6AY6m_ZYlfJP4tgiiXqstr_9uUzuM-MtKS8_R9qughybyC4_UDh8LU41/s320/Galatins.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I wondered if that motto is just what an individual needs to stay motivated and keep focused during a workout. Though I tried, I could not confirm anyone in that home has a Notre Dame connection. I looked for a copy of our alumni magazine, any sort of interlocking ND or Irish paraphernalia. I'm still not sure....and I fully support the motto!<br /><br />Still, my favorite was one of five remaining "storybook homes" on the island. As written in the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2023-11-20/8-houses-to-be-featured-when-balboa-island-holiday-home-tour-returns-for-25th-year">LA Times</a>, the </span><p></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">2,426-square-foot 1936 cottage that was one of 20 homes built by the well-known 1930s Balboa Island builder and architect Leon Yale. He and his family had lived in this home, where his children’s handprints remain on the concrete floor of the garage.</span> </span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The cottage is located on Apolena Avenue, which has been referred to as “storybook row” because of the distinctive Yale style.</span> </span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #990000;">Yale was known for his signature detailing, using tongue and groove joints, sloped vaulted ceilings, wood floors and alcoves. According to the property’s current homeowner, some of the beams used in the living and dining rooms were taken from the original Park Avenue bridge during a remodel and the bar in the dining room came from a ship."</span></span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">From the moment I walked inside, I could tell this was the home of a religious family. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">The current owner has seven children and countless grandchildren. Though the family was not raised in that small home, it's obvious that it brings them together in a special way today.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gUghNb9MBcPKluC02jPMU8_kgMITGIaf4uZUUtpQ0bezpS7AfZNT3Kcxq5BjxbWY1Cot8QxQuqDGUAG58x1t1to1R6Yw79q7f105nHpbOPZUyQUZHhfQWdO1z7U_md03ivG9QA5cl-0g1zDghSPCLl8jEt6UB-qig2NEkGdeJGFFcuXFlGfH54MXvTJp/s3628/Buzz%20candy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3628" data-original-width="2769" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gUghNb9MBcPKluC02jPMU8_kgMITGIaf4uZUUtpQ0bezpS7AfZNT3Kcxq5BjxbWY1Cot8QxQuqDGUAG58x1t1to1R6Yw79q7f105nHpbOPZUyQUZHhfQWdO1z7U_md03ivG9QA5cl-0g1zDghSPCLl8jEt6UB-qig2NEkGdeJGFFcuXFlGfH54MXvTJp/s320/Buzz%20candy.jpg" width="244" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">There was a beautiful Della Robbia of Jesus hanging in their living room. Near a table of family photos was another Della Robbia of the Holy Family. While these two Italian ceramic art pieces don't necessarily mean are Catholic, the plate of Pope John Paul II did. As did the Papal blessing from Pope John XXIII to the owners upon their wedding day.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">They had other sacramentals here and there, a book about the lives of the saints and a painting of the Divine Mercy chaplet. I paid attention to all the spirituality I could find. But what made the biggest impression on me, was a Loyola High letterman jacket, framed and hanging inside clear, glass square box. <br /><br />An honorary patch—for winning the 1962 regional? football championship was affixed to the left breast. What a memento. I asked my mom if they should have given it to someone in their family. My mom said "no, that was special to him [the father/owner]. He earned it and by framing it in that way, they've kept it for posterity." My mom's right. And like me, I'm sure others want to know the story about that jacket. Therefore, when someone asks, the owner gets to recall the memories that go with it. Go Cubs!<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8izZ8GGE1FTm2nqD0bgI0FM7F-8cpxDsS4XfAh5Aw80-X6CUhOI0wBH7eVtFr4f0rJ8CLOS13jrNGNGxr7G2IJG-m_gf0t4QuilvB49N2IsH88Up2KRy0qgW5rAyBiopPMxmeOJaDtl3YtJL66kbf3zrO590pxM5_KRLYJPnqnixjZkj3lx1ESCUhX2k/s958/anne%20and%20mom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="958" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8izZ8GGE1FTm2nqD0bgI0FM7F-8cpxDsS4XfAh5Aw80-X6CUhOI0wBH7eVtFr4f0rJ8CLOS13jrNGNGxr7G2IJG-m_gf0t4QuilvB49N2IsH88Up2KRy0qgW5rAyBiopPMxmeOJaDtl3YtJL66kbf3zrO590pxM5_KRLYJPnqnixjZkj3lx1ESCUhX2k/s320/anne%20and%20mom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Today as a good reminder to take a moment to examine what our homes reveal about who we are and what we value. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am confident that if someone were to walk through my apartment, they would see Sports and Spirituality characterize my life—and I'm proud of that. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Special thanks to the many volunteers from the Balboa Island Improvement Association who made today run as smoothly as possible! Merry Christmas!</span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-83194984336189609952023-12-09T23:23:00.000-08:002023-12-10T08:01:10.697-08:00Playmaker in the House: Sam Hartman<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Not sure what I like more—an athletic celebrity sighting on my own or seeing athletes and coaches in attendance at other sporting events. Whether it's a few Forty Niners at a Warrior game after a big win, golfers in the stands at Wimbledon before the British Open, memories of Kobe Bryant with his daughter at UConn game—it makes sense that athletes show up in support of other athletes. And, I loved nothing more than seeing Irish quarterback, Sam Hartman and two teammates at the Notre Dame Women's basketball game.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIAa5REgMFqMIj5849hlBXzkFAKDoe9gsZ9nE9qUenpcfmjK02RXTBziXo-VZcNJuJS-vccy8Tb_axZ_0QIZW8kN1gUD575_9fdk5GHpqQNvGFAAfhp6L-oM0JLNRziC004EQPUfHXmV7GHcuNLAfDPPN8wgvTWK8kEZctYjqnay79bpYbQewq_DjmPrU/s2048/Sam%20Hartman%20at%20NDWBB.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIAa5REgMFqMIj5849hlBXzkFAKDoe9gsZ9nE9qUenpcfmjK02RXTBziXo-VZcNJuJS-vccy8Tb_axZ_0QIZW8kN1gUD575_9fdk5GHpqQNvGFAAfhp6L-oM0JLNRziC004EQPUfHXmV7GHcuNLAfDPPN8wgvTWK8kEZctYjqnay79bpYbQewq_DjmPrU/w400-h266/Sam%20Hartman%20at%20NDWBB.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">This is not the first time Notre Dame football players have been at Purcell Pavilion for Irish women's or men's hoops. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">In recent years, schools have been vocal and intentional about getting coaches and teams to support other programs with their presence. When I was in Athletics, I know how hard we worked to build a culture—rooted in our community values, shared by all the programs. While training, practice, team meetings, and travel are to be considered, the field of competition reveals character and culture above all. Therefore, we wanted teams to be in the stands, cheer for their friends, yell for the Irish and have fun. Talk about winning.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The caption under the photos said "Playmakers in the house!" Reading that message and seeing these photos, I wish I was too. In response, one comment said "he's just another student.... Jesus!" While those words are certainly true, they're also not true.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINLTBWXBkCMmIiNdH0_6SoS2zxOIOVZy698B0Am9UB5Of4ZEcpA8TpRblhqUYXKjKXBYH_fSOi4brfBo_ytZyzRos1Dmln34Bwx1wFNk7CLdJpqYZ4zNq87TH_i449f9MTrQO0v32IUyOsityDFO9aWtuPe0b6l-NJEP-P072hnk-nIx19IvijX2tBtMI/s660/with%20Coach%20Free.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="660" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINLTBWXBkCMmIiNdH0_6SoS2zxOIOVZy698B0Am9UB5Of4ZEcpA8TpRblhqUYXKjKXBYH_fSOi4brfBo_ytZyzRos1Dmln34Bwx1wFNk7CLdJpqYZ4zNq87TH_i449f9MTrQO0v32IUyOsityDFO9aWtuPe0b6l-NJEP-P072hnk-nIx19IvijX2tBtMI/w400-h285/with%20Coach%20Free.webp" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sam Hartman is not just another student. He's QB1. Were I a current student at Notre Dame and he was my classmate, our realities would be totally different. Remember, Hartman is an athlete for whom Notre Dame stadium played Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" over the loud speaker at the Wake Forest game—on his "other" senior day. The love prompted the Demon Deacons coach, Dave Clawson to say,</span><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Here's a guy [Hartman] we recruited and we developed, and they are putting on a video of him, saying 'We will always love you.' I'm like, you only dated him for a couple of months. It can't be love. We are the ones who love him. We had five years with him. You rented him for a season. They bought him and rented him for a year, and now they love him. When that video played, it's just like, holy cow, this is where college football is.</span></span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hartman, a Wake Forest transfer has played in only 11 games for the Irish, but the love is real.<br /><br />Like most love stories, let's be honest: the timing was right. "Coach Free" and his program have established roots. Hartman came in with experience, a strong arm and great hair. Although the season didn't go exactly as planned, we loved him because we felt like it actually might. Furthermore, it's noteworthy that he's a part of student life when he could easily be in Phoenix training for the combine. His presence (and his beard) turn heads. We pay attention and take notice. So let's do as he and two of his teammates did—show up for others and reveal character and a culture worth standing behind. <br /><br /><b>Photo Credits</b><br />@NDWBB<br /><a href="https://notredame.rivals.com/news/from-hot-water-to-hot-cocoa-hartman-savors-his-notre-dame-stadium-finale">with Coach Free</a></span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-21261418058108637882023-12-08T22:33:00.000-08:002023-12-08T22:37:28.331-08:0023 Ways to Cope: Sports and Spirituality Style<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Counselors at the high school where I teach met with students about two weeks before finals, which preceded Christmas break, to discuss good mental health strategies. Given the typical student's stress level, the demands of the holiday season, the short days and long nights, I wasn't surprised that our school community found it important to recognize how they might be feeling and offer resources for them to maintain their well-being.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhdm7vDdZYKHdhPNk-O9oz-eVeQEae-rYKzce8ZejBmMV8UX9vdBs5P67lpWHqMzVwrJiewjgXJJaRH7hdh0pzUc-z2bKzDYWERZ57ttwHUGBRCdLnivWC5nq48OZhC2AjV3wV9FmX2_YkdkyJtj2Z0SRMhhxAGivZwUJLOW7Vq3ct0pw9W-ja8KjAZZ0/s500/C2C-toolkit_9_ways_to_manage_stress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhdm7vDdZYKHdhPNk-O9oz-eVeQEae-rYKzce8ZejBmMV8UX9vdBs5P67lpWHqMzVwrJiewjgXJJaRH7hdh0pzUc-z2bKzDYWERZ57ttwHUGBRCdLnivWC5nq48OZhC2AjV3wV9FmX2_YkdkyJtj2Z0SRMhhxAGivZwUJLOW7Vq3ct0pw9W-ja8KjAZZ0/s320/C2C-toolkit_9_ways_to_manage_stress.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The handout "100 Ways to Cope" caught my attention for it was not only creative yet practical, I noticed how many of them relate to the world of Sports and Spirituality. Here a brief reflection on seven of them and 23 to focus on overall for 2023.</span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><br /><ol><li><b>Exercise: Run, walk, frisbee, etc<br /></b>Exercise increases blood flow, emits endorphins, and it puts us in touch with others, ourselves and with God. I can't think of a better way to ward off stress than to exercise; it has and continues to keep me sane. Exercise also makes me aware of the mind, body and soul connection. To workout is to challenge all three realms. </li><ol><li><br /></li></ol><li><b>Prepare for the morning the night before<br /></b>The hardest part of exercise is often getting to the gym! I have found when I prepare my clothes and pack my gym bag the night before, the odds are dramatically in favor of getting there. I know too well what Coach John Wooden said, "failing to prepare is preparing to fail." To prepare a healthy lunch the night before means I'm eating well the next day! To prep my gear and bag in advance, means what can get in my way of working out is...well, not a whole lot.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TYCDqLItJ9EdPwPL-R6AzpYrtmt8F8IlNBssRVSBFr8jZ7Zv6L3wPRBsG4R1P7mweTJYJOCa-qHZgTuAu9CgnM6lINM-lww2QphpyVOdVUFQCuSJPdLkAG6BU2lDOjxIrYN9jYXSzLsxUkxx6VxgYK1ZkAz8rAzQ0IV8J07M2HJ4sQ479sDe9NfhyFAd/s1000/The%20Boxer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="701" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TYCDqLItJ9EdPwPL-R6AzpYrtmt8F8IlNBssRVSBFr8jZ7Zv6L3wPRBsG4R1P7mweTJYJOCa-qHZgTuAu9CgnM6lINM-lww2QphpyVOdVUFQCuSJPdLkAG6BU2lDOjxIrYN9jYXSzLsxUkxx6VxgYK1ZkAz8rAzQ0IV8J07M2HJ4sQ479sDe9NfhyFAd/s320/The%20Boxer.jpg" width="224" /></a></div></li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><li><b>Watch a movie and eat popcorn<br /></b>Some of my favorite movies involve sports. One of my regrets this semester is not offering a movie series on boxing. The sport carries a narrative well. So well that two movies about boxing have won the Academy Award for Film of the Year: Rocky and Million Dollar Baby. Given that I teach a semester class, I may give this a go in the month of January (it's long). They choose the movie to watch. Others will include: Cinderella Man, The Boxer and Creed.<br /><br />I think popcorn is the added bonus. There's something to be said for settling in to watch the whole movie, not less—with a tub of popcorn by your side.<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Study the sky</b><br /></span>Play golf and you will not only study the sky, but the wind as well. As someone newer to golf, I have enjoyed the attention to detail that golfers pay to sun, sky, wind and rain....yes, that's what happens when you play a game that was invented in Scotland, no? Runners are forced to study the sky. There are far worse lots in life!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAlHJby__M7qBHOBPb0kICIltyRM8l6BiCZPHAE26KaHNwaJa8HU8CQK35wh640-Ffe9Rc4vJjK-oTi9sJ6j8ZkluOmIYgndO_App8OngreVqHY8ZcQq66xPHNJFoBtuQ5dXdam9NNLLF_T9we5sJWm_VYYKwHsfMGJWGp9LFbaxEw0yMiGs5lUSB0gLj/s977/Sunset%20SI.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="977" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAlHJby__M7qBHOBPb0kICIltyRM8l6BiCZPHAE26KaHNwaJa8HU8CQK35wh640-Ffe9Rc4vJjK-oTi9sJ6j8ZkluOmIYgndO_App8OngreVqHY8ZcQq66xPHNJFoBtuQ5dXdam9NNLLF_T9we5sJWm_VYYKwHsfMGJWGp9LFbaxEw0yMiGs5lUSB0gLj/w400-h229/Sunset%20SI.png" width="400" /></a></div></li><li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Take a hot shower or relaxing bath</b><br /></span>Ah! The rewards of a good workout. Yes, some athletes are tasked with the ice bath before a hot shower, but on tired and sore muscles, nothing feels better than these ways of coping.<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Take a nap (only if you're tired)<br /></b></span>There are a wide variety of opinions on the nap. Some do everything they can to stay away from one—worrying that if they nap, they won't fall asleep later that night. I can almost guarantee that if you workout hard or long, you body will crave a nap....and if it's a good nap, you feel refreshed and re-energized. Your body will thank you twice: for the exercise and for the zzz's.<br /><br /></li><ol><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></ol><li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Go somewhere very public</b><br />It's good to be out in the open and see how big our world is...and how many people there are and how many people you run into. I love reporting back to my family who I saw and what we talked about. I rarely make it to a sporting event where I don't see someone I know. And even in my own parish, I have gotten to know the people—young and old sitting in the pews. Some help me pray better. Others have become friends. When we come together, I realize I am part of the Living Body of Christ.<br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxG1JXj2qzekts8NRCD8AegBDVph3Y39UdceU3Oy20CskUAoIqY51y7hmilGVRztmvn6VOeX0iNppPmjsoxn4opOsOudeH2bOwXrdQbaATxtRVX01T4VAoIVbPZA0vCIkrFY7masrGZYEpEsMTtMw3jAJ3Hfu17XFB778VSeH0uhC2vBSQV1wWkKIdO2t-/s960/Shooting%20another.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="774" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxG1JXj2qzekts8NRCD8AegBDVph3Y39UdceU3Oy20CskUAoIqY51y7hmilGVRztmvn6VOeX0iNppPmjsoxn4opOsOudeH2bOwXrdQbaATxtRVX01T4VAoIVbPZA0vCIkrFY7masrGZYEpEsMTtMw3jAJ3Hfu17XFB778VSeH0uhC2vBSQV1wWkKIdO2t-/s320/Shooting%20another.jpeg" width="258" /></a></div></li></span></ol>Consider these and share your own reflections....<br /><ol><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Say "hello" to a stranger</span></li><li>Practice breathing slowly</li><li>Do a brand new thing</li><li>Shoot hoops, kick a ball</li><li>Ride a bicycle</li><li>Talk to someone close to you.</li><li>Become a better listener.</li><li>Jump on a trampoline.</li><li>Go to a ball game and scream.</li><li>Keep a journal.</li><li>Strive for excellence, NOT perfection.</li><li>Get enough sleep.</li><li>Freely praise other people.</li><li>Yoga.</li><li>Make a list of goals for the week/month/year/5 years.</li><li>Hug a friend or family member.</li></span></ol></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">These 23 suggestions for 2023 are on point. They speak to the importance of our mental, emotional, spiritual, physical and intellectual well-being and the on-going work and effort to maintain all of it. Framing these suggestions through the lens of Sports and Spirituality grounds a list into my reality. I hope it's helpful and interesting to you. Good luck to students in finals! Godspeed to parents in making it through and Blessings to all this holiday season!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Photo Credits</b><br />The Boxer<br />Stress<br />Hoops</span>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-69086517845958306062023-12-07T22:28:00.000-08:002023-12-08T08:41:17.277-08:00This Advent: Sacred Stories with....Notre Dame Running Back Audric Estimé<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">During this season of Advent, the Notre Dame Alumni Association sends </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">a daily video reflection featuring alumni, students, faculty, and staff to help anyone and everyone ready our hearts and make </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">way for the joy of our Savior’s birth at Christmas. The focus of these testimonials varies from year to year. This Advent, "</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">members of the Notre Dame family, offer their most sacred and meaningful moments on our beloved campus."</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HVCRj4KpYTKRrIGaq41sopRslyNYr-x8_FBdot6a7h-UH0cbYvD5xD7Ew1f22P_5e-RLjfVjPU-C0EpeAvm9BnwkxmmA5TIZImyM-CxJ66PuITOpawN_Xxi_KwkJ0fAiDYpliNJ-p5QkYM17KDWWYhmiITO6vzibf9xYuf6Q78YVmwlw7m1bOCc41M5o/s2558/Audric.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1454" data-original-width="2558" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HVCRj4KpYTKRrIGaq41sopRslyNYr-x8_FBdot6a7h-UH0cbYvD5xD7Ew1f22P_5e-RLjfVjPU-C0EpeAvm9BnwkxmmA5TIZImyM-CxJ66PuITOpawN_Xxi_KwkJ0fAiDYpliNJ-p5QkYM17KDWWYhmiITO6vzibf9xYuf6Q78YVmwlw7m1bOCc41M5o/w400-h228/Audric.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The </span><a href="https://sacredstories.nd.edu/about/" style="font-family: georgia;">Sacred Stories of Notre Dame: A Daily Advent Journey</a><span style="font-family: georgia;"> "range from tales of life-changing experiences in the classroom and moments of stillness at the Grotto to the power of family memory and unforgettable mentors." Each one is different. Each story is inspiring. And the one for December 8, featuring Audric Estimé should not be missed.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I receive a text reminder each afternoon to log-in and take a look. I will admit I am anxious and excited to see <i>Will know the narrator?</i> I wonder—<i>What University administrator might they profile. Will I hear from a classmate? </i>And I would be lying if I said otherwise, but I always want to know what athletes and coaches weigh in.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">To see the star running back, Audric Estimé brought a huge smile to my face. Talk about big time, Estimé was the life blood of the offense. He is undoubtedly one of the more exciting and dominant players in college football. Take one look at this hype video—released before the Ohio State game and his physical stature speaks for itself.<br /><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0oGLoGVcVh4" width="320" youtube-src-id="0oGLoGVcVh4"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">But, <a href="https://sacredstories.nd.edu/project/december-8-2023/">Day 6 of Sacred Stories</a> reveals Audric Estim</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">é is so much more. He is </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">a student-athlete, a political science major, </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">a man of faith,</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> he has an active prayer life and I believe he is genuinely joyful. Take note of how many times he smiles! I give him so much credit. He lost his mother at an early age and struggled in college—like so many other men and women do. He is a beloved member of an extended family and a valued member of the Notre Dame family—a place he realized "</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">was the only school that brought together the three most essential things in my life right now — faith, academics, and football." He added, "I realized all my goals and dreams were on the right trajectory. I truly felt that God had a path for me, and that path was Notre Dame." </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am grateful to have walked that same path. I am thankful for my own family and the Notre Dame family. I'll show you and wear the green jersey any day. A happy and holy Advent.</span></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kStys0cvQjE" width="320" youtube-src-id="kStys0cvQjE"></iframe></b></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Photo Credits</b><br />Audric photo is from the video: Day 6 of Sacred Stories</span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1263387667307930697.post-77835964726235895292023-12-06T21:50:00.000-08:002023-12-07T08:27:14.762-08:00Lessons in Cultural Anthropology<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">My good friend claims to be a cultural anthropologist. She takes great pride in her identity. I don't blame her. To me, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1209/what-is-cultural-anthropology.htm">the study of </a>"humans and their cultural, social, biological, and environmental aspects of life in the past and the present" is utterly fascinating. And the best part about being a cultural anthropologist is that it will allow you to meet a lot of people, attend innumerous events, travel to unsuspecting places and ask all kinds of questions—all in the name of this social science.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4hyRDFWoDEpX0JJwF64j4lUziwFUQMR9nh3lSCDlAnny1OwgD-bKIZFfaeQ4vG7jadpAzuxQPhWg1JgGMsdPkYXsbFm_pSz7P8Ho2BkzfaHjE_z648fhN3SvdmorhirbjNSvV8tHYlITUEtfijx05kBrYwO47NalxREMfppczjG3Agm5QpQC0F25Rh3a/s5650/TIME.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="5650" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4hyRDFWoDEpX0JJwF64j4lUziwFUQMR9nh3lSCDlAnny1OwgD-bKIZFfaeQ4vG7jadpAzuxQPhWg1JgGMsdPkYXsbFm_pSz7P8Ho2BkzfaHjE_z648fhN3SvdmorhirbjNSvV8tHYlITUEtfijx05kBrYwO47NalxREMfppczjG3Agm5QpQC0F25Rh3a/w400-h178/TIME.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia;">To the surprise of no one, Taylor Swift was named TIME's person of the year. No one, right? I imagine Karen will read the article for its cultural anthropology 101. In October, she asked me go with her to see the </span><a href="https://www.tstheerastourfilm.com/" style="font-family: georgia;">Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour documentary</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">. I was a little surprised she wanted to go. I shouldn't have been. </span><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I saw it opening weekend and she went later with her niece—expensing it in the name of cultural anthropology. While her husband questioned the need to do that, I loved it. It was a raging celebration of love and friendship bringing together women, girls</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> and even a few "girl-dads" all summer long. I need to ask Karen about the conclusions she came to after watching the show. No doubt they justify the price per ticket.<br /><br />Looking through this world through the lens of cultural anthropology makes life infinitely more interesting. In a way, cultural anthropology is liberating. One can observe, take note, and enjoy it all in the name of curiosity. From time to time, I feel that I can only give my time to events or causes aligned with my passions or my values. However the field of cultural anthropology allows one to expand their horizons.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCI0hnuC8LMir_Jx9ZJyGKnkFCL4ZhzfIQUW5oRHk19vb6mRIkGjVWJYaUyTUiCkU557vI7o5PchaDNYjisBiZzyJNbwgyxMmPtCrm3LxbceVYUGzU6bPPPRP3HP3LP7iWXVfam-btw_Vt2ZyU5zyXRv_3dxnV3vBpX797EMchobdXeOkAtxZgzTcvkTWh/s1236/Bw2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="1236" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCI0hnuC8LMir_Jx9ZJyGKnkFCL4ZhzfIQUW5oRHk19vb6mRIkGjVWJYaUyTUiCkU557vI7o5PchaDNYjisBiZzyJNbwgyxMmPtCrm3LxbceVYUGzU6bPPPRP3HP3LP7iWXVfam-btw_Vt2ZyU5zyXRv_3dxnV3vBpX797EMchobdXeOkAtxZgzTcvkTWh/w400-h228/Bw2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Following the second gathering of the SI bowling club on Monday night, the club leader and I sat down for a few moments to catch up and watch members of the bowling league compete against one another. Every single one of them had their own ball, their own bag and approach to the game. Their style and speed...and their scores were fascinating. Not a single game was under 200. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The next day, I mentioned this to a colleague who I know likes to bowl. She said "oh yeah, Monday night leagues are usually a lot of football fans." I said, "that's exactly right. I saw tons of Niner gear." She added "I bet the game was on. That's a drinking crowd, too." Without being at Classic Bowling Lanes, my co-worker described perfectly who was in the house. I walked away from our conversation thinking two things: One: I'm sure every sports league in America has its own subculture. I have seen Dude Perfect capitalize on their groups and make them into humor "stereotype" videos. They're only funny because they are so accurate. Two: I honestly started thinking about how good of a bowler Niner running back Christian McCaffrey probably is.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIy1yazrc6VaDL8VDyAlXm3k3KN2LYKQ87qif6fBVlB164O3-69pmFVDCPY6Iz4GQCEzHnPFGCpklYVPGjPGIxx3xAyfVRPrW8y4VR7wPwN8QVrSappMbwyZwpZyd8pxJMx5cz3dKs2mOE0DCbTZazYqJCi8_fw-kCSosGw55d6bXmGjPlDa4UKZO9GP8/s2560/Niners.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2560" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIy1yazrc6VaDL8VDyAlXm3k3KN2LYKQ87qif6fBVlB164O3-69pmFVDCPY6Iz4GQCEzHnPFGCpklYVPGjPGIxx3xAyfVRPrW8y4VR7wPwN8QVrSappMbwyZwpZyd8pxJMx5cz3dKs2mOE0DCbTZazYqJCi8_fw-kCSosGw55d6bXmGjPlDa4UKZO9GP8/w400-h225/Niners.webp" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Will cultural anthropologists study bowling leagues hundreds or thousands of years from now? Probably not—but they will consider how human beings take leisure find ways to play.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ted Lasso popularized the quote written by Walt Whitman, "be curious, not judgmental." To become a cultural anthropologist—for work, pleasure or both is to live the spirit of this motto and more. <br /><br /><b>Photo Credits</b><br /><a href="https://www.49ers.com/community/events/bowling">Niner Bowling</a><br /><a href="https://www.southbowlphilly.com/leagues/">Bowling League</a><br />TIME</span></p>Anne Stricherzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05441076431654286155noreply@blogger.com0