Christmas Comes Early: Welcome Jeff Samardzija

In response to our class viewing of the "30 for 30: You Don't Know Bo," one of my students said "Ms. Stricherz, someone should give you that poster of Bo Jackson for Christmas." I respond without hesitation, almost emphatically: I would love that! 

I then tell them there was a time when that poster hung in every male college dorm room across America. My enthusiasm takes over.  (Students have seen this before). Within minutes, I can't wait to share how that image was recreated 20 years later when Jeff Samardzija played both wide receiver and pitcher at Notre Dame. I go out of my way to show it to them. How Ignatian!

But, it seems I got a much better present for Christmas than a poster. The San Francisco Giants got a new right-handed pitcher, when Samardzija signed a 5-year contract.

At 6'5" the 31-year old right handed pitcher is a great athlete. So great, that he made SI.com’s list of the Top 15 Greatest College Athletes. It lists Jeff Samardzija ’07 (#14, football/baseball), Bob Golic ’79 (#12, football/wrestling) and Raghib Ismail ’94 (#9, football/track). Notre Dame was the only school to have three athletes on the greats list.This is the upside for Giants fans who are concerned about the cost of his contract.  

And if things don't work out with the G-men, everyone knows the Niners could use some help....or the Earthquakes or appropriately enough, even the San Jose Sharks. How's that?

In "A Man for All Seasons," Katie Stuhldreher writes, 

Samardzija started playing soccer, basketball, and baseball at age five in his hometown of Valparaiso, Ind. 

"I've been playing football my whole life. I started playing organized ball when I was seven, in a Pop Warner league. Other than that, I was playing in the yard and park with my brother," Samardzija says. 

He continues, "Baseball was the same thing. In fall and winter I'd be playing football, in spring and summer it was baseball." 

Samardzija's father, Sam, taught him to play ice hockey at a young age, too. Sam Samardzija played several years in a semi-pro hockey league in Chicago.At 12 years of age, Samardzija added wrestling to his list of activities, earning Indiana state runner-up in his weight class.

Considering how deep the Warriors bench is, they might not have a need for Samardzija to come off the bench, but if they did, they might not be disappointed. 

Samardzija participated in bookstore basketball, a campus-wide 5-on-5 outdoor tournament held each spring. Samardzija teamed up with former Irish football players Carlyle Holiday and D.J. Fitzpatrick to win a championship his freshman year.

I have written about Samardzija many times, in particular during Shark Week. A nickname that Giants fans will hope does well in the Bay. In Getting to Know Jeff Samardzija, we learn:

Scholl: Where did you get your nickname - Shark?

Samardzija: It all started my freshman year. I was new on the baseball team. I showed up, didn't know anyone. I was a talking to (former Irish pitcher Chris) Niesel, and out of nowhere they called me `Shark' because they said I looked like the shark on Finding Nemo. It started during a game while I was pitching and they yelled at me from the dugout. Then Coach (Paul) Mainieri picked it up and it just snowballed from there. I guess I look like a shark. 

I can't tell you how many people have told me they are happy he has done well in MLB, but wish he were still playing football. Certain athletes are just a joy to watch. Their ability to catch, leap, run, cut is different than unbelievable (although sometimes that's true). It's fun. And if there's one thing San Francisco Giants fans know, it's going to be a fun season...after all, an even year and a new man who pulled down more touchdown passes than any other WR in ND history will be taking the mound.

I wonder if he still drives that white Saturn (thanks for the intel Skipper).

Photo Credits
Nemo Shark

Sports and Spirituality Six Word Memoir Project

There's something about catching a great story from the car radio. Perhaps it's because I'm fairly manic when I drive to work, but occasionally the NPR stars align and I am privy to something that captures my full attention. Traffic, pedestrians, long red lights—at this time present no obstacle. With a good story, I'm almost happy to see them. And this morning I heard one that is worth listening to again if you have a few minutes. It's about the Six-Word Memoir Project.

Here's the upshot

Legend has it that Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” In November 2006, SMITH Magazine re-ignited the recountre by asking our readers for their own Six-Word Memoirs. They sent in short life stories in droves, from the bittersweet (“Cursed with cancer, blessed with friends”) and poignant (“I still make coffee for two”) to the inspirational (“Business school? Bah! Pop music? Hurrah”) and hilarious (“I like big butts, can’t lie”).

Since then, Six-Word Memoir project has become a global phenomenon and a bestselling book series. Six-Word Memoirs have been featured in hundreds of media outlets from NPR to The New Yorker, covered on tens of thousands of blogs, and, as of Summer 2010, can be found inside 1 million Honest Tea bottle caps. 

Hundreds of thousands of people have shared their own short life story at smithmag.net, as well as in classrooms, churches, and at live Six-Word “slams” across the world. The Six-Word Memoir exemplifies the best of SMITH Magazine’s storytelling mission: populist, participatory, inspirational, and addictive. From speed dating to parlor games, to conferences and staff retreats, Six-Word Memoirs have become a powerful tool to inspire conversation around a big idea, and a simple way for individuals to break the ice. 

Anticipating the microblogging explosion, SMITH originally launched Six-Word Memoirs in November 2006 as a simple online challenge asking:“Can you tell your life story in six words?” 

In a partnership with Twitter (among the company’s first outside projects), SMITH’s followers were sent one six-word story a day. Within weeks, the blogosphere was buzzing about the challenge. The rest is history…

- In six words or less I might add.

I was intrigued enough to challenge my students to try it themselves for today's journal activity. A generation already comfortable with getting a message out in 140 characters or less, the Six Word Project still offered a challenge, albeit a fun and fresh one.

Looking at the categories on the project's website, I was not surprised by many of them. They include love, advice, happiness, questions and pain and hope. Some categories addressed some demographics: Moms, Teens, Dads, and Jewish. Others pertain to the daily grind: Work.

But in my mind, there is one glaring oversight: sports. I thought that golf could have its very own category, let alone fall under sports. Some of the very best headlines in all of news have not only come from sports, but they have done so in six words or less.

So let this blog posting serve as the inspiration for a new category, or at least the source of it... please add your own! Many have a back story that is worth discovering too. And, to be true to this blog, I added a corresponding list of Spirituality in Six Words. Enjoy.

Sports in Six Words 

• Giants Win the Pennant! Giants Win...
• Total Ball Security
• We are ND
• Fight On
• Roll Tide
• War Eagle
• Who's Got It Better Than Us?
• Juuuust a bit outside....
• Laugh, Think, Cry. Everyday
• If you build it...
• Booyah
• Yo Adrien!
• I Hate Tennis
• Greatest of All Time: Muhammad Ali
• That's a Gimme
• Ham and Egg this
• Burn the Boat
• No Losses, Only Lessons
• Game, Set, Match
• Play Like a Champion Today

ADIDAS was into the Six-Word Project before anyone else!

Spirituality in Six Words

• I believe in things visible & invisible (Cheating I know)
• He is Risen, Alleluia!
• Notre Dame, Our Mother
• Christ be Our Light
• I come to bring glad tidings
• Dedicate Yourselves to Gratitude
• My Lord and My God
• In the beginning was the Word
• Come Holy Spirit
• Peace on Earth
• Pace e Bene
• All you need is love
• Love is all you need
• We are one body

Having Some Fun with a Pillar in the NFL: Bill Belichick

I'm excited to share that I am officially a team member to a new venture: SportsUp News. The magazine is still in its early phases and I will be writing and contributing to its material, outreach, webpage and more in the year to come.

Thanks to the managing director, I was able to interview Pat McCaskey— Senior Director of special projects for the Chicago Bears. The grandson of George S. Halas, Sr, the founder of the Chicago Bears football team, McCaskey is also a Bears board member, author, and public speaker. He is especially fond of writing about history in sports, in particular, football. As such, he has four books to his credit and one of them "Pillars of NFL Coaches Who Have Won Three or More Championships examines the rich history and lives of the greatest coaches in NFL history, and their contributions to the game.

Here is an excerpt from an upcoming story "McCaskey “Bears down” on Faith, Family and Football."

McCaskey said “I was simply curious about which coaches had the most championships, so it was a very interesting project. The first part of it ended up as the appendix: a listing of the championships and coaches from 1920 to today. I compiled how many championships each coach won.”

“I limited the book to those who have won at least three. And it’s interesting that those ten coaches have won over 40 championships in the 95-year history of the league.”

“Most of those coaches had a dominant decade: Guy Chamerberlain in the 1920s, Curly Lambeau in the 1930s, George Halas in the 1940s, Paul Brown in the 1950s, Lombardi in the 1960s, Chuck Noll in the 1970s, Bill Walsh in the 1980s and Bill Belichick in this century. I wouldn’t have realized that unless I had done the research. I hope the Bears will have a future coach like those pillars,” he said.

I found his realization to be poignant, especially because one of the pillars is still coaching. Looking at Bill Belichick, on ESPN earlier this week, I thought to myself "maybe he will break the trend. Maybe he will be known for success in not one but two decades (of this century)."

It is not, however, hard to argue that a young boy or girl who grows up the Bay Area, and has no immediate tie to Boston or New England should be a loyal Pats fan. However, every year, I have at least one student who is. They love being different. They love supporting a team a lot of people do not (locally). They love the spoils of victory and in this case, they love being an easy target. And what should any person with an easy target do? Hit it.

Meet Anthony: a senior in my Sports and Spirituality class. He has two younger brothers and plays on the golf team. Anthony is inordinately proud of his Italian heritage. When he found out that Serena Williams lost in the US Open semifinals to an Italian, Roberta Vinci and that her opponent in the finals was another Italian, Flavia Pennetta, he gave a huge fist pump. He may have said "Forza!" too.

Anthony cares about his classmates and his work; no doubt class is better because he is in it.  He is also is somewhat of an easy target because he is fun, he doesn't take himself too seriously AND he is a huge fan of the Pats. It is a piece of his identity that no one, not even his closest friends fully understands.

Wednesday morning before class, I noticed all of the television screens at the gym featured the Pats coach, Bill Belichick in a press conference. I wasn't able to hear the questions he was answering because the gym leaves the volume on low. All I could see on the ticker underneath his press conference were the words "Patriots 13 game winning streak comes to a close." Belichick, already serious and brooding didn't lighten up for one moment. Considering the asinine questions coaches often have to answer, I get why they don't often smile.

All of this was materializing into something I needed to throw at Anthony.

He walked into class as he always does, very respectfully and said "Good Morning." I looked at him and said with total sincerity, "Anthony, is Belichick going to lose his job? I saw a press conference at the gym this morning? Do you think he's getting fired?" I said it with enough disbelief, that he paused for a minute.

"What do you mean Ms. Stricherz?" he said.

"I don't know, it's just what I saw. I mean the Pats lost on Sunday...their win streak is over.

"Ms Stricherz, they lost in overtime! They won 13 straight games!!"

At this point I just started laughing. So did another student who was in on our exchange. I loved every minute of it.

At the end of class, Anthony said "You got me pretty good Ms. Stricherz."

I told him "Anthony, I just learned about all of the coaches who have won three or more Superbowls. It's chronicled in a book. You might be interested in it (again my plight to get students to read). Your guy isn't done just yet. He won't be getting fired anytime soon."

Is it weird that my harmless practical joke put a huge smile on my face? No, because the only reason it was funny in the first place is because it verified for me that every once in a while I do what good teachers always do. They pay attention to their students—their interests, hopes and their needs. They also know them well enough to catch them off guard, which every teenager needs more than once in a while. And I can say with confidence, THAT is what teenagers love....that and for some kids at my school, the Pats.

Photo Credits
McCaskey
Belichick

Pillar Coach 




Why Losing Hurts: Stanford 38, Notre Dame 36

I know there are big problems in the world today. We live in crazy, sad times. In Luke's Gospel, for the first Sunday in Advent, Jesus speaks to his disciples about times that feel like today. He says: 

“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

I hate to admit it, but I woke up on Sunday morning a little shaken. I found myself moping around the house. "Not ready to go back to work?" my mom asked. No...it was something else. It was the 38-36 loss of the Fightin' Irish of Notre Dame to the Stanford Cardinal. 

5th year student Joe Schmidt's last game 

I know that I saw (what most people consider) a great game Saturday night at Stanford Stadium. I am aware that a contest of that caliber is a win for college football, but I walked away with but one question on my mind: Why does losing hurt so badly? 

We all know that losing provides great life lessons. Yes, it can be a great teacher. I know. But I'd like to cast that sentiment to the side. Let's get to the hurt. Let's stare at the wound. No scab just yet. The bandage is removed. This is what I've got so far....

1. When your team loses, you question who you are and what you are about.
When you win, you simply delight in the elation of victory. You ride a bit of an emotional high and overlook the mistakes and missed opportunities. When you lose, every single one of those takes on added weight.

• The face mask penalty with less than 30 seconds left cost Notre Dame the game.
• Amir Carlisle drops a would-be touchdown pass in the red zone.
• DeShone Kizer fumbled at Stanford's 22 with 29 seconds left in the first hafl
• Why did Coach Kelly call for the 2-point conversion in the third quarter?

In 2010, Coach Brian Kelly stated "you have to stop losing before you start winning." A loss like this one makes me pause and reconsider. I thought to myself, "Have we stopped losing?" I think the record, which was 10-1 going into the game answers that question. Why should 10-2 feel differently. 

When you lose, your mind starts to play tricks on what could have been. It's just too easy to go there, and it's not a good place to be.

2. I despise the pity party. 
I don't want to hear from the nominal fan of ND football or the distant co-worker—the one who rarely talks to me in general—about what they thought of the game. I don't want them to ask me if I was at the game. To one person I said "I live 2500 miles from South Bend and 25 from Palo Alto. Tell me why I would not be at the game." We could have covered that for the past six months leading up to it—believe me, I am more than willing to talk about that.

What helps the hurt is hearing from those folks who can offer constructive feedback. Less pity, more insight. For example, "ND would benefit with a stronger player at Tight End—like Kyle Rudolph or Tyler Eifert who are having great seasons!" or "the team really missed Kevare Russell, especially during that final play." I am hungry for conversations like these and not the sympathy. For you to tell me "I saw the ending. It was just so sad...so sad" is something different than salt in the wound. It simply keeps it exposed...and it makes me feel as though I can't get those two minutes of my life back. Strong? yes. This pity party does not need to include more than one person. 

3. After a loss, I have had to remind myself that my ability (or instinct) to trust people is remarkably low. 
I know many people hate ND; for these folks an Irish upset is tantamount to the Gift of the Magi. In general, I try to avoid these people. There are however those who are lukewarm toward Notre Dame and yet they love to see the Irish lose. I find myself trying to sniff these people out. Anyone without a football loyalty is suspicious. Again this is no way to live.

And our hearts forever, love thee Notre Dame

4. The Team
But losing hurts like this because of one thing: the team. My friend Mike '90 said "one of my favorite teams ever." I would have to agree; I feel as though I personally know these guys thanks to "A Season with Notre Dame Football." If you would have told me that we would have the injuries we did in August, I never would have said we would fight for a place in the college play-offs. But I want this year's squad, replete with all of those who emerged as contributors, to know they put the pep back in our rallies and the fight back into our song. In the past a loss like this hurt because we just were not contenders. Now we are, and we need to get the "W." 

As a coach, I know there is no greater joy than working with a group that came together. One that beat the odds and one that embodies the best of a school community. I see that in the 2015 football team from the University of Notre Dame.

I carry with me hundreds of images from Saturday's upset. I saw senior captain Sheldon Day unable to move on the field after completed a 45 yard field goal to win the game with no time remaining. That hurts. He will be greatly missed next year. Which again reminds me that losing hurts. Losing players to injuries, to graduation, to academic integrity, to Florida State...it all hurts. But if I didn't care, it wouldn't hurt.

The care is huge. Thanks Irish for a great season. Can't wait for the Bowl Game. I mean that.

Photo Credits
Kizer
The Team

The University of Notre Dame Asks: What Would You Fight For? My Answer: Homelessness

The Thanksgiving holiday reminds me that I have a much bigger family than I think. Though there will be but a few people at our table for turkey dinner, on Thanksgiving morning I will gather with family I find in the school community where I teach. Alumni, current students, colleagues and families run, walk and stroll around Lake Merced to burn a few calories, release a few endorphins and raise money for St. Anthony's. A Turkey Trot is a great way to start this national holiday.

And every other year, the Notre Dame family descends upon the San Francisco Bay Area as the Fightin' Irish travel west to play Stanford. Though we may gather for a football game, those in the ND family know there's more to it than what will transpire on the gridiron. There is a pep rally, a golf scramble, tailgates and mass (after the win?!). All are welcome, Blue, gold and green are a must.

I am ever grateful to be a member of the Notre Dame family. It connects me to men and women, students, alumni, teachers and fans near and wide who hold similar values and desires. One of those values is the conviction that there are things worth fighting for. 

During every football game, The University of Notre runs an advertisement entitled "What would you fight for?" As written on the Notre Dame website

The University of Notre Dame’s award-winning “What Would You Fight For?” series, now in its ninth season, showcases the work, scholarly achievements, and global impact of Notre Dame faculty, students, and alumni. These two-minute segments, each originally aired during a home football game broadcast on NBC, highlight the University’s proud moniker, the Fighting Irish, and tell the stories of the members of the Notre Dame family who fight to bring solutions to a world in need.

It's encouraging and inspiring to learn about the study, work, and efforts of the Notre Dame family. If  I could make a request for but one episode, I might ask that the University would "Fight to end homelessness."

I say that because in the city I call home, I am reminded everyday that many people—too many people—are living without one. The video "At Home with the Irish" taught me many things, one of which is that "the number of homeless children in the United States has surged in recent years to an all time high amounting to one child in every 30 according to a comprehensive state-by-state report. —AP, Nov 17, 2014."

The message of this video speaks for itself. I sincerely hope you will watch it and pass it on. 

If you watch it, you will quickly realize the story of the two teenage girls, Felisha and Alliyah is unique. Their day to day reality is far, far different. They tell us, "we are the first people to get on the bus in the morning and the last to get off." They wake up in a single room that they share with their mother; their possessions are confined to a small storage area.

They know what eviction can and does to the notion of home. As Steve Camilleri Director of the Center for the Homeless in South Bend points out "for teens, it's not easy to be at the Center. One great example is when I was a teenager I had my friends come over to my house. They knew where I lived. It's not like we're seeing all of their friends come back here, hang out and spend time in their rooms."

Their differences may define them, but their faith and total lack of egocentricity has shaped them into something beautiful. Without knowing it or intending to do so, Felisha and Alliyah have taught me a lot. 

What we learn about their faith, though simple is quite profound. Alliyah says "I believe in God because if He weren't true, we wouldn't be here right now." And being here—at a football game—is a big deal.

As the girls walk through the tunnel to the field, Alliyah starts to cry. "I was anxious. I was cold and at the same time, my tears was getting cold."

When asked why she was crying she said "it's tears of joy. I'm happy. It's too much for kids our age." And her tears spawn tears in Felisha and Casey, the student-athlete who accompanies them at the game. 

It was hard for me not to get choked up at this moment. I have been to, by now, hundreds of football games. Their joy and appreciation reminded me that a ticket to a game is a big deal; it's a wonderful opportunity. I hope it's something I never take for granted. I hoped in that moment, that I too could be so happy that I might cry tears of joy for an experience like a Notre Dame football game...or be that happy for a friend who I can share it with!

Their story is perhaps one of the more important stories I have learned and taught this past year. They have endured more hardships than people of their age ought to face and yet their suffering, their belief in a higher power and their care for another person makes them more than human; they are holy.

It goes without saying we have so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving holiday, the least of which is a place to call home. Many of us will open our home for family or friends. Others will traipse "over the river and through the woods" to the home of our grandparents, our parents, aunts or uncles etc. I am ever grateful the Notre Dame family has opened its home for those who don't have one, be it in the Center for the Homeless or the House that Rockne built.

We are...the Fighting Irish.
We will...fight to end homelessness.

Photo Credits
What would you fight for?