The opportunity I was speaking about in my last blog post was realized on Tuesday of last week. I am now teaching back at James Irwin High School. Chemisty, Anatomy & Physiology and AP Environmental Science are the subjects I have been hired for. The Anatomy class is no problem having taught it before, but it has been many years since I worked with Chemistry and I have never taught an AP class. Wednesday felt like I was drinking from a fire hose at full pressure as I started that first day. It was surreal really to be back in the building, but the teachers I know and the many students that I have taught made it a great first day back. Thursday and Friday were a little easier as I became acquainted with the curriculum and the changes the school has made in the year that I have been gone. I left Friday thinking that I had a successful first week in 3 short days. Tomorrow starts my first full week and I sit here on Sunday night knowing that I have lesson plans ready, things copied and prepared - it's a good feeling.

Wow...what a world...

I received a phone call today that has shook up my world. Just when I was prepared to sit out from teaching until December, an opportunity has presented itself unexpectedly. Part of me is thinking "woohoo!!" while another thinks "what the heck?!?!" I believe in God, and I believe that He has a plan for us, and it is up to us to do our best to prepare and follow that plan as best we can. I just wish it was a lot clearer and less stressful....

More on this tomorrow once I have details.....

Life as we know it....

So as everyone knows, I am trying to land a teaching job for this coming fall. I have so far been unsuccessful. I wish I knew what God had in mind for me. I am so tired of following whatever the path is as faithfully as I can only to continue to be disappointed and let down. It has stretched my faith and there are times where I wonder if it's even worth it. Finding a good, quality job is now the priority and since unemployment runs out in about 3 weeks it has to be sooner than later. I am trying very hard to believe that God's plan is what I should believe in. I am trying very hard to keep the faith and believe.

The softball team just didn't do well at the game tonight. It's not for a lack of trying, the girls really do. What's frustrating about this summer's team is what I am perceiving as a lack of commitment. Most of these girls suffered through a very bad season last fall - the coach was awful as I have detailed before. I've seen this before - my daughter's bsketball team. I have to find a way to get them to first believe in themselves, then believe in the team. These girls are really special and I know things will come around; I just have to find the way to get it done.

So this is where I am tonight. One word comes to mind - "crossroads." Do I turn left, right or keep the same path? At this point for everything in my life, personally, professionally and otherwise, keeping the same path doesn't seem to be the answer. I need direction and I need it now. What does God have in store for me? Am I to struggle for the rest of my life? When do I get that "lucky" break?

This seems like I am depressed. Actually, I'm not. I feel "ok" about life and I do believe that things can only get better. I just need it to happen soon. Now would be good too.

C'mon....time for me to get that break.  

Wow...

My 7th grade girls played another scrimmage game today - against the Panthers. We've played them 4 times now, 3 scrimmages and 1 regular season game. Up to tonight, the Panthers won all 3 of the previous meetings, but....
My girls played their hearts out and came up with a 23-20 win! I am so very proud of how far this team has come. Last fall, they went 0-10 and were never competitive. Most of them did not have fun. Some thought about quitting basketball. All of them were discouraged.
Then we signed up for SoCo and started working. 8 games later, we stood at 5-3 and ready for the SoCo tournament that is coming up this weekend.
Today was the last major warm-up for the tournament and they..well, they played their ASSES off. Wow, I am so proud. I truly am.

Watch out SoCo...here come the Fox!!

Misc. Ramblings about coaching....

Once again, here I sit exhausted and drained. I love coaching, and I love the exciting moments it brings when a team comes together, fights hard and perseveres through adversity. As many of you know, I have been coaching my daughter's 7th grade basketball team this spring in the SoCo (Southern Colorado) basketball league. Our record now is 4 wins, 2 losses - and that's 4 more wins than the girls had this past season as 7th graders. It is very exciting to watch as they grow and believe in themselves, and quite frankly, I am fearful of what might be in store for them as 8th graders this coming fall. The coach they had did not fill them with confidence and I watched my daughtter's love for basketball slowly but surely declining over the course of the season - now, she has that fire back and is having fun. In fact, they all are. I hope and pray that their 8th grade season goes well and they continue having fun.

I guess what really bums me out is that for 3 seasons I coached at a charter school here in town and at the end of the 3rd season as I was preparing for the 4th, I was told by the athletic director that my services would no longer be needed. When I asked why, a few unsubstantiated excuses ("not enough man-to-man defense" - all I really ran was that...) were given but in truth, I still don't really know *why* this happened. During my tenure under two AD's, I never received any sort of written or verbal evaluation and when I asked for feedback, it was always done in a very general way. His friend was brought in to coach the 7th graders for my last season and after I was released, his friend received a promotion to the 8th grade team. Now I don't begrudge anyone their individual successes - he does have more experience than me for sure, but the one thing that he doesn't have is the fire. And there are times as I am coaching now that makes me wonder if it was the "fire" that got me booted? I am a loud coach - cheering for my girls and working the referees. Perhaps this didn't fit in with the overall scheme the AD had for his programs? But if this was the case why was I permitted the honor of coaching the girls' softball team where I was just as fired up and driven like I was as a basketball coach?

The whole situation made me question who I was as a coach, and quite frankly, I took the SoCo team on with a great deal of trepidation - would the girls respond to me? Would we be successful? So far, so good! I haven't really changed my approach and definitely continue to be loud and supportive....have had many opposing parents compliment me on "having fun" and "always being positive."

As a coach I never believe that I know everything and am always watching video, reading newsletters, talking with other coaches - all in an effort to increase my "basketball IQ" so I can be a better coach. Was it my lack of knowledge that did me in? And if so, why didn't the AD address that with me?

When we started the SoCo team, I told the girls that they needed to just forget the past season and focus on what were doing. I wanted them to heal. I wanted them to have fun. I wanted them to learn the game. And that is exactly what they have done.

And in some ways, so have I.  

Ugh...finally back to it...

Last post was in February...it has been a crazy month & half....

My wife's grandmother finally started to give in to bone cancer and so it was off to California for her. She was out there for 3 weeks before Rene'e finally passed on. So while she was out there I played the "single dad" role - taking kids to and from activities, feeding them, cleaning house, all that fun stuff! We made it through.....she came back home Sunday.
Not much basketball going on except for my Springs Fox 7th grade girl's team...first game was a win! They were down by 15 at one point and manged to come back and win by 3! What a way to start! Game 2 didn't go as well. The girls were never really in it and lost by 16 - but they played hard and I noticed that they never gave up. Something we can work with.....games 3 and 4 were two of the roughest games I have ever coached. Our girls were being constantly thrown or pushed to the floor, but I'll say this - they were as tough a team as I have seen at this level and we won both games by ONE point each! That runs the record to 3 wins, 1 loss up until this day....2 games coming up this weekend.
Softball umpiring has started but since there are so few teams in the Park & Rec, I got very few assignments. It's cool because I know I will be taken care of this summer.

I want to write, but have had such a block here recently. Life has interfered with my pursuit of fun....so I shall endeavor to "fix" that soon.....

Amazing....

148 games. From October 1, 2011 through the "end" of the season on Tuesday, I will have officiated 148 basketball games. 39 of those games were high school and having basically completed my first season, I feel really great about it! I learned a lot and gained invaluable experience. My mentor was awesome and I completed all 5 evaluations that were required - passed them all. 94 middle school games and 15 adult league games top it off....wow....