Stay Humble, Keep Working Hard
From time to time throughout the academic and athletic year, I will be writing a blog about the Lakers, sports in general, GVSU, leadership, life and any other subject that I believe to be an important...
View ArticleCreate the Best Learning Environment Possible
We have three major goals as an athletic administration for all 20 of our varsity sports and roughly 550 student-athletes at Grand Valley. We refer to them as our fundamentals for success. They...
View ArticleChallenge Our Teams to Competitive Greatness
In my last blog I referred to GVSU Athletics' Three Fundamentals for Success, which are:1.) Create the best learning environment possible2.) Challenge our teams to competitive greatness3.)...
View ArticleCreate the Energy Necessary for Success
In previous blogs I had mentioned the 3 major goals we have as an athletic administration for all of our 550+ student-athletes and 20 varsity sports teams. We refer to them as our Fundamentals for...
View ArticleThe "Noise" in Sports Today
Like all industries, the sports industry has changed dramatically over the years. Sometime around the late 70's/early 80's, big money started to move in to the college sports landscape. Although...
View ArticleControl What You Can Control
Every year the athletic department's senior administrative staff conducts a retreat at which we set our goals for the upcoming year, similar to how many organizations set their annual goals. Like...
View ArticleThe Difference Between Good and Great
My college coach would often talk about the difference between being good and being great. He would hold his index finger just above his thumb and tell us that often times it is only that much that...
View ArticleWhat do you do when football and basketball seasons are over?
Yes, you would be surprised how often I get asked that question. The fact of the matter is that the spring sports season is usually the busiest time of the year for an athletic administrator of a...
View ArticleAnother Great Year in Laker Athletics
The 2011-12 year is in the books and it was another great year for GVSU Athletics! For the 14th straight year, GVSU captured the Presidents' Trophy, our conference's all-sports trophy. This was...
View ArticlePreparing for Another Year of Laker Athletics
The summer officially ends for everyone in intercollegiate Athletics when the fall sports student-athletes report back to campus. Our football team arrived Aug. 7 to begin preparations for the 2012...
View ArticleSocial Media and College Athletics
In a short period of time, the way we all receive and find news has changed dramatically. Certainly, it has had an effect on all of us in college athletics. We all have had to adapt to this changing...
View ArticleThe Weather and Its Effect on Sports
Hurricane Sandy is wreaking havoc on the eastern seaboard. It is one of the worst natural disasters in modern times. There are far more important things to be concerned with than sports at this...
View ArticleWe Need to Shorten the Games
One of the biggest problems that everyone in my profession is concerned about today is the trend of decreasing in-game attendance at athletic events. Anybody paying attention to the empty seats at...
View ArticleA Tribute to Coach Nichols
Last Friday, I attended the funeral services for my college basketball coach, Bob Nichols, who died Saturday, March 30, after collapsing on his daily walk. It made for a tough Easter weekend for this...
View ArticleA Weekend in the Life of a DII Athletic Director
Many people, especially young people who like sports, ask me "what does a college athletic director do"? They think it's cool that you "get to go to games all the time". Believe me, that is a fun...
View ArticleAdvice to Parents of Athletes
I have spent my entire lifetime in the world of athletics (including being the parent of three athletes myself) and 32 years of those years have been spent working in intercollegiate athletics. I've...
View ArticleThings to Think About if Student-Athletes Should be Paid
This question was discussed this summer at a higher volume than ever before. It's not the first time it has come up, but some high profile cases have put this question squarely in the spotlight....
View ArticleBehind the Scenes Look at Hosting NCAA Championships - Pt. 1
2014 will be a busy spring for the GVSU athletic administrative and support staff. During a one week period, May 19-24, Grand Valley State University will host BOTH the NCAA DII Men's Golf National...
View ArticleThoughts on Sports for the Holidays
Just thought I'd share some random thoughts on sports for you to ponder over the holidays: Colored turf After watching, on the same day, football played on Eastern Washington's red turf in an FCS...
View ArticleTeaching and Coaching Today's Youth
This is primarily intended for baby boomer generation teachers and coaches but can hopefully be helpful to all. Self-disclosure - I am a baby boomer. How often do you hear teachers and coaches say...
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