In 2019, Eddie Olczyk, the NHL player turned coach turned broadcaster was on his second round of chemotherapy for stage 3 colon cancer, and the effects were so severe he told his wife he couldn’t do it anymore. He recalled, “We had a moment, which probably lasted 30 minutes, where all we did was cry. […]
We Play to the End Read More »
This week I had the pleasure, and I do mean pleasure, of attending the funeral of my 45-year-old cousin whose body finally gave in after a 4-year battle with cancer. It was a celebration of a life well lived despite the circumstances that ended it too soon. We celebrated his life, not mourned his death.
Stairway to Heaven Read More »
Several years ago, I was about to remove a vine like weed from our mailbox garden area. The ‘weed’ had started to coil around our street sign. However, our youngest daughter asked, “why not leave it alone and see what happens.” Today, the downstream effect of listening to my daughter, is a street sign deeply
The word pursuit is a noun that is the action of following or endeavoring after someone or something. When I hear the word pursuit, I immediately picture the football drill we used as conditioning; but also, to create the mindset to never give up. The drill was to have defensive players set a pursuit angle
When I was developing content for my role as a High School Football Coach and Character Coach, I built about 50 separate lessons around the “Be A, Not A” concept. If I ever write a second book, I may base it entirely on these lessons. Occasionally, I will post some of these lessons. This is
Be A, Not A (Part 2) Read More »
There is the expression that “confusion is the step before clarity.” What happens in that step? What is the aha moment? I am currently confused about a couple of key things in my life. First, at my age there is the subject of what comes next, when will that occur and where it will take
Confusion is the Step Before Clarity Read More »
If I can hold a door open for someone, I always do. I learned that at a young age from my Dad. When people say thanks, I often answer, “timing is everything” as they happened to be in the right place at the right time for the gesture to be made. Timing is that innate
Timing is Everything Read More »
I have used the line, “it can always be worse,” many times in my life. I use it to gain perspective on my current reality. To me, it helps recalibrate what is truly happening around me and allows me to make the intentional choice to accept my situation. Currently, I am in a tough place
It Can Always Be Worse Read More »
My wife and I spent a recent weekend camping at Solitude Farmz in upstate New York. We spent time watching the wind create a burst of ripples on a smooth as glass pond, a swallow snaring a dragonfly in midair, and we heard the creaks of the upper tree canopy in the wind and the evening
I remember going to a hockey game with my Dad back when the Mario Lemieux led Penguins were rolling. My memory is that it was a great game and a wonderful evening. However, what is etched in my mind is that when we stepped outside the Civic Arena there was a blizzard with five inches
