May 2012 Update

Congratulations to CJ Rithner from Rocky Mountain High School and Maggie Mahwinney from Poudre High School on winning the Scott Nelson “Heart of a Champion” Sr. Scholarship awarded by CHAMP for 2012!

May is the month where championships and athletic seasons for High School come to a close. Congratulations to all our graduates in the Ft. Collins area.

Club sports and summer contests and camps will continue to provide opportunities for athletes to develop their skills over the summer months.

CHAMP is assisting with the Football 7v7 Passing Jamboree at Rocky Mountain High School coming up in June.

Also look for CHAMP and PSD Schools along with the PVH Hospital and OCR to be sponsoring a seminar in August for coaches in Northern Colorado. More details will be coming out over the summer months.

A new website update will be taking place mid-May through the first week June. CHAMP is looking forward to bringing their website up to speed this month.

David Kraft Quote

“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm”.

Those who hang out with people of passion and conviction will acquire both. You can’t spend time around people with fire in their souls without having it ignite in you.

David Kraft  “Leaders who Last”

Remember your team draws strength from the character of the coach. BE what you want them to become. Thanks for being a coach that cares.

March 2012 Update II

A big shout out to Chris Moddlemog from GoJo Sports who spoke at our March Coaches Council breakfast. Thanks Coach Moddlemog! CHAMP will host our last school session breakfast in April, more details will come out in a few weeks.

CHAMP recently visited Pirate City in Florida. Bob Parry just returned from spring training with The Pittsburgh Pirates and Clint Hurdle. As he put it, “It was an amazing trip to see all those young players trying to get their shot at the major leagues, we had a great stay and also saw the Yankees and Red Sox up close. It was a lot of baseball.”

April 2012 CHAMP Athlete of the Month will be coming out soon as the month of April swings into gear and spring sports continue their seasons.

Stop by and watch the CSU spring football practices, the weather is amazing! Can you believe the consistent nice weather in March? This has to be a record. What a great March for those teams practicing and competing. I guess I found myself outside more since my NCAA March Madness bracket blew up!!! Also, CHAMP wishes Coach Tim Miles success at Nebraska, and now the CSU search begins.

Here is what CHAMP is working on as spring rolls around: We will be introducing two new board members, updating and rebuilding our web site, running the 7v7 Passing Jamboree at Rocky Mountain High School in June, and planning for the Concussion Symposium in the fall. Please stay tuned for details!

If you have any teams you want to recognize this spring, let us help you develop your Character Development Plans. In the meantime, enjoy a great springtime in Colorado. Do you think we are done with spring snow storms along the Front Range?

Oswald Sanders and Tony Dungy Quotes

J. Oswald Sanders, in his book, Paul, the Leader, writes, “We form part of a generation that worships power—military, intellectual, economical, scientific. The concept of power is worked into the warp and woof of our daily living. Our entire world is divided into power blocs. Men everywhere are striving for power in various realms, often with questionable motivation.”

10 Ways to Put Yourself Second – Dungy

Second? What? Our culture does not teach us to strive for second. We are in unchartered waters here. People advocate for you to find ways to put yourself first, to make more money, to do a myriad of things, but nobody out there is telling you to come in second. The dictionary defines the word second when used as an adjective as “being the latter of two equal parts.” That is a good way to look at things. Not less than anyone else, because we are not, but supportive and mindful of the needs of the people around us first. Is it not the duty of a man to do exactly this for his wife and family? Aren’t the best leaders the type of people who share the sacrifice and shoulder the load for others to move forward?

Millions of people daily ask the question “what is love?” One thing love surely must be is selfless. No marriage ever winds up in couples therapy because the relationship is not selfish enough. Family problems occur and family relationships wind up in peril because individuals pursue their own desires in life and not the needs of the entire group. Here are a few ideas to consider as you place yourself on the path to second place.

1. Visualize Yourself Less Selfish

The more selfish you are, the less you realize it (or care). Start with knowing you are pretty self-centered and visualize yourself being less so.

2. Consider What the Other Person Is Going Through

The annoyances in life can be so frustrating. Like when we get cut off in traffic on our way home from work. We cringe when we get stuck behind the person with 18 items in the 10 items only lane at the grocery store. How about the van in the drive-thru ordering for 10 people instead of going inside to do it? The list is nearly endless. These annoyances usually draw our most fiery reactions and wrath. How dare this person inconvenience me! But what are they going through that might be causing them to act so thoughtlessly? Putting ourselves second in those situations will not only greatly reduce our stress levels; it will also help open our eyes to the suffering of others. Instead of being blinded by rage, our eyes may instead notice that the extra items at the grocery store are medical items for a sick child at home. Or the man who cut us off in traffic feels disgusting because he just came from a chemo treatment. We just never know…

3. Display Unexpected Kindness

Many people feel like it is them against the world. As Norm from Cheers once famously said, “It’s a dog-eat-dog world and I’m wearing Milk Bone underwear.” How many circumstances do we hear and see where people completely disregard the well-being of others?

4. Avoid the At All Costs Mentality

“Get it done at all costs!” We have all heard that at some point in our lives, and some hear it every single day. It is said to inspire laser-type focus and motivation. But the actual “costs” are not often considered. Those costs are destructive and damaging to an overall larger plan. If times are desperate enough to call for such action, then it is time for wiser, calmer heads to consider other alternatives.

5. Take What You Need and Leave the Rest

We are a consumer society. We do it quite well. We have two and three of just about everything. “Take what you need and leave the rest” is a value that seems foreign to a lot of us now. However, if we returned to such a simple principle of a decent society, how much better could the world be for all of its inhabitants? Strive to be second, consume less, and prize the rare jewel of contentment.

6. Leave Judgment to God

How much of our lives do we waste brooding over useless grudges and dreams of judgment and revenge? These thoughts literally eat our own insides away while the object of our scorn usually is clueless to our hidden desires. Let these things go.

7. Practice Healthy Habits

This might seem like a self-centered suggestion. It isn’t when one considers the ramifications our health has on the people that count on us the most. Our wives, our children, our friends and our business partners depend on us daily. That requires we strive to be healthy and clear thinking as much as possible.

8. Master Invisible Leadership

If glory and fame are your ambition, than this is a worthless strategy. If the idea instead is to esteem others better than yourself, then there is no better way to lead than to be practically invisible. It takes a selfless ego and great skill to be humble. This is basically the “man behind the curtain” theory, except used for positive results.

9. Envy Is For the Weak

No matter our station in life, there will always be another that has topped us in some form or fashion. Chasing after the hope that somehow you wind up at the very top of the pyramid is just a fool’s desire. What is so great once you get there? Nothing. Just the constant fear of being knocked off now that you made it.

10. Build a Wealthy Spirit

Ask any human on their deathbed what true wealth is, and they will undoubtedly tell you that it has zero to do with monetary stature. True wealth is accumulated by doing exactly what this list is preaching, and that is putting ourselves second as much as we can. Kindness, sympathy, compassion, hard work, honesty and sincerity are but a few of the key ingredients to a selfless, extremely rich existence. Live well. Live second.

A leader who lives his life in the open has nothing to guard or fear. But if he is always on the move, forever hiding behind locked doors and drawn blinds, the public has reason to suspect he’s not genuine. Be careful about following a leader who is inaccessible and invulnerable.

March 2012 Update

Congratulations to HS wrestling seasons – a great commitment and discipline were demonstrated by all teams.

Basketball playoffs are just so amazing, Collegiate March Madness is around the corner! Often times in business or sport we think it is our competition that beats us. It is not, many times it is within ourselves that the greatest competition is raging.

CHAMP will be coming out with a new updated web site in the following months.

February was a strategic planning month for the CHAMP organization, where discussions about the upcoming CHAMP Locker Room took place.

We are still looking for future CHAMP Athletes of the Month. Congratulations to RMHS wrestler CJ Rithner as the January CAM and Nicole McAuliffe from FCHS girl’s basketball as the February CAM!

CHAMP board member Angela Knopf did an outstanding job speaking at the last CHAMP Coaches Counsel Breakfast! Thanks to all those that attended, we will catch you at the next one!

Gandhi’s Teaching Method

Gandhi’s Teaching Method

In South Africa Gandhi set up an ashram at Phoenix, where he started a school for children.

Gandhi had his own ideas about how children should be taught. He disliked the examination system. In his school he wanted to teach the boys true knowledge—knowledge that would improve both their minds and their hearts.

Gandhi had his own way of judging students. All the students in the class were asked the same question. But often Gandhi praised the boy with low marks and scolded the one who had high marks. This puzzled the children.

When questioned on this unusual practice, Gandhi one day explained, “I am not trying to show that Shyam is cleverer than Ram. So I don’t give marks on that basis. I want to see how far each boy has progressed, how much he has learnt. If a clever student competes with a stupid one and begins to think no end of himself, he is likely to grow dull. Sure of his own cleverness, he’ll stop working. The boy who does his best and works hard will always do well and so I praise him.”

Gandhi kept a close watch on the boys who did well. Were they still working hard? What would they learn if their high marks filled them with conceit? Gandhi continually stressed this to his students. If a boy who was not very clever worked hard and did well, Gandhi was full of praise for him.

Are we focused on the process or the results?  As we help players along this path towards mastery, do we focus on the progress or the end points?

Are we focused on the controllables or the uncontrollables?

Are we making sure players are truly working hard and not getting too “sure of their own cleverness”?  Are we making sure players earn everything or are we fostering a sense of entitlement?

February 2012 Update

January 2012 CHAMP Athlete of the Month

CHAMP is proud to recognize CJ Rithner, as the January CHAMP Athlete of the Month.  As high school wrestlers head into the championship season, CJ Rithner has been a four year wrestler and has played a critical role at Rocky Mountain High School tradition of wrestling excellence.  CJ was recently nominated by Principal Tom Lopez and Coach Hargraves for the Lobo of the Month award that goes to a student in each class that exemplifies “The Lobo Way”,  a theme that recognizes those students that exemplify outstanding character and attitude while attending RMHS.

Besides being an exemplary student role model, CJ is a senior wrestler who has wrestled varsity for the last two years and lost a challenge by a younger wrestler for a varsity spot this year.  Athletic Director Wayne Moddelmog quotes, “Many athletes in this situation would quit as a senior.  But CJ is not your typical athlete in that he chose to continue working hard as a senior leader and member of the team and supported his teammates and his younger challenger by pushing them every day in practice and supporting them during matches.” Understanding his role,  and by persevering during the season, CJ wrestled exhibition matches during the JV portion of duals and waited for an opportunity to wrestle varsity which came at the last dual match of the season against Poudre High School.   CJ was asked to fill in for an injured teammate and help his team win the dual match as well as the city championship that night by winning his weight class.

CJ is an outstanding representative of the CHAMP Athlete of the Month award by demonstrating perseverance, patience, and willingness to serve others by his unselfish attitude. CJ Rithner brings out the best in all his teammates and classmates at RMHS.

New CHAMP Board Members 2012:

CHAMP would like to recognize Dean Barber and Jason Burkett as our new board members for 2012.

Dean Barber

Dean has been on the McWhinney team since 2002, and he has over 15 years of experience in the real estate development industry. As the Vice President of Development, he oversees all facets of McWhinney’s commercial vertical development along the front range of Colorado, primarily focused on projects in McWhinneys’ Centerra and North Park communities. He has experience in multiple building delivery processes including build-to-suits, leasebacks, turnkey, condominiums, and joint ventures. Since joining McWhinney, he has developed over 30 projects which total over 1,250,000 s.f. of commercial space. His experience in product types include build-to-suits, multi-tenant office, medical office buildings, retail campuses, and light industrial business parks.

Jason Burkett

Jason is a Financial Advisor with UBS in the Fort Collins, Colorado office. He was born and raised in Fort Collins, CO and is a graduate of Poudre High School and Colorado State University, majoring in Math with an actuarial science concentration. Jason worked as an Actuary in Chicago and Denver before moving back to Fort Collins in 2004 to raise his 3 boys, Triston, Llayon and Brady in wonderful Northern Colorado. Jason and his wife Julie love being part of the Fort Collins community. They enjoy spending time together and try to take advantage of all that Colorado has to offer; including hiking, camping, biking, and skiing. Jason also loves sports and enjoys coaching his son’s sports teams including youth football, soccer and track.

Coaches Counsel breakfast for 2012 will continue in February/March/April if you are interested contact Coach Parry for more details.

Col John Boyd, USAF

To Be or To Do?

Col John R. Boyd, USAF

John Boyd associated with many junior officers during his Air Force career, there were a few, perhaps half a dozen, that he had such respect for that he invited them to join him on his quest for change. Each one would be offered the choice: Be someone – be recognized by the system and promoted – or do something that would last for the Air Force and the country. It was unfortunate, and says something about the state of American’s armed forces, that it was rarely possible to do both.

Boyd’s biographer, Robert Coram, collected the invitation from an officer who got it and selected the “to do” option, and he confirmed its essence from several others. CR]

“Tiger, one day you will come to a fork in the road,” he said. “And you’re going to have to make a decision about which direction you want to go.” He raised his hand and pointed. “If you go that way you can be somebody. You will have to make compromises and you will have to turn your back on your friends. But you will be a member of the club and you will get promoted and you will get good assignments.” Then Boyd raised his other hand and pointed another direction. “Or you can go that way and you can do something – something for your country and for your Air Force and for yourself. If you decide you want to do something, you may not get promoted and you may not get the good assignments and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors. But you won’t have to compromise yourself. You will be true to your friends and to yourself. And your work might make a difference.” He paused and stared into the officer’s eyes and heart. “To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That’s when you will have to make a decision. To be or to do. Which way will you go?

To be or to do. Which way will we go?

Are we teaching our players this lesson through athletics?

Quote from Joe Paterno

“It is the name on the front of the jersey that matters most, not the one on the back.”

Joe Paterno

Thanks for Attending the CHAMP Community Breakfast-January 25th 2012

The CHAMP board wishes to extend to you our heartfelt thanks for attending and in many ways contributing to The CHAMP Community Breakfast held on January 25^th, 2012 at The Marriott.

If you are still interested in Dr. Scott Stoll’s presentation material given on Tuesday night, he has made that available to you regarding nutrition and healthy lifestyles both for the athlete and for people of all ages. Please contact us by email for this material.

Highlights from the breakfast:

Coach Scott Westfall Boltz Middle School Football Team

Colorado Women’s Sports Foundation grant recipients

Cliff Buchholz Keli McGregor Service Award

Recognition of our yearly CHAMP Athletes of the Month

Scott Nelson Heart of a CHAMPion Scholarship

Coach Craig Luckasen accepting the Sonny Lubick Character Award

For those that attended, President Craig Moddelmog mentioned a speech from the late Coach Jim Valvano that went something like this, “Today you will laugh a little, we hope to make you think more, and perhaps bring you to tears.” Judging from the tremendous response from the breakfast attendees, that was accomplished.

Now as Paul Harvey would say, “Here is the rest of the story” you might have missed.

Did you know the rest of the story? Coach Westfall encourages his football team at the start of the school year to be the type of individuals and role models that look for those students in the lunchroom that are eating their lunch alone and perhaps have not connected yet with peer groups. They come alongside those people and be a friend to them during lunch, while sitting with them and engaging them in conversation. As parents, we all know what that can be like for new students during the first new days of school.

Did you know the rest of the story? Cliff Buchholz was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame as well after receiving this award.

Did you know the rest of the story? So many men and especially women in attendance were moved by Lori McGregor’s remarks about her late husband and by her courage to do so. Thank you Lori.

Did you know the rest of the story? Coach Luckasen’s story about his discovery of a discrepancy in the scoring of a cross country meet to award the correct team was actually at the State Championships?

Did you know the rest of the story? Dr. Scott Stoll speaks on a radio show in Pennsylvania regarding nutrition and diet and rehabilitation of injuries for the 21^st century athlete. If you are still interested in his book, please let us know because CHAMP purchased a few more that are just coming out in print.

Did you know the rest of the story? CHAMP Athlete of Month for December, Jenna Jordan had lost her father in an accident recently and CHAMP thanks her for those inspirational words during the Channel 5 broadcast.

For you Nebraska fans, did you know the rest of the story? The interview with Tom Osborne congratulating Coach Luckasen (who was born in Nebraska) was perhaps a lifelong dream for the CHAMP video producer Tim Petersen. As Tim put it, “That was something I will never forget and will remember for a lifetime.”

Did you know the rest of the story? Dr. Stoll helps improve recovery in reversing the effects of disease in the body, that is why the breakfast was geared towards healthy food. And now for the rest of the story: Whole Foods donated $200 dollar gift bags for groceries to two people that attended the breakfast, and 50 books were given away signed by Dr. Stoll! Thank you Whole Foods and Dr. Stoll!

Did you know the rest of the story? CHAMP is searching Northern Colorado for women who have left similar coaching legacies on their teams during their coaching tenure. Please contact us by email if you want to nominate a woman who has made a difference in Ft. Collins.