Wordless Wednesday

The New Ones

Today is the first day for the new novice rowers.

I'm always filled with such hope for the future of our team on the first day.
I never know who is coming, what will they add to our little family, how attached will I become...I love the kids I coach. Some I have for a short time. Some as many as four years. You spend four years with a kid, 5 days a week, travel with them, challenge them, see them succeed, see them struggle, hug, cry, laugh, tease, lead, follow...good stuff!

We tested yesterday. 2000 meters on the ergs. It had been a long time since our last test.

They amazed me. I think they amazed themselves. Haley broke 8 minutes (huge big deal for those of you who don't 'know' rowing). She was pumped. Paula was close to 8...closer than she thought she'd be. I think she was disappointed because she just missed.

Today they will help Ed and I with the novie's.

I'll let you know how it goes...

Pet Friday

I've got nothing but muddy dogs. Couldn't wait for it to warm up and for the snow to melt. Forgot about the muddy dogs...oh well, I'll clean the floors in May.

Thursday Thirteen-Basketball Blues

I have coached the same group of boys every winter for several years now. Austin, Luke and DJ I've had since the beginning. Micheal and Brian almost as long. John, Morgan and Corbin started playing for me last year. Alex is new this year. These boys no longer play for me but always play in my heart: Jordan, Aaron, Kevin, Micheal G, Dylan, Nathan, Jake, Calen, Jay and Eric.

Last night we had our very last practice. I cried on the way home. They will be high school freshman next year and too old to play in the league.

We will start my little nephew Andrew in a 3 on 3 league next year. My boys all said they'd come to Andrew's game and cheer for him. They are nice boys.

Here are 13 things that I remember from the last 5 years.

1. DJ - the most remarkable little guy. Has some personal challenges but you'd never know when he shoots. His dad gets just as excited as he does when he scores. My all time favorite kid I've ever coached!

2. Jordan - grew so fast his knees couldn't keep up. This big, talented kid. Very laid back, never got angry, never got too excited. Just played basketball.

3. Aaron - more like me than any kid I've ever coached. Always right, a bit mouthy, very intense, funny. I could get on him about something and he'd crack a smile and we'd both end up laughing.

4. Austin - my dear nephew. He's grown up SO fast. We struggled to get him to shoot with proper technique. He prevailed and his shot has turned into this very quirky, strangely accurate shot that is so him. He has always been his own person and basketball is no exception.

5. Corbin - a point guard in everything he does. He's Austin's best buddy and he 'point guards' his entire life. Kim calls him the social director. He takes the game so personal. Occasionally we get him to relax and not stress so much. He's always surprised how much fun he has.

6. Morgan - I met him initially in Austin's first grade class. Just a genuinely nice kid. He was having trouble with a little double dribbling. Started bringing the ball down the court with his left hand behind his back. Cracked us up! Even the refs were laughing.

7. Kevin - so much fun to coach. Not a basketball star but a kid who'd do anything you asked him, try so hard and when he got it right would grin from ear to ear. I've missed him the last two years.

8. Micheal - very timid little guy. When we were leaving the gym last night I realized that I'd hurt anyone who picked on him. He has three brothers, all are great athletes. Micheal is a good athlete but I always get the feeling he thinks he doesn't measure up. When he get on a hot spell he's quite a shooter. I hope he finds a place in this world where he feels special.

9. Luke - can you say 'bounces off the walls'! Sometimes we could harness the energy and he'd dominate. Often he bounced from one end to the other. Had more steals than anyone. Feisty and infuriating but fun to coach. His grandma is my all time favorite fan!

10. Brian - he has changed sooo much. He's a great little athlete. I hope he finds a sport that suits his easy going personality. He runs hard, jumps high, fights for every lose ball. Great kid!

11. John - I have never seen a kid grow so much in one year. He was a little boy last year. He came back in November a teenager. I hardly recognized him. He had to step up and play some point guard this year when Luke broke his wrist (surprise, surprise). Big jump for him but he has really blossomed. More confident, seems to be having a ball.

12. Alex - never played organized basketball until this year. Best rebounder on the team. Most consistent inside shot and can be deadly from 3 point range. Big smile, never complains, like the energizer bunny, goes and goes and goes. Wish he'd started sooner.

13. Best game memory - 1st year, we were getting killed. Mike was keeping score and he let me know that all the boys except 2 had scored. I called a time out. Told the boys. Dj scored first. Then Kevin need a bucket. I remember Aaron standing right next to him. They'd throw Aaron the ball, he'd hand it to Kevin and Kev would shoot. He got his bucket and you'd have thought we'd won the game. Best, Best memory!

Thanks to all the great parents and fans! Kim, Kenny, Cheryl, Jimmy, Sandy, Bob A, Angie, Bob B, Lezlie, Mark, Stephanie, Jim, Barb, Mike B, Dan, Robin, Stacy, Mike P, Tammy, Luke's Grandma, Brian's Grandma and anyone who's ever cheered for our team.

Go Fire Hawks!!!

Rowing Season

Okay, I know it's wordless Wednesday but is is also 1 week into Spring rowing season.
Posting will be sporadic but don't lose heart, I'm not going anywhere! (Except to practice :-))

Thursday Thirteen 2-15-07

Fun Rowing Stickers

My personal favorite

One I forgot

I brought my camera to work with me today because I had no idea what I was going to post for Wordless Wednesday.

For some reason today it struck me that we have 7 TVs in the station and typically only 9 guys (or gals).

Wordless Wednesday

Manic Monday

Oh...it truly is a 'Manic Monday'.

Spring rowing starts today for the Varsity kids....arghhhhhhhhh. I'm not ready!!!!

Okay

Today's word is Spike.

We had the greatest dog when I was in high school. He was a pug terrier mix. Little bitty guy, thought he could take on the world. Loved cheezits and my sister.

His name was Spike. I'll find a pic of him and post it...eventually.

Gotta go...go fast!

PS Ed Smith rocked in St Louis at the indoor race...He took first place in the Men's Masters group by nearly 20 seconds and posted the 5th fastest time of the day at 6:38.7. (500m Splits - 1:39.7). He also beat his 2006 performance by 1 tenth of a second!

Coffee...

Yeah, so...I got nothin'
Drinking my coffee. Sitting on the floor again (those of you who visit regularly will know why).
Kids start Monday, not done with the coaching schedule, website is a work in progress, ergs are en route from Manhattan (thanks Rob and Sharon!).

Bed needs to be made, dishes to wash, laundry to do, maybe later.

KU-MU 2:30pm GO HAWKS!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Places KCRC will go in 2007

1. St Louis
2. Topeka
3. Oklahoma City
4. Cincinnati
5. Tulsa
6. Cherry Hill, NJ
7. Wichita
8. Des Moines
9. Boston (Kenny will go to a Diversity workshop)
10. Miami (US Rowing Convention)
11. Back to the river...we hope!

Okay...we are only going 11 places...so it's the Thursday Eleven

Wordless Wednesday

"Yes Sir, I'll ask my dog to get off the bed."

What do dogs do when it's 8 degrees outside? Why, they come with me and hang out at the fire station.

The Chief came by earlier...wasn't too excited to see Rescue on the bed. When he left I helped Mags up, too. He he...

(I'm really not one of those people who blogs on and on about my pets. It's just that it's 8 degrees outside and we've been spending A LOT of time together.)

Manic Monday

drift (drĭft)
v. drift·ed, drift·ing, drifts

1.To be carried along by currents of air or water: a balloon drifting
eastward; as the wreckage drifted toward shore.


I have a Blue Heeler mix. She is 10 yrs old and is one of those true 'rowing' dogs. You know the type, always in the coaching launch, has been to more regattas than most of the team, thinks the Boathouse is home.

She's very smart, loves to swim and can usually get one of the rowers to throw something for her so she can go get it. Her favorite is the plastic water bottles the kids bring...don't set on the dock, it might not be there when you come back.

If she can't get anyone to play she will drop a bottle off the edge of the dock, watch it as it drifts down river. She will then jump in and retrieve it. She can entertain herself for quite a while...if only I could teach her to make coffee, hmmmm.

Pet Friday

Why I sit on the floor.
(There's actually a fairly nice couch under the dog (and cat) blankets)

Created this at atom smasher. Fun, huh?

Cough, Hack, Sneeze

Oh jeez, I think it's back. 3 weeks sick, 2 weeks on antibiotics, 10 days feeling pretty good and now the cough is back.
Have I mentioned that I'm sick of winter.

PS I know it's not 'winter' making me sick. It's being trapped inside with all the other sick people. Please don't post your cold remedies, I just needed a good whine...or maybe a good 'wine', hmmmm.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen rowing terms that always need to be explained.

1. Weigh Enough - rowers use this phrase instead of the word stop... best part is it sneaks into your non rowing life...

2. Gunwale - edges of the boat...primarily handholds when lifting and carrying.

3. Coxswain - people always want to know how it's spelled. The Coxswain is the person who sits in the larger boats, steers and is the 'captian' of the boat. This person DOES NOT yell 'stroke, stroke'.

4. Head Race - fall races are 'Head Races' usually 3-4 miles, single file, against the clock.

5. Erg - the blasted torture machine we use for indoor training.

6. Oars - they are 'Oars' not 'Paddles'.

7. Sculls - an old fashioned term for boat...rowers call them 'Boats'.

8. Launch - as in 'Coaching Launch'. For some reason we call the small boats the coaches use 'Launches'.

9. Crab - a dastardly accident when a rower loses control of his or her oar. The blade gets trapped in the water by the momentum of the boat and the oar handle flies backwards either over the rower’s head or striking the rower’s chest. In extreme cases the rower can be thrown from the boat. funny when it happens to someone else.

10. Feather/Square - the turning of the oar after the blade is extracted making it parallel to the water/The turning of the oar prior to entering the water to make it perpendicular.

11. Repechage - the “second chance” race given to those crews which fail to qualify for the finals from an opening heat. “Rep” qualifiers move onto semi-finals or finals depending on the number of entries. Used in international racing and national championships.

12. Sweep - boats in which the rowers each use a single sweep oar. A sweep oar is longer than a sculling oar and has a bigger blade.

13. Sculling - rowers who row with two oars each.