A Champion's Heart: In the Trenches

Memories. Pain and the Game,

2018-10-30T01:26:00.001-07:00

"You will suffer in significant ways from this for the rest of your life."

There are times in all of our lives when we hear things that we dread. This was one of those for me and it happened this week. These words came from my doctor after I took a series of tests for brain functioning as a result of concussions throughout my life. Let me be clear, they were not a surprise. I have known for years that many of the symptoms for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) are things that I am experiencing. Memory loss, depression, emotional outbursts, questionable judgment, headaches, dizziness are all things that I have had to deal with. But the difference between hearing that you may suffer and you will suffer is a huge gap.

It does not mean I have been diagnosed with CTE. At this time, it can only be diagnosed post-mortem. But I do show chronic signs from traumatic brain injuries that in turn led me to score low on the tests. According to my doctor, there will be many more tests and lots of physical therapy. And pondering and processing. It is hard to realize that something that you have loved, in this case, the game of football could have caused so much pain.

Football has helped me become who I am. Through coaches who actually taught virtues through the game, I grew to understand dedication, humility, hard work, commitment, loyalty, love and community in ways I never learned anywhere else. I have met some of the most amazing and unique people that I have played with and against. I have coached some of the most incredible people on the planet. I have traveled to places I never imagined I would go, and I have made some of the best friends anyone could ever have, all through football. I have been blessed through the game. I knew that my body would take a toll, but I never knew that it would be so vicious.

When I was playing we knew nothing of CTE or the effects of multiple concussions. In fact, one year in college I had five concussions and was approved to return to play after each one. No one imagined the horrors that would await some of us. And make no mistake, they are horrors. The absolute pain of the headaches, which feels like someone is taking a knife to the inside of your skull, the sensitivity to sound which produces more headaches. The pure darkness of depression when you feel as if you are in such a deep hole that you can not claw your way out of it and which creates physical pain to match the mental abyss you find yourself in for no apparent reason. The emotional gymnastics which make suicide seem like a far better option than to take one more excruciating breath. All of this and more are the other side of the game.

Balancing those two realities and trying to come up with an answer for "was it worth it?" is an impossible task. And so we have a debate now raging around the issues of concussions and the game. Ironically, last week saw the release of a book by Merrill Hoge and Peter Cummings called Brainwashed: The Bad Science Behind CTE and The Plot to Destroy Football, in which the authors try to make the case that there is no scientific proof that football causes CTE. In the book, they take on the Boston University neuropathologists who have done the majority of the work in the field and in 2017 released a study where they found that of 111 brains of former NFL players 110 had CTE. Hoge and Cummings point out the flaws in the study, which granted there are some. The research still needs to move forward and more needs to be done. Hoge's book does not dispute however that those 110 brains had CTE and that is 110 families that lost a loved one. While the science needs to catch up, we also need to know that the game has its costs and many times we are not aware of them until it is too late. For me, it is no longer an academic or philosophical premise. I know what caused my trauma, and it was the game I love.

Personally, I knew of some of the risks later as I was coaching and the word was getting out about the effects of concussions and I experience the start of some of my symptoms. As a result, I changed the way I coached and ran practices. We no longer hit during practices with live tackling. As soon as Hawk tackling was introduced by the Seattle Seahawks we implemented it in our tackling. I did everything I could to take the head and the repeated banging out of the game. Shorter practices, less hitting, never taking someone to the ground, new techniques, new equipment, whatever we could do I implemented it because I did not want any of my players to experience the pain I was.

I felt like that was my way to honor the game by making it safer for those I coached so that they might be able to benefit from the positive aspects without the residual pain. I faced resistance, from assistant coaches primarily who weren't living the hell I was and thought that toughness was more important and that we should be hitting more. But, I never backed down and it has cost me over the years.

And so now I move forward, knowing that the road ahead is difficult and hoping that the things I learned from the game about perseverance, hope, and diligence will help me through this challenge ahead. Persevering through the tasks set in front of me, Hoping that science will find solutions that may provide a cure where there is none today. And being diligent about loving those around me to the best that I can. And if nothing else trying to keep positive in the midst of things. As I told my doctor, "well the good thing is that every movie I watch is always brand new to me these days! That's something!"

Kneeling is a position of humility.

2018-09-04T01:11:00.001-07:00

Colin Kaepernick continues to spur controversy. It used to be over whether you liked the San Francisco 49ers and their success with the young Quarterback and his skills on the field. But these days due to the collusion of NFL teams who have blackballed the QB it is purely for the just off-field (sideline) protests that he started when he was still in the league.

Kaepernick started a movement to kneel during the playing of the National Anthem in protest of the way that people of color are treated by police and other authorities in the United States. He had enough of seeing unarmed black men gunned down in the streets of America by police officers and decided to take a knee in protest. Many other athletes have joined in on the protests and it has become a huge controversy with the NFL as many people claim that it is disrespectful of the flag and of service members in the military. While the President of the United States has stoked the controversy by calling Kaepernick and the players a ”son of a bi#@%” and claiming that they do not even know what they are protesting, the players have been crystal clear in their responses and explain clearly that the issue is not patriotism but racism.

Nike today named Kaepernick one of the faces of their 30^th anniversary of the “Just Do It” Campaign with the tagline " Believe in Something, even if it means sacrificing everything. # Justdoit." In typical fashion, many on social media are threatening to throw away their Nike shoes and denouncing both the brand and Kaepernick, once again sowing the discord plaguing our nation. Kaepernick is following the decades-old tradition of African American athletes fighting racist discrimination which had its notable beginnings at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games when Tommy Smith and John Carlos stood on the gold medal platform and upheld their black-gloved hands to the heavens during the playing of the U.S. national anthem.

This act infuriated officials who took away the Olympic athlete’s gold medals but, was a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement. Kaepernick’s gesture to kneel is a continuation of this protest and is interestingly seen as disrespectful. I say interestingly because kneeling is one of the humblest acts one could do in our culture. To kneel is to submit. The only thing which is more of a humble posture is to lay prostrate on the ground. For those who participate in religious services kneeling is a familiar position to take before one’s God. In monarchies kneeling was and can still be a standard position when coming before those in authority, the King or Queen. It is also a position often used when asking for the mercy or assistance of an authority. Men traditionally kneel before a woman when asking her to be his wife. It is a position of giving honor to another. So, I am dumbfounded when people are insulted at the act and claim that it is dishonoring to the flag and troops.

Even though people mix up the actions of these athletes stand against racism with some perceived protest of the flag and military, if one still wants to hold to this mistaken interpretation then they even have that wrong. What these athletes are doing is showing honor to the flag and all who serve it by kneeling, an act of humility. What I see in this act is an unspoken request to those in power to help. A request for those of us seeing this protest to act against the racism that these athletes and their friends and family face every day. And those of us who are against racism should be responding not by criticizing them but by standing up to the racism we see exhibited whether it be by our leaders or the person next to you in line at the grocery store. There is no room for this disease in American culture. When we switch the subject on the discussion we are ignoring the pleas of our brothers and sisters who are Americans with a different skin pigment and are kneeling to ask us for help.

I am asking you to see this through a different lens. As a humble request with all honor given to those of us who can make a difference. Racism is a serious problem, one that has found solutions at times in the world of sport. So maybe instead of denouncing Nike, we acknowledge that they are doing what they can to address the issue. And maybe when we see someone kneel we see someone who is asking us earnestly and humbly for our help. Wouldn’t it be a powerful thing to see people in the stands humbly kneel in unison against racism instead of standing in judgment of those suffering from it?

Jim Nendel

Locker Room Talk

2016-10-09T23:45:00.001-07:00

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's excuse for his vulgar and offensive comments recorded in the Access Hollywood tapes come down to this... it's ok because it was merely locker room talk, everybody does it. He is sorry not for what he said but for being caught. And for him, what was said is no big deal.
As someone who has spent most of my life in locker rooms as an athlete, coach and teacher I find this excuse ridiculous. But what is even more disturbing is the supposed acceptance of this stereotype that has existed for decades. The idea that in locker rooms guys sit around and talk about grabbing women's p...... is so far from the truth that I feel the need to speak out. I have been involved in locker rooms at all levels of sport both in the U.S. and internationally. Are locker rooms equivelant to church sanctuary's? No of course not. Do guys speak about women? Yes. But in all my years in locker rooms I have never heard the type of discussions that Trump engaged in with Billy Bush accepted in a locker room. Maybe he remembers discussions from his middle school sports years when kids have no filters and say things that are ridiculous or maybe he is recalling discussions from being at a bar when people are drunk. But in a locker room where athletes come together for a common mission, hardly.
Now I'm not saying that guys will not speak about if a woman is "hot" or such things. But when someone crosses the line and starts talking about anything approaching what Trump spoke about I have seen guys respond in two ways. One, they all ignore and shun the speaker because that person has proven that they are an idiot, or someone steps up and says something about respect for women and shuts them up.
Trump wants us to believe that conversations like his are common occurrences in locker rooms and that he should be excused for participating in a conversation that is a normal part of our sports culture. As such he wants us to just see him as "one of the guys."
Well, I object to that and want people to know that that is not the norm in locker rooms. He is not being "one of the guys," he is exhibiting abnormal behaviour that those of us living in the locker room day in and day out recognize as the words of a sleeze bag. Guys like that are blow hards, wanna be macho guys who think that conquering a woman makes them a man. While there are those rare individuals that is not a true and complete picture of a locker room environment.

As a coach I follow in the footsteps of my coaches who taught me that women were to be honored and treated with respect in word and deed. That if we were not willing to say something in a womans presence then it is not appropriate to speak about her in derogatory ways in that sacred place. The locker room is home, it is a place to escape and prepare. Is there joking and laughter and crude humor? Sometimes. But there is still a code of conduct that we understand as athletes and men that must be followed. I try to teach my athletes what that line of demarcation is that we need to avoid crossing and that it begins with respect for women.
With all of the issues with domestic violence and sexual assault that surrounds sport these days that should be a major emphasis for all of us as coaches. If its not, then we deserve to be lumped together with the likes of Trump and condemned for our "locker room talk." But I for one will stand against that time and continue to condemn those who want to taint a place that is special for those of us involved in athletics.

2015-11-18T23:42:00.000-08:00

A Great and Sad Day!

Last Friday November 13th was a momentous day for me. My high school football team the Northwest Christian Crusaders made school history as we won our first State playoff game ever. It was the first one we had ever played in, and this just in our third year of football. In 2013, we played a varsity schedule and took our lumps. With 80% of the team having no football experience at any level we relied on a young skinny sophomore at quarterback named David Olds and a couple of great athletes to win one game in our first season. After improving to three wins last year the team came into this season with a goal to win a State Championship. That skinny quarterback is still leading us but has numerous weapons around him and an offensive line that has gained experience, tenacity and size.

David Olds and Myself

Defensively we went from a team that would rather run out of bounds than get in front of a big running back to a team that physically attacks offenses and has developed a physicality that is needed in this game. But with these changes we have maintained an attitude of playing with sportsmanship and love. We stress that our guys help other players up after they hit them and that we tell the other team when they have made a great play. We want to play this game with honor and respect for the other team as we all have spent numerous hours training and practicing so that we can try to make ourselves better players each day.

The honor, camaraderie, and character development is what makes this game so wonderful. It teaches so many things and is a living classroom. So when we were able to go to Warden, Washington to play the Cougars it was an exciting night. Our kids played well and were able to come away with a 34-18 victory to move on to the next round of the State tournament. We celebrated and as we left Warden for the two hour journey home it seemed to be a magical evening. As I was calling in our score to the local television stations and newspapers I happened to see notices about attacks in Paris. Immediately, my past was alive in my present. My joy and excitement turned to concern and dismay.

Seeing the photos from familiar sites in Paris which had been turned into killing fields by terrorists was shocking. It soured the happiness of our victory as I worried about friends and wondered if they were safe. The last couple of days have been strange as I hear from friends who are safe and from those who lost loved ones and friends in the attacks. Reading and listening to the news and opinions concerning the attacks brought back my life in Paris and the wonderful experiences I had there. While the pain and fears of my friends is palatable, I remember the wonderful times I had in the city.

In fact I lived and worked in an area which had the highest Muslim and immigrant population in France. We loved going to the local kebab shop and found the people there so friendly. It was a gathering place for Syrian immigrants and many would frequent it to watch soccer matches or the news from home. And yet they became our friends. The guys who worked there learned our names and what we liked to order and when we would enter the shop they welcomed us warmly. They would usher us to a table and give us a fantastic sweet tea and make sure we were comfortable while we waited for our food~which by the way was wonderful and makes me salivate thinking about it! These immigrants worked hard and battled discrimination and yet were some of the friendliest people I met in France. It saddens me to know that because of the acts of cowardly people perverting Islam they will face more pain and questioning. Many of my former players also are fearful of the future they face there and are hoping that rather than a response of hatred and fear that these attacks will bring people together. They hope for a response which will be based out of a sense of love and compassion for victims, and that governments will honor their memory and not denigrate it with indiscriminate violence.

As I prepare my team for the quarterfinal game this week against Asotin, we will face a similar challenge. To live out our football lives with honor and play for a love of the game and one another. Not taking cheap shots on other players or letting our anger get the best of us but harnessing our feelings and tempering them with love and respect for the game and others. We try to honor Christ in all we do and part of that is to model his compassion. The tragedy of last week and the attacks in Paris will continue to be on my mind and heart as I hate to see that beautiful city and its people under siege, but just as Parisians will move forward and defeat the cowardly Daesh with their joy for life, I will challenge my players to learn through this game how to overcome adversity and unexpected loss and humbly love those around them. Peace! Je Suis Paris!

2015-10-04T00:05:00.000-07:00

"Stuff Happens"

What is wrong with us as Americans? Once again we mourn as a gunman kills multiple victims. This time in Roseburg, Oregon just an hour or so from where I grew up in Eugene. So it again hits home but even more so when I read about each individual murdered. I was struck that these are not just numbers but as Justin Zoradi's non-profit organization's name clearly says "These numbers have faces." (http://thesenumbers.org/mission)

While Zoradi's wonderful mission has other goals not dealing with gun violence the truth is that even these numbers do have faces. And the faces have stories behind them and people who loved them whose own lives are devastated by this senseless violence. As President Obama noted we have seemingly become numb to this type of tragedy and almost accept it as collateral damage. In fact, Presidential hopeful Jeb Bush even responded to the tragedy by simply stating that"stuff happens." Really? Really? Stuff happens? Peoples lives are destroyed and all we can say is stuff happens?
Some of my friends on facebook are once again going to the defense of guns noting that "guns don't kill, people do." Some even claim that if we took away guns then people would commit these atrocities with whatever is available including pencils, forks and other nonsensical implements. If this is true then I have to ask a deeper question. What is wrong with us as Americans. If guns don't kill people, but people do then what does that say about us as a people?
The statistics are staggering. Since 1997 the United States has experienced 51 mass shooting involving events that kill 4 or more people. In that same time two other countries have had multiple events. Germany and Switzerland each with 3. The United Kingdom had one while Australia and Japan have not experienced one. (http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/03/us/gun-deaths-united-states/) Australia is interesting as they had experienced many prior to 1997 but changed gun laws and since then have seen an incredible decrease in gun deaths. Australia now has 30 deaths by homicide annually. (http://mic.com/articles/123049/19-years-after-passing-strict-gun-control-laws-here-s-what-happened-in-australia) Compared to the U.S. which has 11, 208 in 2013 that is a drop in the bucket.
So that begs the question. What is wrong with us? If it is not the guns but the people that must make us one of histories most disturbed, bloodthirsty, and violent cultures ever, which in many ways is more frightening. What is it that makes us as a people kill people at such a high rate compared to countries around the world that are similar to us? And yet we claim to be the greatest nation on earth fighting for life, liberty. and the pursuit of happiness. Well maybe we should get rid of the life part since we obviously do not truly value life, other than our own. And while we are at it we may want to rethink the liberty part as well since our incarceration rates dwarf those of other civilized countries. While we make up 5% of the worlds population we have 25% of the worlds prisoners. Peter Wagner of the Prison Policy Initiative noted that

"The U.S. prison population rate is highest in the world, at 716 per 100,000 of the national population, according to the International Centre for Prison Studies. Russia’s is 475 prisoners per 100,000 of the national population, and China’s is 121 per 100,000 population, which is below the world’s median rate, More than half of countries and territories have rates below 150 per 100,000 population." (http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/dec/16/matthew-cooke/us-prison-population-big-russia-china-and-north-ko/)"

So again what makes us as a people so in need of imprisoning our fellow citizens? Are we that much more prone to evil than other nations? I know that there is a sense of always looking to gain the system in us. That was proven clearly to me when I moved to Finland. One of the Finnish players took us Americans, who were new, to the grocery store to show us how to shop. Believe me it is different in every country, to the point that one of our players was so frustrated with the process in one country that he decided to just eat out and not deal with the frustration. While at the store we were in the produce section where you select your fruits and vegetable and then weigh them, enter a code and a printer spits out a label that you put on the bag to tell the cashier how much is in the bag. No, they do not weigh them at the checkout counter they trust that you have put in the correct product number and that the scale is accurate. To my disgrace I have to admit that all sorts of things were going through my mind and I finally asked, "what would stop you from weighing it, getting the tag and then adding more fruit to the bag?" My host looked at me completely puzzled and responded, "why would you do that?"

I instantly realized that my moral compass was much more deviant than my European counterparts. There is a trust in basic human goodness there. Interestingly every American in every country I have coached who we initially take to the grocery store and showed the system asked the exact same question, so I didn't feel so bad. There were others who had the same distorted view of life. But it was not a proud moment to realize that my culture has taught me to see opportunities to take advantage of situations and let the buyer, or seller, beware. Maybe it is that way of thinking that has led to our need for huge prisons, I suspect it is more, but nevertheless it brings into question whether we are really all that interested in liberty especially when we look deeper and see the disparity of minorities and the poor imprisoned in our systems.
At least we do unquestionably value the pursuit of happiness. There is no doubt that we have become the most narcissistic people on the face of the earth. We do not act with a sense of justice, or right versus wrong, but only with regard to what is right for me. It is not the pursuit of happiness for the community or the good of the people of our country, it is the pure pursuit of personal happiness no matter how much despair and destruction that causes others. So it is much more important that we retain the rights of gun owners for the happiness that shooting their guns gives them than it is to protect and stop the slaughter of students and staff at Sandy Hook, Columbine, Thurston, and now Umpqua Community College. The pursuit of happiness trumps life and liberty once again. And that is all ok- because "Stuff Happens,"

For a look at how others around the world view us on this subject check this out!

http://www.nationofchange.org/2015/10/06/heres-what-the-world-thinks-about-the-american-response-to-the-oregon-massacre/

Peace!

Merry Christmas?

2013-12-25T15:36:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!
These two words should bring a welcoming feeling when spoken. However, here in the United States this greeting has become divisive and even worse, a political tool. For those of you who oppose Christmas and its celebration there is nothing in particular that I have to say regarding your stance other than that for some of you your dominant position is one of tolerance for all things and yet I find it amusing that to promote tolerance you become intolerant of Christmas, but that is your issue and I choose to laugh rather than fight against it. I am not in your camp so I have little understanding of the incoherencies of your stance as compared to your foundational beliefs.

I am however, in the camp of those who do celebrate and embrace Christmas and so this post is an open letter and apology to those who have been offended by "our side." While many would argue, and with some accuracy that I am not in a position to write such an apology I am endeavoring to do so anyone. It is true I am not a pastor or in a position of spiritual authority. I am merely a brother in Christ and I have to admit that yesterday while driving around Spokane I felt assaulted by signs and messages by my fellow Christians. I can't tell you how many signs I drove past telling me to "Keep Christ in Christmas" and that "Jesus is the Reason for the Season." While I agree in part with the sentiments and see the danger in the rampant commercialization of Christmas, I could not help but feel that I was being bombarded by a marketing campaign with more behind it than a catchy slogan. Maybe its because I have seen t-shirts lately stating that "Happy Holidays is what Liberals say" and have heard a growing chorus of political leaders bemoaning the "assault on Christmas" this year as political capital.

Really?

Driving around on Christmas Eve and finishing up my errands I was enjoying the festive spirit but the signs felt out of place and attacking rather than encouraging and kind.
So it made me wonder what would it look like to have Christ in Christmas? I venture to say that my interpretation of what that would look like compared with those behind the campaign would differ greatly. I could be wrong but what I have been hearing from those wanting to keep "Christ in Christmas" is that they have a political agenda that includes prayer in schools, allowing for nativity scenes on public property and open expressions of religious speech during the Christmas season so that acknowledgment of what the holiday is about is overtly understood. While I don't disagree with many of those ideas, they are not what I think of when I consider keeping Christ in Christmas.

First of all Jesus did not come with a political agenda, in fact he told us to "give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God." (Mark 12:17) I am not saying that we should not be involved in the political process as Christians, quite the contrary, I believe that we are to work within our governmental structures to fight for justice and peace. But I find we often become small minded in our issues and that in turn brings the focus back onto ourselves and our issues rather than bringing glory to God. I find it sad that people may associate the Church and Christmas by the slogans they see on signs such as those above, rather than "Peace on earth", Joy to the World", and "goodwill toward men." I apologize that what we present as followers of Christ is not much different from what you experience in your Christmas season other than our going to a Christmas eve service and reading the story of the birth of Christ at home along with our other Christmas stories.

I am sorry if you feel yelled at by us as we try to shout our way out of the Christmas hoopla to make sure you hear us say hey look at us we are important and should be given equal time. But mostly I apologize for not being the light of the world that pierces the darkness and brings hope and love through our actions in the name of the precious baby that we ask you to not forget.

As Christians we are as complicent as anyone for the excess in commercialism surrounding "our" holiday. We love to buy and get gifts and spend time and feast with our family and friends as much as everyone and as a result we get caught in our own traps. But what if instead of trying to be louder in our voices we took the St. Francis of Assisi approach to Christmas and put away our signs as we attempted to"preach constantly and when necessary, use words?"

What if we as Christians made such an impact in our communities that others couldn't help but see the benefits and our light of love. What if instead of just enjoying the beautiful view of candles lit in our service on Christmas eve we could enjoy the trans formative joy of a community who has had that light reaching the dark places in our lives. What if we took our energy that we spend trying to get the right to have nativity scenes in the Capitol or other issues and spent it on something that represents Jesus such as eradicating poverty, transforming environmental law so that we can call ourselves good stewards of what God has called us to take care of, or fighting for justice for the oppressed including those enslaved in jobs that pay wages which are below the poverty line. What if one Christmas we as a church transformed our communities with acts of service and kindness so overwhelming that it was literally earth shaking? Would we need to remind others to keep Christ in Christmas or would people we never expected to, say "I just saw Jesus at work in my life and my town, now I know what this holiday is all about"?

What if we really strove to bring peace on earth and goodwill to mankind? All mankind? Christian, Muslim, Jew, Atheist, men, women, young, old, black, white, yellow, red, rich, poor, etc.. What if we demonstrated that this baby we worship in the manger came not to bring a sword but peace? That he is not for gun rights, capitalism, socialism, right to anything, or American values but is about loving people where they are and transforming their lives. Maybe then people could look one another with confidence and say Merry Christmas not with a voice of hope but knowing that God had and does change lives. So here is to next year when maybe that can be a reality and we can all live a Merry Christmas. Until then lets all "preach constantly."

Simplicity

2013-04-05T13:59:00.003-07:00

View From Schweitzer Mountain Resort

"Simplicity is the keynote of My Kingdom. Choose Simple things always, love and reverence the humble and the simple.
Have only simple things here. Your standard must never be the worlds standard." God Calling

In the world of sport and football being simple is not the norm. It flies in the face of sport culture as complexity is admired, and adulated. The simplicity of following Christ lies in seeing the joy and love that he has and not in seeking to build our own kingdom. The difficulty of it is that it places ego, pride, self fulfillment and our competitive nature at his feet~right at the base of the cross. We see this battle in the arms race of professional, collegiate and even high school sports. So many coaches try to build up their own kingdoms and monuments to attest to their hard work.

One of the struggles I have at times is the development of a "program mentality." We talk about what is best for the program, what the program needs. We hear it on sports radio and in clinics and are encouraged and challenged to build a strong program. While the idea of a stable program is something that we can and should strive for at times I have seen it develop into a life of its own and become bigger than the sport and our players. the complexity overshadows what we are called to do as coaches and teachers. Programs are not human just as corporations are not people, sorry Citizens United but I firmly reject that notion. While we build strong programs we have to realize as coaches that our programs are nothing more than a community of people; coaches, players, and support staff who work together to create the values that we want to have reflected in each other. Far too often we see those community members sacrificed for the good of the program and with it the values that we share as individuals. The program needs to win so we sacrifice integrity and change grades for failing students rather than make them understand that they have a responsibility to take care of all areas of their lives for the good of one another. Rather than teaching players that they need to take care of things on and off the field and that the rest of the team is counting on them to do those things, we bend rules, and our standards, and teach them instead that they and the program are above others and that winning at all costs is the only standard. As a result the integrity of the very game we love is impugned. We treat our players as if they are merely a means to an end and are expendable.

Porvoo Butchers

I honestly believe, and tell my players often, that football is better for them than they are for the game of football, a lesson I learned from my good friend and mentor Craig Walker, the very successful former head coach at Bend High School in Oregon. They need to understand that the game will continue with or without their contributions, but it is not that they are not important to me or the team. I communicate this to them so that they understand that to be part of the team is a privilege that carries with it responsibility to the rest of us involved. Which brings me back to the simplicity of loving God and loving people. I often go walking through beautiful neighborhoods and see palatial houses. Houses that I long for, with wonderful views and incredible amenities. However, those houses are just that, houses, without the love of family. They are doomed to crumble. I realize that my focus needs to be on the eternal-the simple gifts God has blessed me with. In the same way a program will eventually crumble, but not the relationships that are forged and the character that is developed. All programs have ups and downs in terms of success but if it is merely built to win then there is no substance to it.

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

As a coach I have a unique opportunity to build His Kingdom, if I will forego my own kingdom building and learn to enjoy the simple things that he provides as I love and serve him and those he has led to me. I realized this during the winter as I have been so blessed to be able to smile and love every little kid that I got to teach to ski at Schweitzer Mountain resort in Idaho. I also recognize that over the years I have had the joyous opportunity to laugh and work with players in many countries-what a blessing!

Joys of coahhing!

And as a result I have come to understand that God's Kingdom does not look like earthly kingdoms-it is far more simple. It exists in the incredible strength of flowers blooming and pushing out of the ground after a brutal winter, and in the sun setting on the Selkirk mountains creating an alpenglow in its wake. It is clearly evidenced in a young athletes smile as he scores his first touchdown or in the look of satisfaction on players faces when they understand that they have accomplished something difficult. It does not exist in statues and trophies that fade in their glory, but in the glow of hearts that appreciate the simple joy, hope and love of life. Focus on the simple, it is much richer.

Mahalo!

The Coach

2013-01-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

An interesting demographic has developed here in the United States and has been noticed by pollsters. According to numerous polls regarding American spiritual values there is a rising group of people who are now called the "nones." This group is people who, when asked about religious affiliation, have put a check in the box labeled none. Some polls have this group at 23% of Americans and it is even higher for those aged 17-35. As I was driving home yesterday I was listening to National Public Radio (NPR) and on the program "All Things Considered" there was an interesting piece where they were interviewing six people who identified themselves as a none.
What struck me was that most of these people had faith backgrounds, Jewish, Protestant, Catholic etc. and yet all were struggling with believing in the existence of a God. Some continued to practice the religious tenets of their faith and others had stopped going to church or synagogue altogether. While they all had come to the conclusion that there was not a God they all seemed to understand that that conclusion held deeply disturbing results such as the" loss of meaning for life" and immersion into a world of chaotic values with no foundation. In fact one of the interviewees said "I don't believe in God but I deeply wish that I did."

One of the consistent themes that was expressed by these people was their disappointment in God that had created a loss of faith. In story after story they explained how in times of trouble God did not answer their prayers, allowing friends or family members to die or suffer through cancer or economic collapse or other maladies. The question was raised as to if God did not care to intervene and allows for evil and bad things to happen to us, then does he really exist.
This issue of evil in the world and why does God allow bad things to happen to good people is not a new one and has been addressed by people more learned than myself throughout the centuries. But I have to admit that as I was driving and listening I thought about my predicaments over the years and thought "yeah God how come you haven't intervened and made me a millionaire or at least helped me to find a great job?" I was reminded of the scene in the movie Amadeus (1984) when Mozart's mentor, Antonio Salieri played by F. Murray Abraham in his Oscar winning role for best actor, cries out to God wondering why he chose to give all of this talent to Mozart who cared little about pleasing or serving God and lived for the vices of the world. Salieri struggled to understand why God would not bless him when all he wanted to do was to serve God through his musical abilities and yet seemingly wasted his gifts on someone who did not even appreciate them. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086879/

F.Murray Abraham as Salieri Courtesy of Orien Pictures

I have to admit that I often wonder the same things at times when I see the ultra rich having disdain for the poor and disregarding justice and think why are they so blessed? And then obviously the next question is why not me... because it always comes back to me...right? This morning though I had my eyes opened a little bit as I was spending time reading and praying and God asked me what would I do as a coach? When my players were hurting in practice and looked as if they could go no more, would I just cancel the rest of practice and give them some cookies and milk?
It was then that I saw some connections. Of course I wouldn't, we may take a quick breather, get some water, but then it would be back to practice because we need to push on to accomplish what is set before us so that we are prepared for our test-which in sport is our match or game. But in life those tests are more demanding.

As a coach I will give whatever comfort and encouragement I am able to, but I also understand that to stop is to fail because we will not be ready for what the opposition throws at us. To allow my players to not properly execute in drills and use correct technique is not helping them, it is doing them a disservice. Am I then an uncaring and indifferent coach? No! I care, that is why I teach them properly and push them to work through tough times when their body is screaming in pain and their mind is fuzzy with concepts. I know what types of tests they will face ahead of them because I have scouted the other teams through countless hours of film and personnel study. I know what they will be facing on the field and off.

So often we accuse God of being that uncaring, distant observer who didn't do what we thought he should-cancel practice when things got tough or even do the drills for us. As far as my and Salieri's concerns about what about this other guy? I remember in high school seeing guys I knew driving home after school from the parking lot in nice cars with their beautiful girlfriends as I was walking out toward the football field for practice. There were times when I wished I could trade places and not have to go pound my body. But what I was called and driven to do was not what they were. It was not fair to compare our lives because I had made a commitment to be a member of our football team at Winston Churchill High School and as such I had a responsibility to my teammates and our coaches to give all I had to them. It was a different path that I chose from my other friends and it was unfair to compare them. My job was to focus on my responsibilities and the ultimate outcome was to grow close to 50 or so guys who fought for a State Championship and succeeded in that endeavor. Was it difficult? Yes! Was it worth it? Yes! And not just for the State Championship but for the opportunity to spend time with men like Coach Floyd Halvorsen, Eric Krueger, Brad Fennel, Mike Lighty, Jamie Peterson, Jason Metz, Steve Littlejohn, Tom McGlasson, David Hill, Dan Cook, Kirk Brackenbush, Marty Louthan, Rick Geyer, Mark Lamb, Ricky Jennings and so many more who all contributed to our success.

What I learned that season and have continued to learn is that God's desire is not for us to prosper in the ways and eyes of the world, but to make us more like him. To create the ability in us to handle the desert as if it is the mountaintop. To have grace under pressure and to take life in stride and deal with each setback and struggle with knowledge that we are not alone. Our coach is on the field with us preparing and encouraging us. Will we always win the tests and enjoy the critiques that the coach has for us? No, but that is not the ultimate goal. We are the goal, our maturation and development into compassionate, loving people who do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God. (Micah 6:8).
"In the world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) God knows the schedule, understands our opponents and knows what we need to do to overcome and be successful not in the measures of the world , but in the eyes of the one who loves us beyond measure. Peace.

Pivotal Moments

2012-12-14T15:24:00.004-08:00

A friend today posted on Facebook that "hopefully today will be a pivotal moment in our nations history." What are those pivotal moments? Often they are the times when we remember hearing about tragedies or news events that catch us off guard and we remember those moments as they are captured in our mind's eye by the media. The assassination's of JFK and Martin Luther King Jr., Neil Armstrong's first moon walk, The Challenger Space Shuttle disaster, Columbine, 9/11, and the Obama inauguration crowds are all images that convey meaning and will never be erased from my mind. I am sure there are others that may impact you and are seared on our collective memories.

Today I was once again glued to the television and watching in horror a sight which has become all too common in America, the scene of a school in lockdown because of a shooting. This was the pivotal moment that my friend referenced because this was no high school like Columbine or University like Virginia Tech where students entered buildings with weapons and enacted whatever strange brand of vengeance that they deemed appropriate. While details are still being worked out we do know that this was a K-4 elementary school where 20 children between the ages of 5-7 years old had their lives ended as well as 6 staff members, and the gunman who was in his 20's and his mother who volunteered throughout the community. For whatever reason the shooter chose to shoot children in a first grade classroom. For me this hits close to home as my son is a first grader.
The other roughly 580 students who escaped have also suffered harm as they will have to deal with the loss of friends and beloved teachers who they will have looked up to. I found out about the tragedy on Facebook as I have a friend who lives in Newtown, Connecticut just 3 miles from the school and has children in the school district, fortunately at another school. They are safe. For that I am so grateful. Coincidentally, I found out on Facebook that I had another friend earlier this week who was ushered to safety from Nordstrom's at the Clackamas Town Center in Portland, Oregon, by undercover security where another twenty some year old man decided to open fire on shoppers with an assault weapon.

My thoughts and prayers of thankfulness for my friends safety is tempered by the realization that others do not have that consolation. They lost friends and family members to these shootings. Having friends nearby makes it real for me but not as real as if I had lost someone. Today's shooting also hit home as I have many friends who are teachers, those so often on the front lines of these attacks, and I appreciate greatly their willingness to heroically stand to protect our children while also trying to educate them. It amazes me that they continue to do so while being humiliated with salary cuts and demands from the public which are unrealistic and demeaning of the education and dedication that they show.

Primarily however, I thought of my son and daughters who are in school today and I could not imagine having to rush to a school to see if they were safe in the wake of an attack only to find out, as twenty sets of parents did today, that the dreams I had for them had been extinguished. What anguish! It is unimaginable.
To realize that these children who, like mine, were looking forward to winter break and time with family and friends hit home. First graders, who had just finished their first fall of school as "big kids" and whose cares were about potential snow falling for sledding opportunities or vacation trips to see Grandma and Grandpa or about what Santa would be bringing them in the coming weeks. These are the victims. These are the sacrifices we make as a country for gun rights. Collateral damage. I know that my friends who are pro guns would point out that "guns don't kill, people do." Yes that is a lovely, trite saying, that I could never imagine trying to voice to a grieving parent. I know that if someone tried to console me with that in the wake of a tragedy like this where my child had been shot and killed my response would be to explain, without words, that hands do not kill, people do!

The reality is that every year in this country approximately 11,000 Americans die from gun violence. In other civilized countries including Great Britain, Japan, South Korea, Finland, France , and Switzerland those numbers are usually about 10-60 per year. In America we have more people killed with guns in one week, over 200, than they do in a year. For many of them we have more killed in one day, 30, than they do in a year. Do we have a gun problem? Yes. Having lived in so many countries around the world and traveled to many more I have to say that American attitudes towards guns seems unreasonable and contributes to the violence that we see daily on our cities streets and all too often in our malls, places of worship and schools. The Michigan legislature, in the wake of the Clackamas killings, enacted legislation last night to allow concealed weapons in church's, schools, and day cares. We confront these acts of violence with a response which arms more of us. Somehow a policy of personal deterrence does not make sense to me. I hope my friend is right and that this is a pivotal moment for our country, I only hope that we have the humility to look to the rest of the world for answers.

Vicki Soto 1st grade teacher from Sandy Hook who shielded her students from the gunman and became a victim and a Hero

I also hope that our response will be based upon other motivations than fear. The pivotal moments in life both communal and personal always bring about feelings of fear and insecurity. What will happen next? What can I do? Where do we go from here? What is safe? These are questions that confront us whenever we reach a pivotal moment whether it be a cancer diagnosis, a loss of a loved one or a job, or a national tragedy. And yet we need to remember the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt who told our country in his first inaugural address that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

So how do we overcome fear? With love. John tells us that "there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear." (1 John 4:18) This may seem like a simplistic answer, but there is nothing simple about it. Love is difficult, especially in the face of the type of pain we face with events such as today's. However, as hard as it may seem, the truth exists that only in love can fear be conquered. So what do we need to do? We need to hold strong to the one who loves us. In God Calling, the two listeners hear God telling them "you must not allow fear to enter, Talk to Me, Think of Me. Talk of Me. Love Me. And that sense of My Power will so possess you that no fear can possess your mind. Be strong in this My Love."
We need to cling to love and we need to comfort those who are fearful and brokenhearted with that love. How can we overcome the violence of our society? By rejecting fear and developing more loving communities. While Facebook has kept me abreast of what is happening in my friends lives I know that I need to be more available, not virtually, but incarnately,or in the flesh to those around me. We may need to change the way we cocoon ourselves in our devices and technology and walk over to a friends house to sit with them and share lives together. I believe that part of our issues even with violence stem from our disconnected nature in our society. We don't feel loved and rarely express our own love in tangible ways to others. So maybe this week we disconnect and honor these children by committing to live and love and play and expel the fears that want to control us.

I ask you to think of the exuberance of one of those children and allow it to drive you to do one act of kindness or love for someone each day this week. Will you pledge to do that? Please join me. If we do that we may be able to bring good from a tragic moment and maybe one act by one act create the pivotal moment that is needed in our culture. Not through legislation, not through empty words, but through loving acts.

The Hope of Suffering

2012-12-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

"Wow, you remind me of Job" a friend recently told me over a beer at a local pub. He was referring to the spate of "suffering" that I have experienced over the last 4 years including bankruptcy, periods of unemployment, losing my house, divorce, and 3 surgeries in the last year for cancer and wrist reconstruction which have led to more periods of underemployment and a sense of being in a holding pattern for life. While I claim no comparison to the fates that Job faced or even the intense suffering that many of my friends are currently experiencing I must admit that I find myself wondering "why" often? Why did I not get that job ? I was perfectly qualified and it would be a great fit. Why did I get cancer? Why did the ladder fail and the wrist not heal properly? Why can't I find someone to love me? Why did someone treat me like that ? Many questions arise and the outward circumstances of suffering press on us from all sides.

Vincent Van Gough

Add to that the inward suffering from depression which has been a constant companion for me for many years and at times it is hard to find reasons to get out of bed. This all can make life a struggle one which many people can relate to and yet which many more somehow cannot. Many friends exhort me to "just be thankful," to "be joyful," and to "look on the bright side." All wonderful sentiments and yet nearly impossible at times due to the enormity of the darkness that can come with bouts of depression.
Two experiences this weekend touched me in regards to this struggle, the first is the tragedy of Jovan Belcher, the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker, who killed his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins and then drove to the teams practice facilities, thanked his coach Romeo Crennell and General Manager Scott Pioli for all they had done for him before shooting himself in front of them. This is disturbing in many ways and has obviously attracted the medias attention for its macabre details. I at first wondered if it involved issues of head trauma as this action is so far from what would be expected from this young man, who from all accounts was a model citizen and a wonderful friend and teammate. Then I realized that whether he suffered from head trauma issues is really not the issue at this time and my thoughts went to a realization of how much pain he must have been in to commit theses atrocious acts. And in my mind I acknowledged that "there but by the grace of God go I."

I am not saying that what he did is excusable in any way, I am just trying to understand what type of suffering he had to be in for someone so young, intelligent and successful to have made such horrible choices. We will never know. Once again we are reminded that money, prestige, and power are not solutions for suffering, they are only a panacea. But what about the issue of suffering? Is there a light at the end of the tunnel or is it really the dark comedic train headlight coming at us? People often tell me that "when God closes a door he opens a window." My cynical thoughts quickly go to, but what if that window is on the fourth floor?
So the question I was left to struggle with was, is there some hope or purpose in suffering? It is an important question, not just for me, but for all of us because suffering is a human condition, none of us are immune from it and yet some seem to navigate it better, and others seem to get more than their fair share of it. I have tried, as James admonishes, to "consider it pure joy, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1: 2-4) And yet I seem to be far from perfect and complete and find it hard to be consider it pure joy when trouble comes. I try to remember that Jesus explained that "you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy." And yet I struggle because in my sitcom and TV drama worldview this joy should be here already. After all, on those shows issues are always resolved within a half hour, or hour at the most . . . ok, sometimes I have to wait one week for an episode "to be continued" but then everything is worked out and all is well. So why am I still stuck four years out? Most Television series have ended their run within that time. Unfortunately God's time frame is not the same as what I have been conditioned to by our culture. So how does this joy come?

That answer came from my second experience this weekend. Last night I went to church and our pastor had us write our fears on a stone and create an altar at the front of the church where we could leave the stone and give those fears to God. I left mine with my fears of rejection, failure and abandonment, hoping that God would be big enough to handle them. Then this morning I was reading in a wonderful book called God Calling, which a dear friend gave to me this fall, and I read something that took my breath away. "There comes a joy known to those who suffer with me. But that is not the result of the suffering, but the result of the close intimacy with Me, to which suffering drove you."
It struck me that I had been looking for the suffering to produce the promised joy but that is not the case. Suffering is just that-suffering- and will continue to be suffering unless we allow it to drive us to where it is intended. It is like a powerful wave that we can fight and thrash against-in vain- resulting in more suffering. Or we can ride that wave to the intimacy that it intends for us in Christ. That intimacy is where we will find joy. The suffering itself holds no possibility of joy, it is only a tool to be used in the development of our character.

So to what do we cling? To suffering? No, to Jesus. I have to admit that clinging to suffering is at times easy because it is strangely comfortable. It is at times like sitting outside the line of breaking waves knowing that at some point there will be a large wave that will crash and drive me but a safe place for the moment and a reprise from the inevitable scary ride back to the shore. That ride may be fraught with more whitewash from the wave tossing and thrashing us around to a point where we don't know which way is up or down and we panic and create situations such as the one where Jovan Belcher found himself. So why do we fight the waves? Because to trust the wave of suffering to drive us to intimacy with God is to give up control. It is an act of halting in our fight for control and to allow God to direct us, which is scary. Many times I would rather fight and try to swim against the current and at least feel like I am in control, and I can have success at times in calmer waters, but there is no hope and no joy there. There is only more suffering and at times deeper waters and deeper suffering. I have to accept the intimacy of God to allow him to know me, with all of my failures and foibles and trust that he can love me just as I am. That is the challenge. My fears have caused me great suffering and I needed to cast them away with the stone. I need to know intimacy with God and others, something I am not good at. In order to do that I need to get on the wave with God and allow him to direct me through the waves of suffering. I need to ride the wave with him to shore and experience the joy of intimacy. Life has its struggles and yet it is not about those and waiting for more to come. It is about feeling the lick of bitter saltwater on your tongue from the spray of those struggles, the wind blowing across your body and the warmth of the sun on your face as we move a midst great power and wonders with grace and abandonment of fear.

Chicken Coops and Championships!

2012-07-07T03:52:00.003-07:00

We have an old saying in coaching that, "you can't make chicken soup from chicken crap" and that alludes to the fact that it takes talent to win games and be successful. I agree with that sentiment and yet this week find myself literally embedded in the analogy. Not in the sense of not having talent to win because we do have talent here at the Gladiators and have proven to be successful in reaching the teams third consecutive Swiss Bowl. The Swiss Bowl pits the two top teams in Switzerland in National Championship title match that is the Swiss version of the Super Bowl although slightly less Super!

Today we have the opportunity to take on arguably the best team in Europe in the Calanda Broncos, a team that has been assembled for the express purpose of winning a Eurobowl Championship. They are immensely talented and boast imported players from all over the world. They have been the nemesis of the Gladiators for the last two Swiss Bowls as well so there is a history renewed tonight at Rahnkof Stadium in Basel.
While it is incredibly exciting to be playing for another national championship which makes my fourth one in three different countries now in Europe at the senior level, I was struck once again by the differences in American football here. That is where the said Chicken coop and its by-products comes into play. While in the U.S. any National Championship in American football brings with it enormous media pressure, and a strong sense of achievement, here in Switzerland to say that that sense is missing is a bit of an understatement. While at home I would be enmeshed in studying film, dealing with practice schedules and balancing the extra pressures of a National title game, here it is business as usual which means cleaning chicken coops.

Yes the glamour of a national title game here calls for the defensive coordinator to clean chicken coops along with other various tasks. You see besides preparing for the game through studying film and game planning coaches don't make what they would make in the U.S. so we do what we can to scrape by. In many ways it is a tent-making process as the apostle Paul explained. During the day I do odd jobs to make some money and this week included cleaning out an old hen house which has been vacated by its previous tenants. Hence much shoveling, scrubbing, and washing down of the entire building was needed and that was the glamour of championship week. Don't get me wrong it was actually a good task in that I was able to accomplish something and look at the final product and see a clean building.

That does not mean that the smell was completely wonderful even after the washing down with a pressure washer, those who have raised chickens will understand what I mean about the olfactory sensations of a hen house even after it has been cleaned, but it was better. It also was a great illustration for me in understanding that success is not always what we envision it as being glory filled and exciting. There is much hard work that has to precede the eventual success and if the work is not put in then there will be no success.

Our players have spent their own time cleaning out the chicken coops of the season through hard work dedication and determination. We started out very slowly losing our first 2 league games and yet were able to bounce back and make the playoffs and beat a very good Zurich renegade team last week in the semifinals 15-13, holding onto the narrow victory through the miss of a field goal by the Renegades on their last drive with seconds left in the game. It was not a pretty victory but it enabled us to advance to the final today. It was another picture of a clean chicken coop, it still smelled a bit like chicken poop but it looked better than it had earlier in the season.

As far as the fame and glory, that is also something that is not huge for the sport here. Most people I know don't even know this championship game is being played here in Basel today. Will there be a huge crowd, probably not, but it will be a decent following that will hopefully see a game that will further peoples appreciation for the sport here in central Europe. So today the question for us is whether we have enough strength and character to overcome a great Broncos team in a final that pits us against them for the third time this season. I know this, our players will play hard and give it their best shot whether it smells a bit of chicken poop or not at times. The thing I am most proud of with this group of men is the way they have handled adversity this season and have remained focused on getting here to this Swiss Bowl when most people had written them off. We are hoping for a great batch of chicken soup today because we have the right ingredients.

Blessings,

Jim

Gods in Stripes

2012-04-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

Heading to Chur In the Swiss Alps

Tomorrow I have the opportunity to do something I have never done in over 25 years of coaching, watch a game from the stands of a team I am coaching. Yes, I have the ignominious distinction of being suspended for one game by the Swiss Football Federation after being ejected from last weeks game. Many of you are probably saying, it's about time . . . especially my friends who have refereed games that I have coached. I admit I can be more than passionate on the sidelines and protective of my players.

The Universal Sign!

Last weekend was no different.Against the Winterthur Warriors one of my players was ejected after being hit after the whistle standing near the pile and as he backed up slapped the opposing player on the face mask to push him back and create space. Both players recovered and patted each other on the back realizing that both incidents were not intentional or in anger. As they were walking away the official behind them threw his flag and then the head official motioned that our player had been kicked out of the game. I heard later that both players were ejected but I am still not sure of that fact as I never got an explanation. I do know that between the junior game before ours and our game this official ejected 5 people for sure and if the Warrior player was also ejected that would make 6. I am sure that must be an American football record regardless of which number you use.
In my case I walked onto the field to try to get the Head officials attention and asked him to come and explain why my player had been ejected. In the USA this is common protocol. If there is a controversial call or an ejection the officials will come to the sideline to explain to the coaches what is going on thereby alleviating the inevitable yelling from the coaches for an explanation. In Europe that is not the case. In fact here in Switzerland the head of officials has reportedly instructed his charges that they are" gods with stripes on!"

Discussing strategy with Graham

Well my god on the field that day threw a flag on me for being on the field. I accepted that and told him, "Ok so you have had your fun and thrown the flag, now would you please come and talk to me, that's all I am asking!" At this point he gave me the big thumb and ejected me from the game. In all honesty I had not used a swear word during the altercation nor denigrated his mother in any way, I simply asked for an opportunity to know what they had seen that I hadn't that warranted an ejection of my player. As coaches sometimes we need to know these things so that I can discipline a player. In fact just moments before I had benched one of our players who had been too mouthy and was threatened by the officials. So it is not always my defending my players, I know they do and say dumb things at times but I need to know that and that is where as a coach I want to be able to work with the officials.

In the hail at Winterthur

However, when the official will not work with me then I become pissy! When they act like the game is about them I become furious. When this God with stripes on ejected me the gloves were off and I admit freely that I used every word in my vocabulary in multiple languages to express my displeasure with him as I left the field.
I am not proud of that and understand that it is a flaw in my character that allows me to become so immersed in a game that I lose my temper. As a Christian coach and someone who talks of character building to his players it is my Achilles tendon, my weakness. I feel so horrible after the encounter and it affects me for days later. I feel like a total failure and a fraud. It is hard even now to write about this here a week later, but unfortunately it is part of my coaching persona that I need to continually work on and harness. I have to ask forgiveness from God, my fellow coaches and my players and I usually try to apologize to the officials as well.

Gladiators on D

Reflecting on it this week, I have had many reactions internally. One is understanding that I am not the only coach who experiences this phenomenon and I dare say I am not the worst I have been around either. I have been on the sidelines when coaches have berated the officials so badly that if they were a wall the paint would have melted off. I also realized that this reaction is not with every official, there are some I really enjoy working with and have great respect for, even if they do throw the occasional flag on me for getting out of order . . . you know who you are! LOL! I also realized how different things are here in Europe in regards to officials and coaches.
For those of you who have not had the opportunity to see an American football game here across the pond I will try to elaborate on some of those differences. Please understand though that each official is unique and there are some I have run across in the US who may feel more at home in Europe.

Biel Jets vs. Basel Gladiators coin flip

The first thing to understand is that in the US there is continual interaction between coaches and officials during the game incuding joking, banter, and at times heated discussions. Officials there understand that they are there to not be noticed. Their responsibility is to make sure the game is played safely and that it is played fairly. The reality that everyone realizes is that, even at the NFL level, if they wanted to referees could probably call a penalty on every play, but that would be counterproductive to the game and the experience for the fans and players. So it is understood that infractions are called to keep the game under control and if a foul impacts the outcome of the play. For instance if an o-lineman holds slightly on the opposite side of the field on a player who will never make a play on the ball carrier it is best to let it go unless it endangered that players health. Conversely if the holding occurred at the point of attack it clearly has an impact on the defensive players ability to make a play and needs to be called.

Gladiators Purple Haze D

Here in Europe, things are different. Because of the influence of soccer on the mentality here the referee is viewed as god, all knowing, all seeing, and all powerful. Managers and coaches must be seen on the sidelines but not heard from as good obedient children. Above all they must never question an officials decision because that would be tantamount to heresy. After all who are we to question the ruling of god, even if we know the rules better . . . oops did I say that? Watch out for the lightning strike!

Love officials who will talk.

The problem is that officials don't understand that what they see needs to be communicated to the sidelines for our digestion and use in correction of players. When officials take the time to come over and explain something briefly it is much easier to deal with. I can understand what they saw and perceive as the penalty. I may not agree all of the time but their attempt to treat me as a human being and not just a pawn in their game makes a difference. We have a saying back home, "if you want respect you must give it!" The officials here demand respect but seem unwilling to give any back.

Wondering what the call was?

The other quirk of American football in Europe is that the officials, being gods, seem to think that the fans come to see them throw yellow laundry on the field and that part of their duty is to make sure that games are even. I have no other explanation for the fact that the best teams in Europe are usually the most penalized. In Finland the top four teams are always the ones with the highest penalty yardage, that is a rarity in the sport in the US. When there are over 200 yards of penalties on a winning team, which occurs regularly, something strange is happening. This draws out games, negates exciting plays and in general confuses and turns off the fans. I have heard more than one coach in Europe comment that the thing holding back the game from a popularity perspective is the referees and their propensity for throwing flags. Our referees last week found a solution to that however as they just shortened the game on their own volition after flagging us for over 200 yards.

At exactly two hours after the game started they blew the final whistle and since they did not allow the time to be displayed on the scoreboard but kept it on the field they were able to do so. Each team had only 37 offensive plays for the game, whereas we are usually running 56-60 plays per game. My best guess is that they had an important barbeque to get to and being gods could determine what was best for the game. Unfortunately, we were trying to get young players into the game for experience and they got shortchanged, but I guess that is better for the game, right? Who am I to question? Well at the time I couldn't anyway because I was already watching from the stands . . . where I will be again this week as our team faces the #2 ranked team in Europe, the Calanda Broncos. Pass the popcorn so I can watch the yellow hankies!

Enjoy the view from the stands coach!

Pain

2012-04-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

"Pain"

Les pains

This word in French le pain means "bread," the sustenance of life, a basic staple. it is served at no cost in French restaurants. In English it is much different as it refers to discomfort, hurt and suffering. And yet this also can be a basic staple of life. It is also served freely and often in our life experiences. In fact, this thought has been with me throughout the Lenten season that has just concluded. Part of it has been due to a sermon by my pastor, Scott Herr, at The American Church in Paris at the beginning of Lent. He spoke from Mark 8:31-38 where Jesus rebukes Peter and then tells the disciples that 'if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

Statue at the Kuntsmuseum in Basel

The Spire at the American Church In Paris!

Scott elaborated that three time Mark repeats Jesus' prediction of the cross and his death and this in just 16 short chapters, so it must have been important for him! He also commented that Jesus didn't say "I am taking up my cross and I will follow the way of pain and suffering" but that we are to take up our cross and follow him. We are to partake in the suffering of the crucified Christ. This is not really a message that we like to hear in the western world. We avoid pain, the suffering kind, not the bread, because frankly . . . it hurts! And yet here is Jesus telling us, this is normal. We are to experience the life of Chris,t and that includes the suffering and painful parts. Clearly picking up the cross meant following the way of death, it meant pain.
I have understood this in part through my faith journey and yet this year the clear call to pain became more indelibly imprinted upon my heart. You see I like to try to navigate life as painlessly as possible, not that I have been successful, but I want to deal with the pain on my terms. However, this message pointed out how that is not the way, this verse clearly illustrates that the suffering is on God's terms not ours. We are to pick up the cross and come after Jesus, follow him with those burdens. His way, not mine, ouch! And yet through the lent season as I have contemplated this message many times I also realized that the pain is the only way to realize the resurrection, the hope of new life. It is through the pain that God works on our hearts and heals us. It is through the agony that Jesus is revealed and developed in our character and lives.

I have to be honest, I don't like pain! I have tried to convince God of this but he seems to have a different agenda.
The last year few years have been filled with much pain for me and I have often wondered "when will it end?" Bankruptcy, divorce, separation for vast amounts of time from my kids, periods of homelessness and loneliness, cancer, broken bones, surgeries, broken relationships, moving from one job to another- not by my choice. In fact, the day after I had heard this message and began to come to terms with the reality that pain needs to be befriended as it may be a constant companion, I found out about a secret team meeting to discuss my future with the Flash. Through the next couple of weeks as I questioned management and others about what was going on, I experienced even more pain as I was lied to repeatedly and eventually released by the club after losing two games by a total of 10 points even though our defense proved very stout in those defeats. Personally it was a very painful process as I felt unjustly blamed for what was going on with the team and believed we were on the cusp of turning things around.

Flash friends

As I have had a chance to reflect on the pain of that situation I also realize how petty my sufferings were in relation to the blame that Christ took on himself on the cross. Did it and does it still hurt? Yes! To feel like a failure is never a fun experience and yet even in this there has been rebirth. I was offered a position with the Basel Gladiators in Switzerland within 4 hours of my being fired by the Flash. I took that position as the defensive coordinator and am now enjoying the fresh air and beauty of Switzerland as opposed to the sirens, mean streets, and poverty of Paris. I have to admit that like the disciples I was afraid and ashamed after some of the painful experiences of the past few years. I have struggled with bitterness. And yet just as he did with the disciples after the resurrection, Jesus come after me and called me back to him repeatedly. To follow again, to love and pray for my enemies, to forgive and see them through the eyes of Christ. To refocus on what he called me to do. To love people for Christ through the avenue of sport. To bring hope through sport and play to those without hope. I thought it would be in Paris and yet God had different plans for this year.

Paris

So I am now a Gladiator!

The team is a breath of fresh air in that practice attendance is amazing and guys are punctual and willing to learn and find ways to win together. I miss the players I have left and it feels strange to now be with a third team in less than 12 months. It is a hard adjustment to re-establish a temporary home, discover the nuances of a new culture and try to develop new levels of trust and relationship. I often feel like I am failing and yet need to pick up the cross embrace the pain and follow through joy knowing that God has plans and desires far greater than mine.

I have also come to a realization that I have been asking the wrong question. It is not when the pain will end, because it won't, it is part and parcel of following Christ. Instead I need to focus on discovering what I can learn from the Master, through the pain, as he molds me into what he wants me to be which is a painful experience in and of itself! And yet one which brings about new life and deeper understandings of the love of God! Bless you Flash and Butchers and Let's Go Gladiators!

Jim

Win the Day!

2012-02-25T04:20:00.001-08:00

Win The Day! All credit to this term belongs to Chip Kelly and his staff at the University of Oregon, but it is a term that struck home with me and I have adopted it for my teams. We used it last season in Finland and are emphasizing it here in France this year with the Flash! For me it is a simple reminder that we can not focus on the future but only on today. The only day we can win is today! These three simple words sum up so succinctly many of my personal beliefs on sport and life.
I was reminded of this today during my devotional time as I read Matthew 6: 33-34. This section of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount has always been a powerful section for me. This was one of the first verses that I was challenged to memorize by my Younglife leader Keith Kessler way back in high school in Eugene, Oregon .

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6: 33-34

Offense on the move

Its funny how some lessons you have to re-learn many times. This is one that I have to remind myself of daily. Jesus had just given beautiful illustrations of how God clothes the flowers with beauty and feeds the birds, and reminds us that we are more valuable to God than they are. Then comes these verses where we are admonished to trust and seek God's Kingdom and his righteousness and he will take care of these things. This is not some prosperity gospel message, it is a simple message about living life one day at a time and winning that day. How do we win it? By seeking God's Kingdom and his righteousness. That sounds like a daunting task though, so how do we do it? By not worrying about tomorrow and focusing on today.
So often I get so caught up in tomorrow . . . or many tomorrows ahead that I forget to see what is here in front of me today. I then stumble . . . and fall. Anyone with me? Then I tend to give up because the road ahead looks so daunting.

In my reading today from The American Church in Paris's Lenten devotional, the writer highlights how the book of 1 Samuel is about four great men of God, Eli, Samuel, Saul and David all with flaws. Flawed family men and fathers, who committed crimes that we we would condemn in today's world with a media frenzy that would force them from any leadership position in the modern world. Yet God told Samuel:

"Do not look at his appearance or his height for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7

These men stumbled greatly but God saw their hearts and saw that they tried to seek him and his kingdom and righteousness and used them to change their world and save their people. God looks at our hearts and not at our stumbling bumbling actions. As I look too far forward and trip, he reminds me to "Win the Day." To stop looking so far forward and get back up and focus on this moment, on the next step I need to take, on the next move for today!

Samyr making halftime adjustments

Today is a good day because it is a game day. It is easy to focus on an opponent who is clearly defined . Today we play the Spartiates from Amiens and though we don't know what they will bring to our stadium, as they have not played a game yet this season, we can focus on them as they enter our field and home turf. Winning and losing the day on game day is clearly defined in many ways. As a football team one of our primary goals is to win games so we will know how that comes out when the final whistle blows. But as a coach I know there is far more to today than the lights on the scoreboard. Winning the day will also be measured through how we play both technically and as a group of men. Did we play with class and respect for the game and one another? Did we play every play with the same intensity and purpose. Did we become better football players and men today. Did we learn how to love and serve one another through doing our job? These questions for me are far more important because those lessons are the ones that will impact those around us. Will we continue to pick ourselves up when we fail in life and take the next step forward. When we face marital strife, rebellious children, serious illness, financial trouble, injustice and many other realities of life will we take the next step forward and dedicate ourselves to Win the Day? Not focusing on tomorrow but only on today because we can not control tomorrow. Only today!

vs. Molosses

The non-game days are more challenging. The opponent is not as clearly defined. One of the things I have loved with the Flash has been coming to practice and as I walk on the practice field seeing guys working hard . . . before practice starts. DB's doing cone drills and working on breaks. linebackers working on reads and footwork, receivers working on ball catching drills and many other examples. These guys are winning the day! They are putting in extra work to make themselves better, it warms my heart! But I also know that sometimes these same players see others who stroll into practice late and do drills during practice at half speed and get so frustrated. I understand that frustration because I share it. I want to win a Eurobowl Championship this season.

However, I have realized that I can not focus on that goal because there are too many stumbling blocks in front of me before we get there. I have to focus on today and what I can control. Did I do everything in my power to make myself better and to encourage those around me today? If I did, I won the day and tomorrow I start again and must work to win that day. I believe that if we continue to win those days together then we will win the days ahead. But if we focus on tomorrow, today will slip by and we will not have won it and will be unprepared for the next day! What some of our players have not seen is the slow growth in turning things around. There are more players coming earlier, there is more focus and openness to new ideas from a few guys. Those are significant changes that I do see. Yes, it is hard to face the ones who have not made the switch yet, but patience and living for today will make those changes, not worrying about the future.

Mac and Jim Shelly

For me I need to seek God's kingdom and righteousness, accept his gifts that sustain me and trust him that he knows what I will face tomorrow and prepare me for that time by helping me to Win the Day! Go Flash!

The Fire that caused us to lose practice time last week!

From Suomi to France

2012-02-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

Well here it is, 15 hours and counting to a new journey as I start this new season in a new city in a new country and in a new league with my new team. Thank God it is the same old game. After two wonderful years in Porvoo coaching the Butchers I have moved on to Paris, France where I am now the Head Coach for the Flash de La Courneuve. The parting in Finland is bittersweet in that I made so many wonderful friends and wish that I had the opportunity to finish what I felt we had begun. However life sometimes gets in the way of plans and the reality for the Butchers was that financial issues restricted their ability to resign me as the head coach. I wish all the players and management there my best and hope they know I will always hold Porvoo and the Butchers fondly in my heart!

Porvoo Butchers

But now I have a new adventure one that I never imagined six months ago or even two for that matter. When it became clear that the Butchers would not have the financial resources this season for me to come back they told me to look for other opportunities. I did and the Flash came calling. Cam Olson who led the Flash last season to the French National Championship called and in November he hired me as the Defensive Coordinator a position I was ready to attack. In Late December I learned that The Flash had released Cam and asked me if I wanted the position of Head Coach. In all honesty the firing left me stunned and I was unsure about what to do. I spoke with Cam who was more gracious than i probably ever could be and he encouraged me to think about it but to take the position because he wanted the team to continue on the path he had established. I decided to do it and I don't know if what I am doing is following in the paths that Cam blazed or not. Sometimes I am at a loss to understand what I have gotten myself into? However, I do want to see these men succeed and am trying to lead in the only way I know how . . . with a servant's heart!

Helmet Montage by Cameron Olson

I hope that this season The Flash and I will continue to blaze new paths as well on our way to a European Championship and that Cam's faith in me will be realized. But as I told the team that will only happen if we take each day and dedicate ourselves to winning that day. It is the only one we can control and live in now! So that is our focus! I often wonder what kind of an idiot I am to keep taking over teams that are defending National Champions. There is only ever one way to go . . . down! But I keep doing it. Why? Because there is more to football and life than just winning games. There is winning the day, winning with class, winning at life! And that is my goal to teach those things and when we are successful then we will have done more than just light up a scoreboard.

Flash Unit by Cameron Olson

I am truly excited to be a member of the Flash. The mission of this team dovetails nicely with where my heart is. I have wanted to use sport and play to bring hope to kids and families in impoverished places around the world. Through A Champions Heart, we have done that to an extent. But the Flash have been doing it since 1984 here in La Courneuve. For those unfamiliar to this area of France let me introduce you to my new home. La Courneuve is in one of the highest crime, highest poverty, high minority sections of France. It is known as the Neuf Trois and is infamous for being one of the roughest areas of France. For those of you in the U.S. think of the South Side of Chicago, Harlem or East LA. The Flash have dedicated themselves to providing opportunities for young men from this region to have something to fill their time with besides, drugs, gangs or crime. We have three levels of junior teams all with over 60 kids in each respective team. We have 2 adult teams a D-3 team and the Elite team and also participate in a flag football league as well. Almost all of the players on the elite team have come through these junior programs. So we have players who have been playing in the Flash organization for 15 or 20 years. Many of these home grown players were good enough that they had the opportunity to play professionally in the NFL Europe. In addition the Flash are now starting a new program whereby they are helping to sponsor five junior players a year to have the opportunity to study for a year in the United States on a foreign exchange program. They will be able to go to high school, improve their English and play football. If any of you out there would be interested in hosting a Flash junior please contact me and I will pass on your information to our wonderful intern who is handling all the complex issues involved in this type of program.

Paris at Night

So for me to join the Flash is a dream come true. We are seeing young men changed and the Flash provide a beacon of hope in some dark neighborhoods with their continued success. It has been an adjustment for me though, one I am continually struggling with. The language is a challenge. As opposed to Finland where most of our players spoke very good English that is not the case here. Translation is constantly needed and my assistant coaches who are French are amazing at helping with that. They are also amazing coaches in their own right and I am so blessed to have them. Being a minority in terms of race is also a very different situation than what I am used to. Don't get me wrong, the players, coaches and community have been more than welcoming but at times you do think . . . "one of these things is not like the others . . . and it is me!" Probably more my perception and self awareness than anything else but still it sits in the back of your mind. also finding space to think and reflect. I am an outdoors type of person and it was so nice in a small town of 40,000 people like in Porvoo to escape to the woods on a run. In a city of 12 million people that becomes a bit more of a challenge. I have found some wonderful parks though, such as Georges Valbon in La Courneuve to escape and formulate my thoughts.

Georges Valbon Parc

So while I struggle with the newness of my life hear I am also excited. because in less than 14 hours now that familiar whistle will blow and we will be back in familiar territory! We may be in Paris, but we are playing American Football and we are seeing men grapple with success, failure, frustration and joy and come out better for the struggle! Blessings to all of you and thanks for your friendship, support and challenges in my life.

Jim

Sad Endings

2011-11-09T12:23:00.000-08:00

This has been a difficult week for those of us who are football fans and especially for those of us who have ties to Penn State University. It has come to this; Joe Paterno will retire amidst the fallout of a scandal. Just weeks after he passed Eddie Robinson as the winningest coach in Major College football history, Paterno will be leaving not because of what he did but due to what he did not do. Not an act of commission, but and act of omission has brought down this idol of ethical behaviour in college sports.
As an alum of Penn State and someone who was on campus when many of the alleged acts were taking place and who has made the acquaintance of all of the major players in the scandal this issue has touched home. Let me say that I am not a Penn State apologist. I love the university and yet as an older Graduate student there I had a different view from many that had grown up wanting to be a Nittany Lion. As such I have an inside perspective that still looks at Penn State from a somewhat detached view. I have never considered naming my kids Nittany or Lion or even Joe. In many ways Penn State was and still is an enigma to me but I feel that having lived and experienced it I do have insights to the community and the athletic department that many are not considering in the talk show hyperbole and feeding frenzy that is taking place. Some of the issues that are troubling people are ones that can only be understood by looking at the unique culture that is Happy Valley and Penn State football. This in no way excuses the behavior of former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, but I hope it will shed light on the situation.

Artist removing Jerry Sandusky from a mural in State College

I have met and talked with Coach Paterno about coaching and helping out with the football program when I was doing my graduate studies. He was gracious in spending time with me on a few occasions and I was impressed by this simple man who lives a simple life in this small town where there is no escaping his celebrity. A modest car and an modest house, which everyone in town knows exactly where it is, befits this man. He is revered because he is one of the people and yet he is not, he is placed on an incredible pedestal in this community.

Jerry Sandusky

Jerry Sandusky was an outstanding coach who had offers to be a head coach at such places as Notre Dame, but remained at PSU in the hopes of becoming the head coach at his alma mater. While he was coaching he started The Second Mile foundation which works with at risk kids. When it became clear that he would not be the successor to Coach Paterno he retired to run The Second Mile full time. It must be recognized that through his leadership The Second Mile raised millions of dollars and had an incredible impact on kids throughout central Pennsylvania. I had the opportunity to take kids from The Second Mile on some ropes courses and do team building exercises, working with Mr. Sandusky an a couple of occasions. The allegations therefore seem so hard to believe for me because I had total respect for Sandusky as his kindness, concern for kids, and warm personality were so far removed from what he is accused of. It has to be understood that, next to Paterno, Sandusky was possibly the most revered man in the community. From a football standpoint the decline of the Penn State program in the early 2000s coincided with his retirement and the locals believed that there was no coincidence in that. Many saw Sandusky as the heart and soul of the program at least on the defensive side.

Second Mile sign in State College

Tim Curley and Joe Paterno

The athletic director, Tim Curley and I also had opportunities to converse about various issues in sport administration and his desire to lead a quality program was evident. Mr. Curley is a State College native, Penn State alum and also one of Paterno and Sandusky's former players. The power dynamics of the relationships between all of these people could easily be seen and Mr. Curley actually talked about the difficulties of those past relational ties on one occasion. The other player in the drama, Mike McQueary was a graduate assistant at the time when I was at Penn State and I had two classes with him. Ironically, one of them was Ethical Issues in Coaching. Mike is a bright student, both on the field and off. We talked a few times but the load he had between football, studies and whatever free time he may have had weighed him down. It has to be remembered that like Curley, McQueary is a local State College product who went to school with Sandusky's kids and was a Penn State quarterback also under the tutelage of both of these men. To see what he saw in 2002 must have shocked him and shake the roots of his foundations of trust. I imagine that it made him question everything he had been raised to believe about Penn State and the men he looked up to.
These are the key players in this drama, other than Mr. Shultz the Vice President who is also indicted for lying to the grand jury, on the Penn State side. On the other side of the scandal are the victims and their families who my heart goes out to. There is no question that they have suffered and we need to pray for them and do everything we can to assist them in their healing process.These are kids who were vulnerable and no one is excusing the alleged behavior.

Beaver Stadium

However, the culture of Penn State also plays a huge role in this drama. As you drive into State College you cannot help but understand what makes this small city tick. From miles away one structure stands out above the community, Beaver Stadium. This monument to Nittany Lion football dwarfs every other building in the area. Seating over 104,000 people it stands on a hill as if it had been transported from outer space. It does not fit into the architectural landscape sitting in the middle of pastureland owned by the University and used primarily for the cows, sheep and horses in the agricultural programs to graze on for most of the year. Those pastures however are transformed on eight fall football weekends when every spare piece of land becomes tailgating central and the animals are moved, making way for the hordes of fans from Pennsylvania and beyond.

State College, PA

State College itself is a community of around 40,000 people which has to deal with 44,000 students who take over the town during the school year. The stadium therefore holds more people than actually live in the town. State College is also very isolated. The closest city is Pittsburgh, sorry Altoona you don't qualify in my estimation, which is 2 1/2 hours away. Baltimore and Washington D.C. are a 3 hour drive, Philadelphia, 4 hours New York City 4 hours and Cleveland about 3 1/2 hours. It is just south of I-80, one of the great dividing lines in Pennsylvania. Locals joke that there are more squirrels than people that live north of I-80 although that is probably a very accurate description. Pennsylvania is also rated as the 5th most rural state in the United States and State College sits in the heart of that rural world. This is not to imply however that it is a community of uneducated country bumpkins which has been portrayed by some media commentators. The school system is top notch and people move their families from around the world to give their kids an opportunity for a great education in the elementary and secondary schools.

Old Main on the Penn State Campus

The university plays a central role in the community. It is the primary provider of not only jobs, but also of entertainment. Almost everyone has some connections to the university and the university dictates what happens in the community. Health and sport clubs struggle in State College because the community has access to the numerous sport and workout facilities on campus. I played basketball during noon everyday in Rec Hall with people from around the community. I also played racquetball regularly with my pastor and others from my church in the courts in the Intramural Building and Rec Hall. The university is the gathering place for people in the community whether it be for sporting events, theater, concerts and other cultural activities. This collision of town and gown is a constant topic of discussion but is a realty that helps understand the unique cultural DNA of this community.

Many in the national media are pointing to the fact that Sandusky was still seen on campus as late as last week using the workout facilities as something that is unfathomable. To anyone in State College and with even the remotest connection to Penn State this is not hard to grasp at all. This is where you go to workout, it is where you go to meet people. To see Sandusky on campus is really not at all strange. People in the community regularly use those facilities as well as the library, the student union, the book store and the Creamery to get ice cream.The university thrives on this interaction. I grew up watching sappy movies about college life at "Good ol' State" and thought it was stereotypical hyperbole that may have existed in the 1930s but was part of our historical past. When I arrived on campus in 2001 I realized that this was "Good ol' State" in the flesh.
From the Homecoming parade, which takes 3 hours to watch with float, alumni groups and incredible amounts of candy thrown out to kids and which ends in a bonfire, to pep rallies in Rec Hall where Coach Paterno and the players lead the way along with the band, cheerleaders and of course the ubiquitous Nittany Lion this place is like stepping back in time. In some ways due to that there is a sense of respect for the athletes and coaches in a belief that they are representing "us" because WE ARE PENN STATE!
The isolation and the dominance of the university in community life leads to a culture that has elevated football coaches and players to celebrity status all the while making them inaccessible, well known in the community, and revered. In addition, through the influence of Paterno and the marketing of a brand, Penn State has always placed itself above the fray in terms of the issues of student-athletes.

During my time there a conference was hosted by the Rock Institute on campus that discussed ethics in sport. There were sessions with coaches, administrators, and players who discussed the evils lurking in collegiate athletics from performance enhancing substances and recruiting to balancing the rigors of sport and academics. Being the skeptic that I am I struggled with the sessions because it seemed as if everything concluded that these things are going on at other schools but not here at Penn State. I also knew better as I had athletes in the classes that I was teaching who had communicated to me the realities of those issues. Practice requirements that far exceeded NCAA rules, benefits that pushed the envelope of NCAA regulations and other issues contradicted the seeming party line being espoused by those in charge. It was just too good to be true and I had a hard time drinking the blue cool-aid. Although it was clear that the leaders here believed that they were morally above those at other schools who were getting caught for various violations, they did have pure intentions but possibly the allure of success also allowed them to push the ethical barriers to extremes.

Joe Pa leading his team

At this same conference Coach Paterno was the keynote speaker and shared stories many of which I had heard many times before but are always entertaining. At the end he held a question and answer period and it was in this that I saw the true ethical position that guided Paterno throughout his career; situational ethics. This is a position that appears to be a strong ethical stand but can be manipulated when needed based upon the situation.
The question asked of Paterno that day was if one of his players intercepted a pass and was coming down the sideline in front him and right there, directly in front of him, clearly stepped out of bounds, seen by all of his players, but continued on to score the game-winning touchdown, would he say anything to the referees who had missed the call? Did he have a responsibility to do the right thing as he taught his players and back up his words with action?
Paterno's answer struck me and has remained with me to this day! He at first joked that if he was in front of 104,000 people in Beaver Stadium then there was no way! But then he clarified it and said that while that seems like a funny answer it is true. He explained that for a Pop Warner coach then yes they should do that, but in a college football game with so much at stake then no he would not say anything. He also elaborated that it was not his responsibility to make the calls. That responsibility fell to the referees and if they blew their job then it had nothing to do with him. It wasn't his problem so he didn't feel that he had any cause to tell them. If they couldn't see it then it was their problem not his. When the questioner pressed him as to what this communicated to his players who all knew he had seen it and was therefore not abiding by the ethical standards he spoke about,and in essence was communicating that it was ok to do whatever it takes as long as you don't get caught, Paterno explained that in that situation his players would understand that winning the game would take precedence over what he saw or didn't see and they would understand that it wasn't his fault that the refs didn't do their job properly.

Bill McCartney

I immediately thought when I heard former University of Colorado coach Bill McCartney speak at a Promise Keepers conference.about the year when his Buffaloes won the National championship largely due to a blown call by referees that gave his team an extra down at the end of a critical game that kept them undefeated. He told the audience that not saying anything, when he knew that it was a wrong call would haunt him forever as he knew that the title was tainted and he felt he lost the respect of his players and that it communicated something less than true integrity to them. He believed it was the low point in his career.
In light of this I wonder if this moment in 2002 will be Paterno's low point. When Mike McQueary came to him and told him what he saw it seems that Paterno employed the same ethical decision making process that he had explained during the conference that same year at the Rock Institute conference. He did what he needed to do legally in reporting it to Tim Curley. But in many ways the words that he spoke haunt my mind. If those above him did not do their jobs in dealing with Sandusky then did he believe that it was not his problem? The situation dictated that the program remain untarnished and thus there was no need to push things further. It was out of his hands and therefore not his responsibility. I wonder what this communicated to McQueary? I wonder what it communicated to the other coaches, because it is hard to believe that Paterno was the only person McQueary spoke to about this.

Mike McQueary

Something this tough to see must have needed further outlets for McQueary to communicate. Unfortunately the Latch Football building housed the secret for almost a decade. And now the decision to let the situation dictate the right thing to do has led to the ouster of Paterno, truly an undeserved way for this man to leave. He has done amazing things for the university and students and should be remembered for those things and not this failed decision. However it does serve as fair warning that we need to be aware of what our philosophical underpinnings can lead to.
While Paterno and Sandusky both made critical errors in judgement which have led to the harm of many people, I find it hard to accept the media's answers to the situation. Many are blaming McQueary for not doing more. Pundits such as Herman Edwards and Colin Cowherd on ESPN are saying that they would have rushed in and taken the child away and done whatever possible to save these kids. While the bravado sounds wonderful and heroic I doubt that faced with the situation they would have acted any differently than McQueary. Here was a young man in his early 20's living on little sleep and working long hours for little remuneration who walks in on a situation that I am sure was confusing at best. In front of him is one of his heroes, a pillar in the community as well as a former coach of his and the father of his friends whose house he had visited many times, in some sort of compromising position with a young boy. He must have questioned what he saw and I am sure he did not study it extensively. Embarrassment, fear and confusion probably reigned in his mind. The question of what is going on and what did I just see must have flooded his mind. I am sure he retreated and tried to gain perspective. Here he was a graduate assistant, the low man on the totem pole seeing something happen with someone who held true power and influence in this small community. His word against that of a legend. In that case he did what most of us would have done, he called someone he trusted, his father and sought advise. His father then told him to speak with Paterno which he did.

It is nice to say "I would have done this or that" and yet when confronted with realities we often fall far short of the heroics in our mind. I know. I experienced it first hand. I had an encounter on a recruiting trip in Hawaii that humbled and devastated me. I had a short break so I went down to a beach on the west side of Oahu to sit and enjoy the beauty that is Hawaii. The beach was empty and I was enjoying the solitude until someone came and approached me. At first thought it was a woman but as the person sat down next to me I realized that this was a transvestite dressed as a woman. He asked how I was and tried to start small talk. I tried to communicate that I wanted to be left alone in a nice manner. It was then that I was disarmed as he reached out and grabbed me. I started to react and fight but he reached into his bag and grabbed for a weapon, a knife, and showed it to me. At that point, all my macho bravado left me and I felt completely helpless. My body went completely numb as he molested me and I just hoped that someone would come along and scare him off. Finally, he left and I remember sitting there in embarrassment, fear and confusion just as I am sure McCreary experienced. Anger also crept in, at myself. How could I have sat there and done nothing? What kind of a man was I? I understood for the first time the vulnerability of rape and molestation victims and how wrong I was about how strong I was. I had always pictured myself as being superhuman in those situations and how I would be heroic. The truth was that I wasn't. I was human and I failed myself! So I have little patience for those who like to talk about what they would do and would ask them to remember that they were not faced with the situation and therefore can not surmise what they would have done.
This is an incredibly hard thing to share and I have only shared this information with three people in my life until now. But I hope that by sharing it I can communicate that I do not take the abuse represented in this case lightly. I understand better than most the pain, anguish, and isolation felt by the victims. I am not trying to make light of what they have experienced nor minimize it because I do know personally the feelings they have dealt with and will continue to confront.

Joe Paterno Statue

However, it is also important for people to slow down and approach this situation from a reasonable standpoint and do what we can to make things better. To broadly paint Jerry Sandusky as a monster who everyone should have clearly seen as a pedophile is unfair. If the allegations are true, then he clearly has problems and needs to honestly confront and be held accountable for his actions and the pain he inflicted. But he also needs the prayers and support of those around him. Let us not forget that he also did very many great things in the State College community and changed lives in a positive manor as well. Yes the balance sheet does not favor him right now but let us take on the heart of Christ and demonstrate compassion and hope that he can be redeemed.
Would we have liked for McQueary, Curley, and Paterno to have done more, absolutely. Paterno himself has said that in hindsight he wishes he had done more, but who of us can't say that about some situation in our lives? Let us remember what Jesus told those around the woman caught in adultery, "let him without sin throw the first stone." We were not there we do not know the complete situation and for us to judge is probably unwise. We should learn from this and hopefully more of us in our own communities will be more concerned about injustices that are right in front of our eyes and do something about them.
Finally I must address the Board of trustees decision to fire Joe Paterno. I respect their authority to do so, but I do not believe it has done anything to help the situation. It does nothing in the short term to assist the victims or their families. It seems to be a hasty decision for public relations purposes and hurts more people than it helps.

This team has a game this Saturday against Nebraska which has been overlooked. But more importantly there are over 100 young men who had nothing to do at all with this scandal who are being penalized. Those football players came to Penn State to play under a coach who they respected and believed in. Yes he fell short, as we all do, but they now do not have the opportunity to watch and learn how to deal with adversity and hard times from one of the wisest men in this country. They have made him an outcast and they did it over the phone.

Paterno

To my knowledge the trustees have just repeated the mistakes they are punishing Paterno for. Paterno should have gone directly to Sandusky when he heard of the allegations, and maybe he did, we don't know that for sure. But the ability to confront a friend and colleague no matter how difficult the subject is demonstrates true leadership. Did Paterno fail in this? Probably. But the trustees have made the exact same error. They did not consult or meet with Paterno to find out what his side of the story was or what should be done to move forward. Paterno had already said he would step down at the end of the season.

Paterno Library at Penn State

Instead they sent a messenger to his house with instructions to call a number where they succinctly told him your services are terminated. Doesn't 61 years of service to the university deserve more respect that that? Doesn't raising the funds to build a wing of the library, a spiritual center and a sports museum carry with it the dignity of a face to face conversation? Shouldn't the trustees have at least recognized the efforts of a man who has consistently produced the highest graduation rates in the nation for his football team and has evaded NCAA sanctions?

While I would disagree with Paterno's philosophical stance of situational ethics, I do recognize that he has been good for football, good for sport and good for Penn State and its students. I hope that as we move forward as both Penn Stater's and those who are outside and trying to figure out this strange culture that has assisted in the development of this scandal that we will take a deep breath, sit down and pray. Pray for the victims first of all that healing and God's love will come quickly and completely. That as a community we can embrace them and help them through a difficult time. Secondly we need to pray for those accused of various offenses regarding this scandal. We must pray for forgiveness and for clear guidance in helping them understand the implications of their actions and inaction's, but also that they will find comfort in the arms of Christ. And finally we need to pray that we can find peace within our hearts, and in humility and grace sort through the facts and issues of this case as we move forward.

The Day After!

2011-08-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

The phrase “the day after” is so filled with suspense and intrigue because we know that a major event has just transpired that changes everything from that time on. Therefore there is a sense of mystery, foreboding and anxiety. We want to know what comes next as the day after is now the start of a new chapter in the story. Whether it is September 12, 2011, the day after 9/11, the Saturday after Good Friday when Christ was crucified or December 8, 1941 the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor we wake up wondering what this new day brings. It is not like any other day because when we refer to the day after, the after in the sentence alerts us to a major shift. It may be the day after a new couples wedding or the day after a baby’s birth for parents. The day after never has the same impact as “the day”. It will not be remembered in infamy as FDR spoke of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7^th.

Sampsa and I discussing Special Teams

In many ways the day after has more to do with the future than does the actual day of a momentous event. September 12^th was the day that decisions began to be discussed as to what should be the response to the attacks on the Pentagon and the Twin Towers. Those discussions changed American and global political structures forever. It is important to note that the day after does not often bring immediate change. Rather it is a day pregnant with possibilities. It is a day to regroup, re-evaluate and take time to set a new course. The choices made in the following time period grow from our thoughts and feelings that we begin to evaluate on the day after.

As football coaches we face these day after moments weekly, some of them are momentous such as after a crushing loss or a close victory. Most are not, we merely readjust our course and move ahead. Football unlike many other sports has a time lag to reflect and adjust. Basketball and baseball for example play games so soon after a big game that the shift is often difficult to discern. But in football a full week of practice and preparation follows a loss or a victory so there is time to licks ones wounds, change plans and readjust. At the end of a season or in the playoffs however that time is extended as a full off season begins. The evaluation is more complete, the planning more complex and the questions of what went wrong more severe. Today is a day after for me and I approach it with frustration, fear and wonder. Last night was a sleepless night as I replayed the game over and over in my mind. The next few days will be the same if my past experience is to be trusted and a sense of loss for what might have been will grow. I know that I should approach this day differently, filled with faith, remembering that God has a plan. But I am more often like the disciples, hiding out from the Romans and Jewish leaders wondering If I am the next to be crucified or arrested. I struggle like them to imagine a world of resurrection where hope reigns.

Yesterday was a momentous day for me. We lost 50-36 to the Helsinki Wolverines in the Semi-finals of the Maple League here in Finland. The loss means that I am the coach responsible for the end of a dynasty. It is never easy to be at the helm of a team when a run of six straight National Championships ends, but it is even harder to be that person in a country where personal displays of emotion are rarer than winning the lotto. In fact I don’t know if Finnish people even display joy when told they have won the lotto and are now millionaires. So as everyone retreats to their own personal space of mourning I am facing the day after with all of the usual questions. How did we lose? What could I have done differently? What is next?

Along with those questions comes others such as will the team bring me back? What am I going to do when I get back to the U.S.? Where will I live? Do I pack things as if I am not coming back or leave some things here? Will anyone speak to me? Have I completely let everyone down? It all seems silly because this is just a game and yet this game requires so much from players and coaches. It is an all encompassing sport which demands that you be physically, mentally and emotionally invested. For baseball players a loss is not the end of the world. In fact in major league baseball teams with records around .500 are doing well, they are in the playoff hunt. There will be another game tomorrow to avenge the loss. But in American football as a player, chances are I will not be walking well tomorrow much less playing another game. Hopefully by the middle of the week I will feel that my body will respond to the urging of my mind. By the end of the week I should be able to move once again at full speed just in time for the game. As a coach you are trying all week to get into the mind of the opponents to understand what they are trying to do in order to anticipate what they may do in the upcoming game. So when you lose in the playoffs all planning comes to a sudden stop, there is no planning or regrouping so the evaluation takes center stage. Here in Finland that is even more pronounced as contracts are on a year to year basis. So there is no planning or building for the next season right after the game ends.

Mickey Kyei with a big play vs. the Wolverines

So today starts that evaluation. Plays recalled in your mind, drills that could have been run to improve tackling or blocking and conversations that should have happened to improve communication. In reality I understand that the loss falls on my shoulders. There are many circumstances and situations that I would like to place blame on but it really comes down to not having my team as prepared as they could be. In this instance I think we schemed well against the Wolverines but we were out-athleted. Their American players made big plays and broke from tackles throughout the game. We needed to emphasize strength and power even more than we did in the offseason and retain our strength throughout the season. Their Americans were too strong for us and with the reality that every offensive touch for them went to those three players our lack of stamina and strength became too much to overcome. It was a good game and our players played their hearts out. They gave everything they had but it was just not enough on the day. We are disappointed and I feel badly that we were not able to bring home the seventh consecutive National Championship to Porvoo. But our players need to hold their heads up and realize that what they accomplished this season may be even greater than any of the championships? They rose above all expectations to finish 9-1 and in a tie for the regular season championship.

For me I was reminded this past week that my focus must also be on more than winning a seventh championship. I read I Thessalonians 2: 19-20 one day while sitting at Walgrens after lunch. Paul writes to his friends at Thessalonica, “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed you are our glory and joy.”

This sentiment is exactly how I feel now. While I would love to have that seventh championship medal around my neck I know why I am here. I am here to love people for the sake of Christ. My ultimate goal has been to love people here in Porvoo and to build community around the Butchers. We have faced a lot of challenges this season and yet have remained together. One of the weaknesses of many teams here in Finland is that they fracture in times of trouble. The Butchers have not and I hope that what we have built will continue and grow because these players, this team is my glory and joy. The relationships that have been built will last for lifetimes, the memories and stories of games, practices, and road trips will live on. My hope is that the lessons of perseverance, working together, putting forth great effort and an attitude of love will carry over to these men’s lives and that they will understand that there is more to life than the prizes of championships. They are nice to have but they are mere reminders of battling with brothers for a common goal. May we continue to strive to battle together in games and lives and make a true difference in our world and in others lives.

Peace and blessings to you!

Jim

The Young Ones!

2011-08-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

The Young Ones!

Mac Daddy- our Comic genius!

This was the title of a very funny British Comedy from the 1980s and is at times an appropriate analogy to our team as many times what happens on the field and off is comical. Yet the difference between a comedy based upon four young college students and young Finnish players playing at the top level of American football in Finland breaks down in the reality of our young ones and what they have accomplished. Although it may seem like a script from a studio our young players are creating real drama!

With the retirement of amazing players this season from the Butchers came a void in experience. As a result the national pundits placed us as coming in 6^th place in the Maple League this season. I know that many of the leaders in our organization hoped that we might somehow make it to the playoffs. What has actually transpired is quite remarkable. As we head into the last game of the regular season against the Oulu Northern Lights we find ourselves in a tie for first place and an 8-1 record. We have already locked up a home game in the playoffs next week and the # 2 seed, due to our loss early on in the season to the Crocodiles. While we have heralded the late season return of some veterans such as Tommi Padatsu, Marko Luoma, and Ville Palikainen the young players on this team continue to lead. I am not minimizing the effect of these veteran players, but rather illuminating the growth of the young Finns who have shown Sisu! I want you to meet some of them as they are the heart of our quest for an unprecedented 7^th consecutive national championship.

Arttu Celebrates!

Arttu Tennberg moved this season from our left tackle spot to center on the offensive line. As the center he has taken on a huge leadership role. While Pasi Lautala and Sami Moilanen provide amazing expertise, Arttu has become the leader of the line. He understands everyone’s assignment and is a coach on the field for our other young lineman such as Haris Budzalek who is developing in his own right to be a great player for the future. But Arttu has displayed incredible skills on the offensive line. He has a big frame and can put on more weight as he develops. His footwork is amazing and he has the talent to play college football in the United States. Our hope is to get him there next year, which would be a blow to the Butchers but great for him and the development of the Finnish game.

Niko Roiko

Roiko sets the tone against the Roosters!

Niko Roiko returned last year in June after a year at a high school in the San Juan Islands in Washington State. He immediately stepped into a role on our defense as a safety anmd played a significant role in our championship role. Unfortunately he was injured in a B Junior game and missed the playoffs as a result. This year he worked out hard in the off season and has come back better than ever. He has matured into a formidable force in the secondary delivering huge hits and becoming a leader for our entire defense. While Tero Kontiainen is our leader as the Mac backer Niko has led the secondary this year. His running mate at the safety position has matured even more in the last year.

Toni Wrapping up Squilini

Toni Nystrom also spent last year in the states at a high school in St. Louis, Missouri. With the loss of Sampsa Mahkonen this year Toni has had to become a full time starter. I knew he could do it but he has exceeded my expectations. He has a great nose for the ball and has made some incredible touchdown saving tackles, even running down Anthony Squillini, one of the better receivers in the league, on one play last week. He is fearless in taking on running backs and will deliver as good as he gets. Toni has also been drafted in as our backup quarterback and has done a great job with his opportunities there. Both Toni and Niko also have the talent to play college football so we will see where they end up. They are a joy to coach as they work hard, are reliable and deal with criticism in a positive way by improving. They are as much a key for our success as anyone on the team.

Niko Pennanen Celebrates with Toni Haukkamaa

Niko Pennanen is another of the young studs. Niko has had a challenging year as he has played all over the place. Running back, corner, outside linebacker and nickel back are all places he has had to play. While there are some games he has not started because of the defense we are running to start the game he is my 12^th starter. He has done a phenomenal job of learning all the different roles and brings toughness to the team that is usually found in older players. He is currently in the army and so is balancing that responsibility with playing on the team and is so reliable that it makes a coach smile. He has improved throughout the season and fills many roles for us! All of them, crucial to our success.

Micky Kyei hauling in another pass.

On the offensive side of the ball has been Micky Kyei who also spent last year in the US at a high school in Minnesota. He is one of the fastest players in the league and has been a dominating force in the Juniors as a running back. He has played some there for us this year but needs a bit more size to endure the inside running game. We have also used him at the slot receiver where he has become a true threat. He has good hands and his quickness creates mismatches against linebackers. He has drawn double and triple coverage at times this season allowing other receivers to be freed up. One of those receivers is another of our young studs, Phung Nguyen.

Phung rivals Micky’s speed and they complement each other well. He not only can catch the deep ball but catches the tough balls over the middle as well. These two players have very different styles but create huge problems for opposing defenses.

Phung with another huge catch

There are others who are also contributing in a huge way for our team this year, but these players are not only stand outs on the field but are also becoming leaders. That is a trait that we need more of as these young players take over from the veterans and continue the run that has been started for them. This will be their team and they will need to step into the roles vacated by former champions. I look forward to seeing their careers develop but also to see them continue this Cinderella season to a championship! And that is not a joke or a comedy routine!

Jim

NFL Lockout Horror Evaded!

2011-07-30T03:22:00.000-07:00

NFL Lockout Horror Evaded.

Society has been saved! The National Football League (NFL) lockout has ended and players and owners have come to an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. For fans of the NFL this is wonderful news. The season will proceed, and players and owners will once again be able to accumulate millions of dollars for their hard work.

Ray Lewis

The great news however, is that society will now be safe. Safe from the predicted crime wave that Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis warned us would be coming if the season did not proceed. Lewis knows a bit about crime as he was present during a homicide in which he never clearly explained what happened, so when he speaks about crime I listen. After all he is in touch with those groups of people more than I am so if he says that if the NFL doesn’t play it would create a major crime wave as fans would have nothing else to do but commit crimes, I listen. It makes sense because if I can’t watch games on TV on Sundays I guess my only other option is to knock off a liquor store or commit some other crime. Some people would mistakenly believe that people may choose to do something like go to a beach or a lake or spend time with their family if no games were on. Others might fantasize that people might get to know their next door neighbors and create real communities as they might be outside working or playing rather than being glued to the television. However, they would most likely be wrong as Lewis probably has a better sense of the pulse of the average football fan.

Mackenzie McGrady Hurdling a Rooster!

After all, I am sure that Roger Goodell and the marketing departments for the NFL and its teams would concur that the primary target group for NFL fans is those who commit crimes when bored. After all aren’t those the people who will be spending their hard earned, or rather stolen, money on the variety of products that sponsors hawk on television and at the games? What organization would not be proud when their team gear is represented in mug shots? I haven’t done the research yet, but I am assume that Lewis did since he has spent time in higher education at the University of Miami, probably as a criminal justice major, that if we look at statistics we would see a sudden decrease in crime every fall. As football season ends in the late winter/ early spring we probably would see a huge spike in criminal activity as the NBA obviously can’t detract fans violence prone behavior as well as football. I am so happy that the lockout is over as I now feel as if I will be able to once again walk the streets in safety, leave my doors and windows wide open, and leave my keys in my car where I won’t lose them anymore. America is once again safe from crime! Way to go players and owners for your wonderful civic consciousness!

Adrian Peterson

In other ways though, I am sad that the lockout is over. Despite the great lack of crime we are about to experience, we have once again signed players to contracts that still place them into an unacceptable social position. As Adrian Peterson, the Minnesota Vikings running back, so aptly observed during the lockout players are once again relegated to a form of slavery that is unacceptable for any forward thinking person. After all, how are these players supposed to live free lives when they have to live in the city where their employment is for six months out of the year? I mean imagine if you were working for Microsoft and they actually expected you to move to the Seattle area just because their headquarters are their? How crazy would that be? Peterson is right, Kunta Kinte would be appalled at his working conditions. How could any owner expect his players to live under such horrific conditions? Paying them millions of dollars per year only to trade or sell them when their productivity wanes? What do these owners expect these players to do save up some of the money they pay them for the day when their playing days are over? No I am afraid that as fans we will once again be mesmerized by the thrill of the game and completely forget the inhumane lifestyle that the owners force these players to undertake. The end of the lockout means that we will unfortunately be condoning modern day slavery once again.

Christopher Watkins and Mackenzie McGrady

Most importantly I will miss the lockout for the entertainment value that it provided. During the season when players are under contract they are restricted in what they say to the media. They self impose bans on speech in order to not provide bulletin board material for other teams. Management also has greater control over messages as they want to protect their brand image. So in this era of coach and player speak it is hard to get great quotes from players like Peterson and Lewis. So unfortunately we will be back to the standard lines such as “we just need to step it up on defense next week because they are a great offensive team.”

I do have to admit though that here in Europe the lockout has been an amusing side show as it has been an exciting time for football. The USA once again won the World Championships in Austria in July, National leagues have been crowning champions all over Europe and the game continues to grow and develop. We at the Butchers are once again in a hunt for a seventh consecutive championship with a very young and inexperienced team who continues to show great enthusiasm for the game. Last night we defeated the Lapeneranta Border Knights in an incredibly exciting game 48-45. Last time we played them we came from behind to win 60-54. This time the Knights went up 45-41 with 37 seconds left in the game on a pass from Dan Selway from Redlands University to Nate Kmik their new import from Mount Union College and the NCAA D-III player of the year. However due to rules determining playoff position they needed to beat us by 7 points to get homefield advantage in the playoffs so they went for it and tried an on side kick. We recovered and scored a touchdown with 17 seconds left. They were not finished however as they drove down the field and were threatening to tie the game until with 8 seconds left Layton Brown stepped in front of a Selway pass and intercepted it to seal the victory and a guaranteed second seed in the playoffs and home field advantage. It was a great game for URHO TV and an exciting battle to the end. The television ratings here continue to rise as well so maybe we can link a drop in the crime rate here in Finland to the growth of the game. Blessings to you!

One of two safeties for our defense against the Helsinki Roosters

Sobs In Switzerland

2011-07-22T06:26:00.000-07:00

Emma, Brenna and Grayson at Mummiworld

It is raining today in Zurich, and not only outside. Inside the terminal I sit and sob. Tears flow as I watch the Air Canada flight bound for Toronto and eventually onto Seattle rise into the sky taking my kids back home to the states after a wonderful 2 ½ week holiday in Finland. They arrived on July 6^th and the last few weeks have been filled with busyness, crowded living conditions in my studio apartment in Porvoo, conflict between siblings, joy, laughter and hugs. I have a friend here who chides Americans for always saying “I love you.” This is actually a fairly common stereotype of us yanks that we effuse emotions at the drop of a hat and say things that we half mean. This is in stark contrast to the Finnish way of dealing with things in a precise and matter of fact manner. If you say this was the greatest experience of your life then it had better be exactly that, THE GREATEST. While I understand the honesty in the Finnish approach it also leaves much room for emotions to be expressed openly, for praise to be lavished, and appreciation felt. While we Americans often are “over the top,” today’s tears are heartfelt as I already miss my kids and I do love them very much. In fact watching them fly away I wonder do they know how much? Have I demonstrated it enough? It was so hard to watch Grayson fight back the tears and wipe them away in his blanket while holding his new Mummi as he boarded the plane.

Grayson using his artistic abilities

This is especially a hard question for me as I have had to be away from them for the better part of 6 months each of the last two years, as I coach overseas. Don’t get me wrong I am no hero serving my country in a foreign land in the armed forces. The dedication of those men and women is incredible and they deserve all the credit they can get. I am simply a football coach trying to eek out a living coaching a game that I love and influence people with the reality that God loves them. I hope that in that process I can also overcome some of the stereotypes of Americans that foreigners have and represent my country in some small way with the sharing of our culture through a very American sport. However, my feelings of sadness being away from my kids are no less real than those serving in our military. And if the stereotype of being overly emotional is judged on my feelings today I will not be able to overcome that! The joy I had when they were here was immeasurable. Being able to walk around Porvoo, have lunch with them every day at Walgrens, go to the grocery store and just live a daily life in Finland was wonderful. As was swimming in the sea, going to Mummiworld and visiting historic sites. But nothing compared to having them come and hug me at half-time and at the end of our games as they endured the heat, and yes at times boredom of watching a game. For a 5-year-old a football game can seem like an eternity!

Brenna at the Porvoo Fire Station

Those hugs, those whispers of ”I love you daddy” and the smiles of wonder as they tried to figure out Finland will keep me going for many more weeks. I am so thankful to be able to share my life here with them, but as the plane flew away those same memories brought about streams of tears as I realized how wonderful they were. We have a game tomorrow and I won’t be getting those halftime hugs and that makes me sad.

Emma and Mummimaiden

But it also reminds me that while what I am doing is important in many ways, it is still a game. If we lose a game will I feel badly? Yes, will it hurt like I hurt right now, it shouldn’t. You see these children of mine remind me of what is really important-relationships. We hope this year to win a record setting seventh straight Finnish National Championship, a dominant display in any sport at any level. However, this season has already been a wonderful one as I feel like we have bonded as a team and developed solid lifelong relationships. This young team has come together in a spirit of fun, challenge and adventure and has challenged once again for the top spot in Finnish American Football. While the accomplishment may be monumental it is overshadowed in my mind by the development of those relationships that we share. The memories of traveling , the stories that will be told for years to come about times with guys on the field and off are what this experience is really all about.

Brenna showing off her chipmunk cheeks

Having the team rally around me as my kids were here was wonderful. The American players Layton, Mac, and Chris were so giving in allowing us use of the car when we needed it. Videos were generously loaned so that kids could enjoy movies such as Harry Potter, Shawn the Sheep, Ice Age,and Cars during spare times at the apartment. Play dates and swimming with other kids also helped in my kids cultural experience and added to the fun. I will always remember this time and treasure it, not only for what it meant to my kids but for the lessons I learned on perspective.

The sun pokes out occasionally here in Zurich as I write this and my disposition lightens at times. I think of those times I have had and while I would like to have more of them I also am so thankful for what I did receive in time, warmth, and being able to be a dad while in a difficult spot occupationally and relationally. Thanks Butchers for the gift of my kids for the time they were here! What a blessing! It still makes me cry though! Americans. Go figure!

Grayson and I in Turku

The Groke and Mummins!

Hometown Heroes

2011-07-15T02:19:00.000-07:00

Hometown Heroes

Porvoo Old Town

We have been blessed at the Butchers with great players who not only have spent the time and effort to hone their skills at playing American Football but also are great people. I want to introduce you to three of them who have had incredible careers on the field but also have served their communities honorably off the field as well. Pasi Lautala, Sebastian Karbin and Ville Kurvinen all have professions that are essential to the safety of the community but they have also demonstrated incredible passion for the game of football.

Last week in my talk with the team before the game I used a quote from the legendary painter Vincent Van Gogh who declared, “Your profession is not what brings home your paycheck. Your profession is what you were put on earth to do. With such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling.” These three exhibit this sense of passion for the game of football and it has been a calling. They have delighted fans with their exploits and yet they are excellent at what does bring home their paychecks as well so I would like you to get to know them.

Pasi Lautala #73

Pasi Lautala is the heart and soul of our offensive line this year. Pasi was awarded our “Butcher of the Year” award last year for the player who gave the most to the team and exemplified the ideals and character of excellence that we strive for. Pasi is not only a great player for us, but is also a board member with many management responsibilities off the field as well. He would argue that this is what makes him late to everything but we all know that is not the truth! In fact if Pasi is ever early to something it is because someone told him the wrong time or there is food that he is looking forward to! regardless of his tardiness there is no one on the Butchers with a kinder and gentler heart and he has done everything in his power to move the team forward.

Lautala blocking against the Border Knights

On the field, Pasi plays our right guard position. Last year he was flanked by one of the greatest players in Finnish football history, Seppo Evwaraye, who played at Nebraska, which I won’t hold against him, and with the Minnesota Vikings. This year with Seppo’s retirement, Sami Moilanen has joined us and takes Seppo’s position. I did not realize that this spot also holds the responsibility for getting Pasi to and from practices and games but apparently it does. Sami does have an advantage this year however as he has a car and can dictate times to Pasi when he is driving whereas poor Seppo was at the mercy of “Pasi time!” Pasi has been honored by being named to the Finnish national team for many years and has played in many European and World Championships representing his country. Pasi plays through injury and pain every week and I am amazed at his dedication.

Off the field Pasi is a police officer with the K-9 unit. He has trained dogs and works with them on his shifts. His latest dog is a German shepherd who usually listens to Pasi, but not always, which can be quite amusing. Pasi was on the police force here in Porvoo for many years but this year was transferred to Vantaa about a 50 KM drive each way for him every day. He now works there with another of our lineman who Pasi recruited to play, Kristoffer Lind, who as a rookie has performed wonderfully this year. Whether through routine patrols or in a situation such as the McDonalds shootings here last year, Pasi has proven to be a wonderful public servant. He has a beautiful wife, who should be awarded sainthood for her patience with all of his football pursuits, and two lovely little girls. As a dad, husband, police officer, friend and football player he is exemplary, and his passion for all of those things cannot be stronger! Kiitos Pasi!

Sebastian Karbin #68

Sebastian Karbin, or Seba, is an amazing football player. As Mackenzie McGrady, our American QB, commented after his first practice with Seba, “I am sure glad he is on our team, holy crap!” Seba is our outside linebacker and along with Tero Kontiainen and Layton Brown forms a very formidable line backing crew. But Seba stands out for his bone crushing hits. Last season Seba learned how to read the lineman in front of him and became better at using his hands to get off blocks and since that time has become a nightmare for other teams. He was named the Maple League’s defensive player of the year last season and also played exceptionally well in the European Championships for Finland. Seba demonstrates natural power, speed and a love for hitting that is a rare combination. He plays through incredible pain and this year has been playing on a dislocated big toe for much of the season. In another game he had a fever of 104 degrees F but played out of his mind. In our first game this season against the Roosters he dominated the game and created the fumble and picked it up for the games only touchdown. Oh, and just for good measure he gave the QB a nice shove before jumping on the football to score. He is one of those players on defense who can set the tempo of a game with a big hit or crucial turnover. We almost did not have Seba this year as he was contemplating retiring. I am so glad he didn’t and I hope our fans are as well because he is at the peak of his game and every week delivers a show that is spectacular.

Seba creating a fumble and recovering it for a touchdown.

Off the field Seba also serves as a police officer here in Porvoo. He is well respected in the community and is a credit to the police force. It is always a welcome sight to see Seba pop out of his police van and come walking over to say hi. I don’t know if any criminals know what would happen if they tried to run from Seba as they would feel the pain for days if he tackled them. Seba, along with Pasi has competed in the World Police Games many times as well. These are athletic competitions for police officers from around the world and this year they are in New York City. Seba is one of those players who you love as a coach because they give you everything they have and they make you look really good both on the field and off! I am honored to work with Seba and told him after last week’s game that they should put up a statue of him on the waterfront!

Ville Kurvinen #44

Ville Kurvinen is a phenomenal receiver. He runs great routes, has excellent hands and wonderful body control. He will make the clutch reception when a game is on the line and also comes up with amazing diving catches. Ville has also played on the National team here in Finland and was recognized as one of the top 50 greatest Finnish players of all time by the SAJL (Suomi American Football Federation) at their 30^th anniversary in 2009. Ville has also played defensive end, punter, and kicker for us! He is an amazing athlete and incredibly humble. He has the boyish good looks of former All-pro San Diego Chargers Receiver Lance Allworth and plays very similar. Of course he will have no idea who that is as I am showing my age, but trust me it is a compliment. Ville also blocks well which says a lot about a receiver in my book. Ville is such a joy to be around because he is very even keeled, has a great disposition and always has smile on his face, a rare thing for a Finn indeed. He loves to play! He is not only our big play receiver he is our best possession receiver as well. In one game a few weeks ago there was a crucial 3^rd down pass that we needed to complete. The ball sailed high right toward me on the sidelines and I instantly had bad thoughts. But then out of nowhere, Ville jumped up, snagged the ball and got his feet back down in bounds to extend the drive. It was a game winning catch as it allowed us to keep moving the ball and run out the clock when we were deep in our own territory.

Kurvinen with a great catch!

Ville, like Pasi and Seba also serves his community off the field. However, Ville is a fireman here in Porvoo. Ville has helped on many different emergencies here in Porvoo including the Porvoo Cathedral fire a few years ago. He has been kind enough to show my kids and I around the firehouse on tours which we loved. He is truly an amazing person with a dedication to the things he does which is second to none!

Getting ready before a game

Often here in Europe, the American imports get most of the glory and they are usually deserving for their on the field performances. However I am proud to be able to highlight these local heroes of the gridiron as they are the heart of Finnish American Football. They not only play at extremely high levels often matching that of their American counterparts but they also serve our community with grace, humility and courage! I also am proud to call them friends.

The Porvoo Cathedral

Fragrant Offerings

2011-07-03T04:20:00.000-07:00

The other day I was walking down the street and I caught a whiff of lilacs blowing in the breeze! It reminded me of home, the "Lilac City"-Spokane, Washington! Is this truly significant? Probably not, but I was struck by the experience in a new way as I reflected upon it later. When we smell something that catches our attention we usually have two possible responses depending upon the fragrance and our own personal reactions. One is to savor the smell, the other is to run from it and evade it. When we catch a whiff of something that is displeasing to us we attempt to get out of the area. We have a physical reaction. We will grab our nose to stop the smell from emanating in our nostrils. We may even gag if the smell is really bad. I remember growing up in Oregon and there were two places that we hated driving by as kids. One was in Springfield going towards the McKenzie River and Bend. The other was along I-5 in Albany. Both places had paper mills along the highway and the smell was of rotten eggs on steroids. We would try to hold our breath until we passed the area which could be a long time if the wind was blowing just right. To this day I have negative memories of those places. Both mills have changed and no longer emit the same horrible smell, yet I can still remember vividly the stench. Here in Porvoo we have our own emission violater also coincidentally named Mackenzie but that is a different matter as it is a biological process and not a chemical reaction. At least I hope! LOL!

Mac! Our Emissions Expert!

However when we encounter a pleasing smell it is a different matter. We linger. We still have a physical reaction. When I smell something lovely I will stop what I am doing and pause to take it in. We enjoy it. Watch someone when they smell something good They smell, they stop, they smile. It is an automatic reaction. We don't just pass by! Our whole body stops and pauses, often lifting our nose and closing our eyes to enhance the sensation. We take in that smell whether it be from flowers, fresh chocolate chip cookies, or a perfume that is familiar.

I was reading in Philippians 4:18-19 shortly after my encounter with the lilacs and came across a passage where Paul is communicating with the church in Phillipi about the gifts that they had sent to him while he was in prison. He writes, "they are a fragrant offering (emphasis mine), an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." As I read this I immediately thought of my experiences with fragrances and a picture of God's response to our gifts came to mind. I think we often picture God as a banker checking to see that the finances are in order and that the gifts have been delivered. In essence, he is there to make sure that we have paid what we owe, and this darkly gloomy portrait of God is very common.

The picture that this verse brought to mind though was radically different. It is of God stopping in his tracks and smelling the gifts that we have brought, of really taking in the fragrance of the goods. I imagine a shop keeper in an outdoor marketplace. It is lively, sounds and smells are everywhere. People are doing business all around, buying and selling things, getting ready to make meals or finding necessities and luxuries. It is crowded and the hustle and bustle dominates. But in comes a local farmer with fresh fruits and flowers to deliver to the shopkeeper. The farmer presents his gifts-his goods- and in the middle of this hectic scene the shopkeeper stops as he catches a whiff of the fragrance. He pauses and takes a deep breath, a delighted expression spreading across his face. His eyes close and he breathes deeply with his head lifted upward to catch all of the incredible smells. He is pleased, for that moment nothing else matters, the offering is acceptable. It changes his perspective on the entire day, just as those moments do for us when we smell something that arouses the rest of our senses in our body.

Plumeria

The smell brings with it a flood of memories for us. Memories of people, places, and experiences. For me, the smell of Juniper trees brings back great memories of my time spent in Central Oregon, plumeria reminds me of dear friends and special times in Hawai`i, and chocolate chip cookies brings home the warmth of growing up and family. These memories are tied to my experiences and make me who I am and can be unlocked through a simple smell. Experiencing those smells can bring back all of the sensations of those times. The richness of the experience can be summoned by the sweet fragrance.

Central Oregon and the Three Sisters

When we offer our gifts to God, he responds to us in the same way; reliving again the love for his creation, his grace for us and his immeasurable joy. Just as those fragrances stop us in our tracks and flood us with memories and joy- Paul gives us a similar portrait that our gifts of love have on God. As players and coaches we have been given gifts that others may not have the opportunity to realize. Scripture teaches us to not only love God but also to love others as well. I hope that as we share those gifts on the football field that those watching the games will see and experience something that will be a positive, lasting memory for years to come. I know for many of us the smell of freshly mowed grass, warm summer days and makara (sausages) grilling from the concession stands can conjure up many of our experiences on the field surrounding American Football games here. I hope and pray that those smells will bring back wonderful memories of friendships, shared times, love expressed in action, goals challenged, and laughter, because when all is said and done that is what we will take away from this game.

Phung and I enjoying a respite during a game!

I hope that as I am able to use my gifts here in Finland that they would be an acceptable sacrifice and that God would every so often stop, pause and take a whiff! that he would not plug his nose but linger for a minute and say well done good and faithful servant. I know that there are many times when I stink up the place! But with God's grace I am hopeful that as I bring my meager offerings and offer them in love that the shopkeeper smiles, at least occasionally! I also hope that many years from now there will be a fragrance that wafts through the air that will bring a smile to the face of friends here in Finland as they remember the great times and memories that we are now in the process of building. Peace to you!

Jim

Central Oregon Wildflowers In the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness

Hyvää Juhannus!!

2011-06-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

Hyvää Juhannus!!

We just concluded celebrating Juhannus here in Finland which is Midsummer Festival and more literally the “Festival of St. John” in honor of John the Baptist who according to scripture was Christ’s cousin, born six months prior to him, and had the honor of preparing the way for the Lord and baptizing him. While few here in the Christian church celebrate the festival in honor of John anymore, it is arguably the second most important holiday in Finland taking a backseat only to Christmas. This is understandable, since the Finns believe that Santa Clause lives here in Finland. In fact this is his first stop on his world journey as he comes to each house on Christmas Eve and knocks on the door to deliver presents to the children. Now that is service!

Pasi and I at the Midsummer Eve Bonfire

As the weekend came I started thinking about this celebration and had many reflections. The traditions for Juhannus are a mix of Pagan and Christian rituals that go back centuries. One of the traditions is the lighting of huge bonfires on Midsummer’s Eve to ward off evil spirits in preparation for the festival. Fire also has a religious significance in that it is a purifying agent in scriptural terms. But the Bonfires are beautiful as they glow in the twilight of the midnight sun. Another aspect of Juhannus is drinking. It was believed that the more you drink the better the crops will be in the harvest-- and believe me, the Finns do their best to make sure those crops come in strong. Drinking to excess is a national pastime here and Juhannus may be the best example. While most Finns refrain from drinking and driving due to the low DUI level of .05, the midsummer holiday always bring in many deaths due to alcohol abuse. Most of those deaths are from drowning. People go out in their boats on one of the over 158,000 large lakes or in the seas visiting the archipelagos and are so drunk they fall out of the boat and drown. Some may consider this a Darwinian selection process, and yet it is a sad state of affairs. Juhannus also sees the cities become ghost towns as most people head to summer cottages, known as “Moki’s,” for the holiday. It is amazing to me that 5 million people can disappear into the woods. Most restaurants, bars, shops and services are closed during the weekend. A very strange site to see from an American viewpoint.

Ari and Selma

Juhannus is a time for friends and family to retreat away from society a bit and reflect on the roots to the wilderness that are commonly held here. It is a time of celebration but also of contemplation. While the holiday does not hold deep spiritual meaning anymore I did spend some time thinking about St John the Baptist since this is his holiday. Specifically I thought of John’s questioning of who Jesus was. Here is a man who baptized Jesus in the river Jordan and heard God speak of declaring, “You are my son, whom I love. With you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22) Yet later on John begins to question whether he had heard correctly. He even sent his disciples to Jesus to ask, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Luke 7:19)

What would have been going on that John would question this. His disciples had just returned and told him about Jesus raising a widow’s son from the dead and healing a Centurion’s servant. It could be that John shared others views of what the Christ would be, a powerful conqueror who would free the Jewish people from the oppression of the Romans. Perhaps he was wondering how this would be accomplished by assisting a Roman soldier or saving a widow’s son. Maybe he simply was like us, human and prone to question.

Ville Kouvinen With a Huge Catch

I find myself in the same circumstances at times and a couple of situations have been bothering me lately and have had me asking questions, much like John. It has been a rough couple of years personally for me and so there are times that I wonder, God is this really what you have for me or have I heard you wrong? I have also realized that I am prone to mistakes, big surprise, huh! John I believe was looking for the power of Christ and missed the love of Christ at work. I also make the same mistakes. I trust my own judgment and fail to act in love. I have been continually reminded of this lately to my chagrin and thankfulness. Two situations come to mind immediately. One of them occurred in this blog a couple of posts ago. I was discussing the development of Finnish football and lamenting what I consider bad for the game in the practice of running up the score on opponents, which happens often in this country at many levels and by many teams. In that post I used an example from a game I had recently seen. It was not my intention to denigrate another coach, but, I hurt a friend in that post and I truly regret it. I did not mean to single him out in any way, he has done incredible things for Finnish football and I know he felt badly about what I said. He told me so himself, which I really appreciated, maybe not enjoyed- but I did appreciate it. LOL! I truly value him as a friend and fellow coach and while we agreed to disagree on some issues that I brought up he is an invaluable part of this community of American Football in Finland. The reality is that I feel strongly about the development of the game and still believe in the principles I spoke of. However I did not speak with the love that I needed to have for people I care for.

Mackenzie and the offense racked up 809 yards of total offense vs. the Border Knights!

The second incident was a couple of weeks ago during our game vs. the Border Knights. It was an amazing game from a fans perspective and if you want to see a great offensive show the game is still available online at the SAJL site. However as a defensive coach it was also frustrating to watch their offense march up and down the field on us. We had many injuries and had people playing in positions that they had never played. The frustration and desperation got the better of me and I got greedy and made a poor coaching decision. At one point in the second half I opted to go for a 2 point conversion, partly because I saw we were in a scoring fest and I wanted to try to score as many points as possible in every opportunity that we had. I had seen many instances throughout the day where I believed we could have converted a two point conversion, but had not done so. After scoring I had contemplated it again and decided to do it. However the decision brought confusion to our offense and we did not convert. Mackenzie McGrady, our quarterback, asked me what I was thinking and I tried to explain it but did not do a good job of it. As we talked I realized that a large part of it was my desperation and feelings that we could not stop them defensively. He chastised me for thinking that way, which did not feel good, but was needed. The truth was that I had begun to question my decision making and my ability in managing the defense. I felt ashamed that I had stopped believing in our defense. Fortunately our guys had more faith in themselves than I did and after falling behind 54-41 with 9 minutes left in the 4^th quarter our defense rose up and made a couple of stops allowing our offense to score a few more times and win the game 61-54. The defense held the Knights out on the last play at the one yard line as time ran out to preserve the victory.

Bonfire Near Porvoo

Both of these incidents were deeply humiliating for me as they demonstrated my lack of ability to love. A few days later I read 1 Corinthians 13 in my daily devotional which really helped me see how far away from the goal I am. However, I can also take comfort in knowing that even though John had sent his disciples to Jesus to question him, Jesus did not chastise John for it. In fact he praised John in front of all those present explaining that “of all those born of women there is none greater than John.” (Luke 7:28) I know that I constantly fail in my attempts to love others in the way that God loves me. I can only ask forgiveness from those I have failed to love, get up, dust off my pants and keep on trying. Just like my defense did! And I can only hope that God feels the same way about me that I feel about them, proud and full of love!

Happy Midsummer!

Ship passing during Midsummer Eve!

Jim

Porvoo our Home!

2011-06-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

Shorehouses

Porvoo is a wonderful small city in Finland and happens to be my home for the summers as I coach the Butchers. It occurred to me that I have not really spent any time writing about Porvoo in these blogs. That is an error which must be corrected and so this week I will introduce you to my home away from home Porvoo, Suomi. Porvoo is located about 50 kilometers east of Helsinki. It is in the region called Ita-Ussimaa and has about 42,000 residents. It sits where the Porvoo River meets the sea and has been an important trading port for centuries. The Porvoo Castle was built on the hill and the town named Borgå in Swedish which means Castle River. It is a culturally significant town as it is the home of Finnish National poet J.L. Runeberg who wrote the words to the national anthem during his time in Porvoo. Famous artist Albert Edelfelt also produced much of his work here. Many of his portraits of Porvoo from the 1800s feel as though were painted last year. He would travel every summer from Paris to come paint the scenery of Porvoo. It is also the scene of the Diet of 1809 convened by Czar Alexander I of Russia when Finland became a Grand Duchy of Russia. This became the cornerstone of Finnish independence which would develop over the next 110 years.

Porvoo Cathedral

This is a small town where everyone knows everyone and their business which can be good and bad. If you have done something everyone knows it. That goes especially for the Butchers. While we may not draw the size of crowds that the game does in America, everyone seems to know the Butchers and how we are doing. Many of them have opinions as well about what we are doing right or wrong and will share those with you. I can’t tell you how many times someone has come up to me who is a perfect stranger and talked about the Butchers. I have realized that there is a deep passion in the city about the team. This is even more disconcerting considering how reserved these Finns are. As I have commented before they make the British look like gregarious extroverts. If so many people are willing to come say something despite the inhibitions of this people how many more are thinking things and not saying them? But for the most part everyone here loves the Butchers and is proud of the six championships the team has won in the Maple League.

Walgrens Restaurant

The team also has wonderful sponsors who have done so much for us as coaches and players. Last season we ate our meals at Seireni a wonderful restaurant and night club in town. The staff there became wonderful friends and was very supportive of me personally. Carina, Kirsi, and Ida in particular were so welcoming. This season I admit I was disappointed that we would not be eating at Seireni, as I felt at home there. However, with a new year comes new changes and we now eat at two places, the Serahovi Hotel and a restaurant owned by the hotel, Walgrens. The staff at Walgrens has been so pleasant and welcoming that it is one of our highlights every day to go there. The food is also incredible. We have yet to have a meal that was not fabulous and the presentation is wonderful. Ani, Veronica and the others have made us feel so welcome and we are so thankful. They also have come to games and taken a real interest in us. On warm days sitting on the deck of this historic building is such a pleasure as we watch tourist and locals stroll along the riverside.

Porvoo is a tourist town and is the second oldest community in Finland, granted town rights in 1346 by the King of Sweden Magnus Eriksson. Walgrens is near the Vanha Porvoo or old town which is full of lovely boutiques, restaurants and shops. It is a major tourist destination as people come to see the old wooden shorehouse buildings along the river, the Cathedral and the cobblestone streets.

Body Tonic

Just up the street from old town is the other place we spend a lot of time, Body Tonic. Body Tonic is a local gym that allows us to use their facilities. It is not a mega facility such as you might find in the U.S. but it has everything that we need and is very comfortable. Everyone there has also been very friendly and there are some amazing athletes that work out there that we have become friends with. Top European bodybuilders, MMA fighters, Thai boxers, members of the local basketball and floorball clubs and professional wrestlers use this facility along with the general population. We especially love hitting the sauna after working out, it can be very relaxing. Many of our players, especially the younger ones, also train at Body Tonic and the staff there have been so supportive.

The BOY!

Another of our sponsors that has been such a joy to work with has been Ostuupankki. Besides being a major supporter and the home of the Maple Bowl trophy or ‘The Boy,” as it is affectionately called, for the past six years this is also our bank. When we have issues dealing with money this is where we go and they are always so patient with us. Mackenzie even has a nickname there, he is known to the bank staff, not as the golden boy quarterback, but as “the waterboy.” Chris and Layton dubbed him that one day and now whenever Mac walks in they say, “hey there’s the waterboy!”

The Waterboy!

So much of our team’s success has been due to the support of this community, the sponsors, and the staff of volunteers who have worked so hard behind the scenes. Here’s to Porvoo, a hearty kiittos (thanks) to you for all you do.

Finnish Development

2011-06-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

My second year in Finland has started with an interesting situation. While we are trying to defend our Maple Bowl championship and win a record 7^th consecutive national championship the team finds itself at a crossroads. The Butchers of 2011 are not the Butchers of 2010. Gone are key players on both sides of the ball. Robert Johnson is playing in Italy, Santtu Ayravainen and Derrick Ford are in Germany, IIro Luoto is in Switzerland. Seppo Evwaraye, Tommi Padatsu, Markus Haverinen, Marko Luoma, Peter Lindholm, Kari Hytonen, and Patrick Hogstrom have all retired. Others have moved to other teams in Finland or have commitments that prevent them from playing this season. All in all it has made for a huge turnover in which our junior players have had to step up and play big roles already in the season.

Add to that scenario the fact that some of our American imports have been delayed in arriving and it made for an interesting open of the season when we took on the Roosters and the Crocodiles in the first two weeks both playoff teams from last season. We are 1-1 now having defeated the Roosters in Helsinki 7-0 and losing to the Crocodiles 21-10 at home this week. While it has been frustrating at times having to rebuild the team it has also been very exciting, even without our American imports. Against the Roosters we played with a purely Finnish team on defense and held them scoreless. Against the Crocodiles we competed strongly and even though we made many mistakes we were in the game till the end. The excitement comes from seeing the development of Finnish players who can play and hold their own against teams with American players. That is the ultimate standard and the reality is that a huge part of my job here is to try and assist in that development. As I reflected upon that process last week after defeating the Roosters I was so proud of our players for what they had accomplished. I also had two other experiences that made me see my role in a clearer perspective.

Obviously we are playing in a league here which is the top level of football in Europe and the ultimate goal is to win the championship. A goal we have accomplished for six years. However, the longer range goal should be to develop the game to a level where winning a championship does not depend upon who has the best import players. As coaches we should have the best interests of the game in mind when we make decisions and here part of that is to develop Finnish talent to new heights so that they can compete with anyone else in the world. One of the experiences was a conversation with the Finnish National team coach Tuomas Heikkinen who is trying to spearhead a movement to identify and develop young players in anticipation for the 2014 European Championships. The conversation was fantastic and I believe he is making the right moves and his work will pay off if we as coaches will begin to build a community that looks after the game and what is best for it. Allistair MacIntyre argued that we must treat our sport as a “practice community.” (MacIntyre, 1984) He uses this term practice in the sense that doctors practice medicine or lawyers practice the law. Within these practice communities there are certain standards that those involved in the discipline must adhere to in order to make sure that the practice thrives and retains its integrity. As a community within that practice our focus needs to be on those standards and we need to ask ourselves what is in the best interest of our sport? There are times where the answer to that question may conflict with our own personal best interests and in those cases we need to protect our sport and its integrity. I believe that coach Heikkinen is doing this with football in Finland and am excited for the plans that he has. In that vein I also applaud the Trojans and the Jaguars for their commitments to develop Finnish quarterbacks by not bringing in imports. While those players also need mentoring to truly develop, in the short term this may have hurt their national championship hopes but in the long term it will help the game develop in Finland.

The second experience was one that contradicted this notion of a practice community. I went to watch two teams play and one team clearly dominated the other. While this may happen at times the way that the victorious team handled it bothered me. They have three very talented American players and yet when they were up by 30 some points late in the fourth quarter they kept those players in the game and in my view continued to pour it on the other team. Even to the extent of throwing a touchdown pass up by 40 points with seven seconds in the game. While it may be beneficial to pad some of these Americans stats I see it as destructive to the game. Blowouts are not good for the game. They are of no interest to watch and they do not highlight the skills of players. Let me clarify that if this team had a Finnish QB in and was trying to get him experience and is throwing the ball I do not have an issue with that. But to keep the American QB in and all the imports is unsafe for them and limits opportunities for Finnish players. I do not want to have anyone think that I am overly critical of the coach for this team in his development of Finnish players. On the contrary he has developed an incredible number of Finnish players and has done a great job coaching.

In fairness he did limit some of the playing time for some of the imports during the game but the issue is one of history as he so well pointed out to me. So many teams have been beaten so badly that it is the norm to do the same when things are turned around. This is also encouraged by the establishment of a points for and points against tie breaker in case of ties at the end of the season, an idea I think may be wonderful for soccer but does not work in American Football. My intention is not to single out this team either as other teams do the exact same thing, it has developed into a cultural phenomenon here and yet I still believe it hurts the game.

Last year we worked hard to develop a backup for Robert Johnson, our American QB, and Alexi Seppanen did a wonderful job for us in that role when we were up in games. We allowed Alexi to run the entire offense and gave him free reign, but the other American players were also out of those games. At that point I believe that when you have backups in and the other team does not stop you there are some issues for them to deal with as well in their preparation and execution so there is responsibility on both sides. When I coached in England we took the same approach and developed Paul Ashton and David Hughes as our backup quarterbacks. Ashton and Hughes got to see a lot of action and eventually became the Great Britain National team quarterbacks thanks to the coaching and mentoring they received from our American QB Rick Bolen.

As coaches we need to have a sensible approach to developing Finnish talent and giving them quality instruction and coaching. We also need to treat our sport as a practice community and realize that running up the score on opponents is not good for the sport. The average fan wants to see competitive games not lopsided affairs. If we want to develop the game in this country we must understand this and appeal to those fans. Why would anyone want to go to a game and pay hard earned cash to see one team destroy another 90-0 or some other ridiculous score? In the U.S. running up the score is frowned upon by most people in the profession and those who do not adhere to this ideal are looked upon with loathing and distrust. When you are up comfortably you put in your backups and allow them to develop their skills and have an opportunity to progress. Until we realize that we will always fall behind in developing Finnish talent.

References:

MacIntyre, A. C. (1984) After virtue: A study in moral theory (2^nd ed). South Bend:

University of Notre Dame Press.