Final Presentation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXwV-5h3iaI&feature=youtu.be

The Fuel

For everyone who has played any kind of sport from pee-wees to college athletics knows that you have to constantly stay in shape and work out. But as you progress from little league to high school, to college, you realize sleep and food are the two main keys to having success and to help you achieve peak performance.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09362.html

Sometimes we all get caught up with practice and weight training, we forget to watch what we eat at times and that can be costly to your development as a player. The wear and tear athletes put on their can be overwhelming at times, which makes nutrition all the more important, not only because you need carbs and calories, but also eating healthy can prevent injury or in some cases help in the recovery process.  Your body is your temple and if the temple is not maintained it will fall apart and start to work against you, which no athlete wants at all. During workouts and training sesions it is important to get the proper hydration to keep the muscles from cramping and running out of gas on you, which is not a good feeling at all and I am speaking from experience on that. More importantly though your body needs to be in top shape at the beginning of the season and what you do and put into your body in the months leading up to the season, will give you the proper preparation to endure a long, hard and grueling campaign. From my experience going through a whole football season is absolutely hell on the body regardless of who you are, I swear I felt like my body was just going to fall into a million pieces and that is with all of the off season work I put in prior to the season. That goes to show people that student athletes endure a constant battle with themselves on and off the field and I say that because when the season starts, they have to deal with the bumps and bruises all while making it to class as well. Sometimes limping to class is the case, but its a skill developed playing sports all of your life.  All the more reason why food and nutrition are vital to the success on the field but as you found out, also to make it through the day as well. Protein shakes, fruit and vegetables are an athletes best friend even though sometimes its nice to stray away and indulge in some junk food once in a while, discipline comes into play to stay focus and not eat that greasy burger or french fry and keep the eyes on the prize.

A Soldier Story

The Adjustment

One of the hardest things to admit as an athlete is facing the fact that your playing days have come to an end.  I know from my experience of facing that dreaded day was bitter sweet, it sucked it had to end but at the same time it felt good to knowing my body would not be taking anymore punishment on the football field.  Do not get me wrong it is a very emotinal time because growing up and playing for 14 straight years, then having it taken away was pretty rough.  My mind and my body were so programmed and trained to the eating habits, workout rountines and waking up times, and now it all has felt weird since being done.  I feel that other athletes going through the same thing can testify and agree with me on some of those things as well, and so far since being away from the game for the last few months I have seen others in a similar position like mine going through hard coming to terms that everything is over.  Yes we get to sleep in and have more down time to ourseleves but on the flip side of that, it is harder to get motivated to hit the gym or to do some kind of excerise to stay in shape.  I talked to a fellow teammate of mine who has played with me on the Mercyhurst University football team Fred Hale and he said " I would give anything to go back to our junior because everything went right for us, that year and we finished it off by winning our division for the first time in school history!" and then i chimed in and started to get emotional because now that its all over I just have memories and that is hard to swallow.  But it does not stop just for college athletes, it happens in the professional ranks as well, and in my opinion i feel it is worse because that is their job.  Professional athletes im sure have it harder to deal with the end of the road because that is their way of life and source of income to feed their families.

There have been cases of Athletes going crazy, committing suicide, losing all of their money and even ending in trouble with the law, and i feel the main cause of that is because its hard making the adjustment to life after sports.  Here is a link that shows the struggle that comes with dealing with the cruel reality of a life with not having something you loved for so long taken away from you. Take a look.
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/people/Professional-Athletes-Prepare-for-Life-after-Sports-118377659.html

The Hustle

Championships are won in the off season and those are words I have always heard, once football season was over.  Well i can honestly say all of my coaches were right and I'm pretty sure my old teammates would most likely agree, because the off-season is where you get time to recover and clear your mind.  And by that I mean that is the time to hit the weight room and start to work on things, and improve yourself and get better as a player.  While everyone else is being let out of school for the summer and getting ready to enjoy the next couple of months off from classwork, making vacation plans and laying out tanning on the beach, Athletes are are only bracing to reload and hit the gym even harder because now there is even more free time to get gym time in.  This is all part of the hustle, the pain , the blood, the sweat and tears, its all part of the process to being great.  Sometimes there are sacrifices to be made in order to achieve the ultimate goal of being a champion, and I went out and talked to a couple, of Athletes around the Mercyhurst University campus and got some good feedback about off season training and how vital it is for everyone to be on board, because it can mean the difference between a good season and a horrible one.

Former Mercyhurst football player Dan Kruper told me " Yea it is for sure a lifestyle and habit you build over the years of playing sports for so long, you already know your summers will be cut short and the days your suppose to have off you are in the gym working and grinding".  Not many people can handle the commitment of being an Athlete because they aren't willing to make the sacrifices it requires in some aspects of their lives.  There were many instances where an important event would have to be missed or cancelled due to prior commitments of the sports athletes play.  I know one instance where I had to miss my aunt's wedding ceremony because of a playoff football game my team was involved in, it was a huge decision but when it came down to it, my family understood and excepted me missing the ceremony.  If athletes are pursuing greatest, they must not let anything deter their main objective.  Former college basketball player Abby Allen also mentioned "  It is for sure not for the faint of heart, for instance you think the summer is a chance for a break, not at all no time for the beach or planned vacations, it can be rough at times which is why not everyone can do what we do."

The Opportunity

Andrew Luck and RG3, yes those were the two main attractions at this year's NFL draft which took place April 26th-April 28th.  253 young men from major division 1 colleges had their names called by NFL franchises and given the opportunity of a lifetime to play professional football for a living.  But after the final pick was called at the draft which took place at legendary Radio City Music Hall in New York City, things were not over by any means.  The undrafted rookie free agency aspect was underway, where players who's names were not called during the seven rounds have a chance to be signed by any team that wants their services.  This brings me to Trever Kennedy and Ian Wild who both were all Americas and outstanding players for Mercyhurst University football program, they both have had outstanding careers and are now paving the way making history for Mercyhurst's football program.  Here is an article on more about Kennedy. http://hurstathletics.com/news/2012/4/29/FB_0429124129.aspx

Trever has overcome so many odds to get a chance of a lifetime, and now it has presented itself, getting the tryout with Tampa bay and hopefully he is very success because Ian Wild and he could possibly be pioneers for the division 2 realm of football.  I watched both guys grow up and become the players they are today, Trevor was my roommate for three years and, me and Ian played defense together for four years.  Its funny how time flies, we all came to Mercyhurst Together four years ago and now Trever and Ian are living out their dreams right in front of our eyes.  Granted Mercyhurst is a small University in Erie, Pa, like my family has always told me "Kevin if you are good enough, they will find you no matter where you go."  And now i see that saying coming to life even before my eyes and I could not be happier because it is a great to see some of your closest friends make to where they have been dreaming about since being a little boy.  All they needed was a foot in the door, and now its time to kick that door down and make way for future small division two college football players across the nation.

The Stereotype

Being a student athlete goes beyond the field and the weight room, can't forget about the school which most important.  So those are three aspects which are very time consuming but still somehow they have to pull through and grind it out everyday.  It takes a lot of dicipline, focus and will power but most of all, time management!  During my time as a student athlete at Mercyhurst University, I have seen countless examples of poor time management, which ultimately lead to decreased playing time, mandatory stud hall and even dismissal from the team all together.  Some of the young players currently on the roster now have told me it is definitaly not for the faint of heart, "It feels like there isnt any down time or at least some time to yourself when, always on the move."  Now i can testify to that because when i used to play, it was always something whether it be study hall, weight traning or practice there wasn't any time to breath or take a second.  Another thing you have to deal with being a student athlete is the fact that teachers know who you are because you play a sport and even though they don't like to admit it, they pick on the athletes and single them out, or are harder on athletes than the other students.  Im sure the majority of teachers will deny that, but its the Stereotype of athletes and how they are portrayed, that most athletes feel picked on in the classroom.

That does not stop student atheletes from performing and doing great things in the classroom,  there are plenty of facts and statistics that can show and prove the success rate of student athelets across the nation.  Yes they have alot to deal with and can be overwhemling at times but that does not stop them from pushing and feeling sorry for themselves.  Being a student athlete is a special privilage which should not be taken for granted, so many stereotypes and labels come with the territory, like "dumb jocks" or being lazy and cocky.  As long as they keep up the good work the stereotypes will vanish for good and let their hard work do all of the talking.

The Difference

Athletes all across the world know that we are all different from the average person, not to sound cocky or put us above other people.  But it is almost like a scared fellowship regardless of what sport you play or background you have come from, weall have made the ultimate committment and sacrifice to indulge ourseleves into the world of sports.  The long practice hours, getting up at sunrise while it feels like the rest of the world is still sleeping, grinding through grueling practices in the summer heat.  While your friends are out partying and having a good time, your in the gym working your butt off, putting in your time with the blood, sweat and tears that come along with it.  You love it though and no matter how much you complain about being sore or tired, or feeling like you just want to strangle your coach to death, you know in the end all of that hard work will pay off come game time.  The average person who has never played a sport in their life can never fully understand all of those emotions athletes go through day in and day out, sun up to sun down, they just can not do it.  And that is the difference between the two, making the sacrifice to better yourself for competition and not hang out with your friends on a friday night, or take a day off for feeling sorry for yourself is something the outside world would not be able to relate to no matter how hard they try.  The taste of victory is so gratifying and blissful, hearing the crowd roar knowing everyone is on their feet because of what you accomplished is such a rush and unbelievable feeling.  Here is a video to describe what I am talking about.That is what makes all of the pain, long practices, heated debates with teammates and film sessions all worth it.

The Grind

As mentioned before in my previous blog, I had aspirations to be a Division 1 athlete but sometimes things just do not work out as planned.  Every year athletes across the country struggle to come to terms about not playing at the school of their choice, or getting a full scholarship to play.  Everybody feels they have what it takes to play on the big stage, so playing at a small Division 2 or 3 college is most of the time out of the question.  But speaking from experience since I was a Division 2 football player for Mercyhurst University, there really are not that many differences that separate the two.  Yes most of Division 2 schools do not have the ability to offer full scholarships, and some of the more glamorous athletic facilities.  But the competition is just as intense and the talent level is just as good and in some cases even better.  The grind is tough because Division 2 athletes might not have access to certain needs that would help them get better, and in a few cases i have seen, some have to come out of their own pockets to get the job done.  That to me is one of the biggest differences from the two levels of competition, because the big D1 schools can offer athletes those needs without the athlete having to worry about possibly paying with their own money.  In that sense I feel D2 athletes develop a mind-set of, grinding it out and having more of an appreciation of playing college football, because there are many cases, of D1 athletes taking that opportunity for granted.  I do not mean to sound bias in any way because I it is not easy to be a student athlete, it is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, but being at a school where football has to work around everything else is an intense grind.  It really does test you, making time management and self-independence vital, always having a certain demeanor about proving yourself.  Its almost like walking around with a chip on your shoulder having that feeling of knowing you should be at a major University playing in front of huge crowds, but your not and probably not on a scholarship either.  Making being a D2 athlete harder than people think, because those kind of schools do not get the publicity.  It is a beautiful struggle, and many D2 athletes have gone on to the prefessional ranks and acomplished great things, and will continue to do so with pride.  Like my mother always told me "If your good enough they will find you, no matter where you are"

Playing Favorites

I have been playing football for 14 years, I've played through pee wee all the way up until the collegiate level.  Speaking from experience, as i progressed throughout my playing career i could see how the intensity picked up.  But there was a more glaring observation I picked up on along the way, which was the concept of playing favorites.  Coming out of high school I was a really good solid running back who put up some impressive numbers, and that lead me to getting recruiting letters from big Universities like Penn St, Maryland, Rutgers just to name a few.  Of course that was exciting news for a 18 year old who wants to take their playing career to the top level of college football which would be Division 1.  Then it was time to actually visit some of those schools to see the what they were all about, and of course talk football.  I looked around and there were about 20 other guys from all over the country just like me looking to hopefully play big time Division 1 football, but then as the the tours started i felt left out, because some of the recruiters didn't know me or show any attention to me.  some guys in the group got the majority of the attention and coaches would talk in depth with them more than they would I.  The coaches would take us to watch film to see what kind of system they work with, then would tell a couple of the other guys, how good they looked in their highlight tapes.  But no one coach told me about my tape and how impressive i looked, and this trend would occur several places i went to visit.  After that phase of the recruiting process was over and i still have not received any calls, i came to the realization how all of those coaches at those Universities minds were already set on who they wanted, and it was all about playing favorites and not really giving a chance.  My former teammate and current college roommate Tyrell Coon went through something very similar, almost identical. He stated "All of of the colleges that recruited me said i was a great player, but since growing up and playing football in New York City, it hurt my chances because we aren't known for our football."  That seems to happen more than people think, but being on the outside looking in people don't really see how coaches manage this.  Not only does it happen at the high school level, but the college level as well.  My mother told me after our experience "Its not how much you know, Its all about who you know."