United We Stand, Divided We Fall

Never in my 27 years of life have I felt like as a community, state, and country have we been so divided. Whether it be through education, athletics, politics, civil rights, or just a random action during the day, it is obvious that there is a clear divide right now in our country. On this day, 11/11/20, Veterans Day 2020, I want to take the time to remember why we are all here and the purpose of our life as citizens of the UNITED States of America. (Let's let Kid History explain a little bit about Veterans Day)

As I think about Veterans day and the crises going on throughout our country right now, I can not help but think about the idea of being thankful for what we have. Over 100 years ago now the citizens of the UNITED States of America came together to celebrate the end of World War I. Ever since this, our country has come together and tackled whatever challenges arise. Has adversity hit this community, state and country? Absolutely but has it ever divided a country like it has in the year 2020? Just in my lifetime some of the defining moments I remember in this country include 9/11, the Boston Marathon Bombings, the Sikh Temple shooting, and Hurricane Katrina. When I think back to these tragic events, there is always a sense of pride about how we as Americans UNITED and became stronger as a nation through our responses to these tragedies. Sadly, I do not know if during this year of 2020 whether it be the COVID-19 pandemic, the election, educational decisions, or Civil Rights issues, if we as a county have put our own agendas aside to UNITE and become a stronger nation. 

I am currently reading, The Power of Moments by Dan and Chip Heath. It has become clear to me while reading this powerful source that we as Americans right now need to embrace each moment we are given. We are provided with defining moments in our lives daily, weekly and monthly. It is our preparation, actions, and reactions to what happens daily that defines the type of defining moment we have. Are we embracing the opportunities we are presented with each day? How are we making each moment a positive defining moment? When you went to work today, did you just follow your normal routine or did you do something different to impact your feelings or to make someone else's day? Dan and Chip Heath extensively break down what makes a defining moment and what we can do to build more peaks within our days and lives. One idea that really stood out to me is the idea of "breaking the script". Just the idea of doing something different, which raises emotional and sensory appeal, allows for a positive defining moment in your day. As an educator if I do one thing that is out of the norm for one student a day, I am now creating peak moments every day in my students lives. School, occupations, livelihoods become boring and routine based, finding a way to break the normalcy of your routines will create more peak and defining moments in your life. 

Why do we need these peaks and defining moments in our days? Right now as a country, I would argue we have never needed these peaks and positive defining moments more. Every day we are presented with opportunities and our preparation and responses to these opportunities will result in either more of the status quo or will provide ourselves, our families, our friends, and our coworkers with the peaks that are needed to become more UNITED as a workforce, as a family, as an education system and as a country. 

When as a community, a state, and a country will we put our own agenda aside and do what we can to help one another and to create positive defining moments for those around us? That is when we will truly be able to move on and move through this year of 2020. The epidemic of 2020 will not stop at the change of a calendar, we as people need to UNITE and come together to tackle all the issues going on in our communities. Just as our Veterans have come together for hundreds of years as they have battled for our freedom, we need to come together as a nation to battle for our future and our livelihood. 

I am going to end this post with a preview link to one of the most powerful movies I have ever seen. Honor Flight is a must watch for any American and hopefully can help us all remember the sacrifices that have been made by others who have put their country before themselves. 

Honor Flight Trailer

Honor Flight Movie

UNITED WE STAND, divided we fall. UNITE AMERICANS. 

White Privilege

Last week I was caught asking myself, "Why are all these college coaches, famous athletes and such ALL releasing statements about the injustice going on in the world?" It wasn't that I did not agree with them, I was just surprised at the amount of statements being released and I wondered if they were just "token" statements to try and fit in. I questioned the legitimacy of some of the statements and people making them. After further reflection throughout the week and being able to participate in a rally, protest, and march, I realized it is much more than a "token" statement.

I realized that in order for change to effectively happen we as a society can not keep standing behind these issues and can not be afraid of talking about it. That is the purpose of all the statements that were made by people in leadership positions who have a strong voice. They are saying "enough is enough" and it is time that we all become aware of this situation and educate ourselves in order to solve the deep rooted, long standing issue of systemic racism in our country.

I have to thank countless educators, friends and others who challenged my thinking throughout high school and college about White Privilege. Whether it was an educator telling us at Grafton High School about a friend who he knows who got pulled over in Ozaukee County for "DWB" (Driving while Black) or a Diversity in Education course at UWEC with one of the most powerful and challenging professors I ever had, all these educational opportunities opened my eyes to the systemic racism problem in our country.

Now for those of that do not know, I grew up in a predominately white suburb of Milwaukee where in the early 2000's we were one of the top 20 richest counties in the country and had a top 5 lowest unemployment rate in the country. I was very fortunate to grow up in this area and community that also had a very strong education system. Now for those of you familiar with the streets of Milwaukee, I want you to imagine that I was born, lived, and grew up on 35th and Center St. Think about the lack of experiences I would have had growing up (Little League, Mel's Charities, strong church family, strong neighborhood, strong education system, etc.) and how different my white life may be. Why does where I was born and raised affect so much of the opportunities given to me, it goes back to Redlining (please read the link for a history on Redlining) and segregating neighborhoods which has oppressed black and other races for years in this country. So just imagine how different my life would be if I did not have these opportunities to grow and flourish in a nurturing and strong educational environment. THAT IS WHITE PRIVILEGE. Taking all those things into account, now I want you to imagine that while I was growing up on 35th and Center I was black. The idea of growing up and seeing Police as being safe is now gone and out the window. Not only do I not get the same athletic, academic and social opportunities but now the people who you are supposed to trust the most who are there to protect you, I cannot trust. And due to longstanding issues with not only the Police but other white Americans, I cannot feel safe and protected in America (land of the free).  I am looked at as different all because I was born 20 miles south from where I grew up and am a different color.

So no I did not work harder to get where I am today, I was given opportunities to succeed because of where I was born and my race. THAT IS WHITE PRIVILEGE AND SYSTEMIC RACISM.

And that is just the beginning of the difficulties of growing up as a black individual in this country means. I heard Emmanuel Acho (former NFL player) this week while describing what it was like to grow up as an African American in the US and it had a profound impact on me. He said something as simple as he always tries to be the first one off the elevator so the white people on the elevator are not threatened and do not think that he wants to cause harm. How crazy is that?! African Americans in this country not only cannot feel safe out in the community, with police officers but they have to even question and worry about being black while being in an elevator. THAT IS SYSTEMIC RACISM.

I also want to state that people who try to make this a political debate or a debate about the flag, you are missing the point. This is about bringing awareness to a social injustice that has been going on way too long in this country. I do not care if you are Republican, Democratic, part of the Green Party or any other political system, we need to bring this issue to light because it is the right thing to do and an issue that needs to be solved for Black Lives to Matter in this country and to feel safe and respected. And for those of you who are upset with "protesters" looting buildings, people have tried for years to bring light to this SYSTEMIC RACISM issue peacefully (Colin Kaepernick) and we (myself included) have ignored it. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (who also protested peacefully over 60 years ago) said "A riot is the language of the unheard".

The goal of this piece is not to cause a debate or argument but it is to try and educate and create civil conversations about this very strong issue in our country. Thank you to all the people who have impacted my view on this and shared their thoughts and stories, I now feel it is time to share mine. Once again we need to begin this conversation because things will not change without these uncomfortable conversations. My hope is that by reading this your eyes are opened a little bit and you begin to understand the systemic racism issue in this country. One of the best things we can do right now to begin to tackle this issue is to educate ourselves, have difficult conversations, and bring awareness to this pandemic that is going on in our country.

Above is an impactful 3 minute video by Gregg Popovich and his thoughts on this situation and race. Below are some ways you can begin to educate yourself and begin to fight this systemic problem in our country. Thank you to LaVall Jordan (Butler Basketball Coach) for sharing these resources.

Quarantine Life... Get 1% Better Every Day

Quarantine and COVID-19 has changed society as we knew it and it has been a challenging time for many people. First and foremost, I hope and pray that we as a community, country and world are able to overcome COVID-19, experiencing the least amount of harm possible. While it may have affected our daily lives of going to the store, going to a local restaurant, going to work, participating or watching sports, the #1 priority in all of this is we help each other and keep as many people as possible stay safe and healthy. 

Now, the reason I put the tweet at the top is I read that this morning and it really resonated with me. I truly believe that your daily motto/energy will guide you during this time. You can choose to attack these days with a positive mindset as outlined by Jon Gordon in Energy Bus (My favorite read so far during this quarantine) and in turn you will be granted with life changing opportunities. One of my favorite parts of Energy Bus is the idea of E (Event) + P (Perception or Positive Energy) = O (Outcome). There are events that happen to us daily (quarantine) that we have no control over, but your energy and mindset can result in a positive outcome no matter the event. 

During this quarantine time, I have been pushing myself to become a better coach, educator and person. I have been surrounding myself with learning opportunities in various formats while also still being able to connect with others and serve others. If you follow me on Twitter (@CoachK_WI) you will have seen almost daily posts with me getting the opportunity to listen and follow some of the best baseball coaches in the world. In the last month I have been fortunate enough to participate in over 50 zoom calls or coaching clinics/conferences. I have been able to challenge my thinking as a coach, listen to and follow some of my coaching idols and grow my overall knowledge of leadership and coaching. I also want to thank Baseball Coaches Insider and ABCA for giving out free videos from previous Clinics or Presentations. Being able to go back and watch Tim Corbin from 2008 and Augie Garrido present is something that would not have happened if it were not for these service providers providing content to better coaches. 

I cannot stress enough, how much the mindset of Get 1% Better Every Day has impacted me during the last month. Waking up every day and looking at it as an opportunity to better myself as an educator, coach and person is something that I cannot take for granted. I am able to watch, listen and follow future Hall of Fame coaches while taking endless amounts of notes. These days have provided an outlet for me to grow in so many ways. Being able to read numerous books, listen to podcasts, reflect on personal practices, partake in Zoom calls, and being able to connect with my students virtually are all things that I have been looking forward to every day during this unprecedented time.

While I have been pushed during this time in many ways to better myself, this time is not over. That is why I am writing this now. I want to reach people and want people to embrace the idea of bettering themselves a little bit every day during this quarantine and beyond. Whether it is writing a journal, listening to a podcast on positivity, downloading the Ten Percent Happier App, starting your own blog, I challenge you to use these next weeks during quarantine to wake up every day and try to grow yourself in some manner. Become a better coach, teacher, parent, brother, sister, whatever it is- get 1% better every day. Attack the day with a positive mindset and see how much you can grow in the coming weeks!

My last note will come from a Podcast I was listening to today. Sheets, (Who has put so much of this phenomenal baseball content out there and that has driven me to better myself) asked CJ Gillman (Cincinnati Reds Hitting Coordinator) "What has becoming a lifelong learner done for you?" And this answer resonated with me as this has been my thought process every day during quarantine and CJ Gillman responded with "It has provided me a sense of purpose". Bingo, that is what all these learning opportunities daily have given me, they have presented me with a purpose and a drive to become a better coach, educator and person. So to Sheets and anyone else who has provided content out there to better myself during this time, Thank you!

A Year in the UP... Next up UWEC

Well another adventure awaits. I was very fortunate and blessed to spend this past school year in two environments that have allowed me to grow as an educator and coach.

This past August, I took a leap of faith and moved to the UP to pursue an assistant coaching position at Finlandia University. I had no idea what this would entail or mean for my future. It led to a year of learning and growth and has now allowed me the opportunity to go back to my alma mater, University Wisconsin-Eau Claire, as an assistant baseball coach as they bring their program back from their hiatus since 1995. It is crazy to think that just 8 months ago I was moving to the UP as a first time college baseball coach and now I am able to be a part of the resurgence of UWEC baseball.

Again, it is very important to realize that I would not have this opportunity if it were not for Coach Brandt and the Finlandia University Athletic program. Coach Brandt took a chance on a young High School coach from Wisconsin and gave him an opportunity to pursue his dream. For that, I will always be thankful. Along the way I not only got to grow and learn from coaches on our staff but from our players daily and what it takes to succeed at the college level. "FU" will always have a different meaning to me and that is the family and connections I made while being part of the Finlandia University baseball program.

It would not be fair to write this and not include the school I was able to work at this past year. Being able to be the Special Education teacher this year at Jeffers High School allowed me to once again grow as an educator and create connections with students and staff that will always be a part of me. It was a special place to be and was great to see how the students take to and care about their education.

Once again, this is just a thank you and a stay in touch to all of those people (players, coaches, students, staff, parents) who have helped me and been a part of my journey in the UP. This will always be a special part of my journey but I am excited to get back to the Eau Claire area and help develop the UWEC baseball program in its return. You can never take the hill away from someone.

Go Blugolds!

The Grafton Baseball Fraternity from 2010-2020

After attending the 4th Pitch for Matt Cornhole tournament this weekend, I was doing some thinking as to what has made this event and fundraiser so successful?

There were many different things that came to my mind throughout my drive back to the UP but one constant theme I came up with was the connection and brotherhood that Grafton Baseball has had in the last 10+ years. 

Other people and organizations like Mel's Charities (Check out this previous blog about the impact they can have) have done a lot for this cause as well and that will not be forgotten. Mel's Charities and Ansay have done so much to help with the building of Mattie's Field of Dreams which will have it's opening on Saturday, June 13th!

• Other people I thought to thank for the wonderful fraternity that has become Grafton Baseball go back to my days playing and then helping out with Grafton Little League:
• Corey Esselman, Mark Koehler, Mike Donahue, Tony Lukas, Tim Chopp, Jim and Deb Mayer, Dan Wade, Dee Ward, Jerry Faust, and all other volunteers who have helped grow Grafton Little League and Grafton Baseball to what it is today.

Now what has truly made Grafton Baseball a fraternity in recent years and allowed me to be at a fundraiser 10 years after Mattie's car accident and talk to players I played with, players I coached against and players who have just graduated. It all comes back to we are a part of the Grafton Baseball family and we would do anything to help each other out. That is what brings us all together every year at Pitch for Matt, and that is what will bring us together on June 13th this year and long into the future as well. 

For those who are unfamiliar with Grafton Baseball, I will just say it was a program that had struggled and was building during the 2000's. In my freshman and sophomore years in 2008 and 2009 we had finished with a 5-20 (2-16 conference) and a 4-23 (1-17) records. While I will say winning and success does not necessarily build a fraternity, in this case the turnaround of the Grafton Baseball program has been co-existent with the fraternity that has been built. The program has created a family culture for all baseball players in and from the community of Grafton that we can always go back to. 

How the turnaround happened so fast and the impact it has had on so many people's lives is astounding. It all started in 2010 when we lost our left fielder and senior teammate Matt Malkowski a month before the season started. It was devastating but led to a miraculous season and something we will never forget as we went 21-10 and went to the first State Tournament for Grafton Baseball in over 20 years. (Here is a quick link to a story on that wonderful season)

Since that 2010 season there has just been one season where Grafton Baseball has finished with less than 10 wins. If you told people in 2009 that the next 10 years of Grafton Baseball would consist of only 1 season WITHOUT 10 wins, they would have called you absolutely crazy. So now while this turnaround has led to a connection for all the players, it all goes back to the Malkowski family and their continued and unwavering support for the program in the years since 2010. To see them still at games on the left field line, even as an opposing coach it was heartwarming.

So as I was driving and thinking about all the connections I have created through playing, watching, and coaching against Grafton Baseball, I realized the game of baseball has not left a lot of us and thought I would just share names I remembered and how they continued in baseball after High School:

• 2008 Graduate: Miles Mayer- Current Head Coach at North Port High School in Florida (Special shout out to Miles for hosting our Finlandia team in Florida for a practice)
• 2010 Graduates: Skyler Bohn- Played and currently coaches at UW-Oshkosh, Dylan Mayer- former assistant coach at Grafton, Conor Fisk- Current AAA pitcher for the Blue Jays
• 2011 Graduates: BJ Weisflog- Played at Concordia Chicago, CJ Koehler- Current assistant coach at Finlandia University
• 2012 Graduates: Robbie Doring- Played at University of Dayton, Kevin Scholz- Currently attending Umpiring school as he works up the ranks as an umpire
• 2013 Graduate: Al Nenning- Played at Dennison University
• 2014 Graduates: Nate Lukas- Played at Truman State and current assistant coach at Wisconsin Lutheran College, Choo Weisflog- Played at Carthage and coached at Grafton, Beau Benzschawel- Current Detroit Lion (I know it is football but that is an NFL athlete)
• 2015 Graduates- Brad Parsons- Played at St. Joseph's College and current assistant coach at Whitefish Bay High School, Bryan Sternig- Played at Madison Edgewood, Adam Cibulka- Played at University of St. Francis, Nathan Koehler- former assistant coach at Port Washington
• 2016 Graduates- Adam Lukas- Currently in minor league system with Kansas City Royals
• 2017 Graduate- Ryan Hogan- Current manager for the UW-Whitewater Baseball team
• 2018 Graduate- Haden Fisk and Zach Brandenburg- Current players for MATC and Lucas Gosewehr- played at Western Technical College
• 2020 Graduate- Tommy Lamb- Committed to play at the University of Oklahoma

When you look at this list, you see the impact baseball has had on so many lives and I believe that is what ties all Grafton Baseball players together and allows us to be there for one another at any given moment. We owe a lot of this brotherhood and success to one individual who has been a part of Grafton Baseball through this all and that is Head Coach, Brian Durst. 

As an opposing coach for 7 of the next 10 years, I got to see the continued and sustained growth of Grafton Baseball behind one of my mentors and true friends, Coach Brian Durst. I could not be more happy for him and what Grafton Baseball has turned into under him and all the success he has had. Even when losing a Regional Championship to him last year, he made sure to give our players credit and won with class and dignity. He is the true person behind the Grafton Baseball Fraternity and someone who has molded us all in so many ways. On that note, Thank you Coach!

24

"Remember kid, there's heroes and there's legends; heroes get remembered, but legends never die. Follow your heart, kid, and you'll never go wrong."

This quote from The Sandlot is what immediately popped into my head when hearing the news of Kobe Bryant's death and has stayed with me for the last 24 hours. 

It is with a really heavy heart that I write this. Yesterday we lost a legend not just in the sports world but in society. The impact Kobe has had on the game of basketball is immeasurable. Not only did he win 5 NBA Titles with the Los Angeles Lakers but he created and brought to light the mentality and work ethic needed to succeed at the highest level. After hearing and watching plenty of thoughts and recollections of Kobe in the last 24 hours, it is obvious that his Mamba Mentality and work ethic is what resonated with not only basketball players but so many athletes and people around the world.

While it has been a crazy 24 hours and emotions have gone back and forth from sadness to admiration, I cannot write this without thinking about his family and all those families involved in this tragedy. Not only was a legend lost in the basketball world but a highly successful JUCO Baseball coach and his daughter was lost in this accident along with 5 others. Please keep all of their families and those affected by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers.

I have been thinking about why this has affected me so much as someone who did not grow up a Lakers fan or even a Kobe Bryant fan when I was younger. I remember seeing Kobe Bryant play in Milwaukee in probably the early 2000's. It was after he had won titles with the Lakers and as a young fan of the game, I did not like Kobe. He played for the Lakers and was the best player in the league, it was easy not to like him. Then on this night against the Bucks that dislike grew as he hit a game winning shot as time expired and he grabbed his croch for the crowd to see. I remember talking with my dad on the drive home about how that was classless and my respect for Kobe had diminished even more.

So now again I ask why has this loss affected me and why did I find it hard to go to our first official college baseball practice last night? For me I think it all comes back to his Mamba mentality. As I got older and went through high school, college and now as an adult and being able to continue to watch the impact Kobe was having on the world, my respect for him grew. By the time Kobe won his next two titles with the Lakers, I remember my view on him was changing and I was respecting him more and more and that continued to this day. As someone who believes in working hard and earning everything that is given to you, Kobe and the Mamba mentality embraced that mantra. I remember seeing videos or pictures of him working on his craft at unforsaken hours, but you know what, Kobe was not going to let anyone say that they were out working him.

Lastly, I saw the way he interacted with fans, with opponents, and how he was a mentor for so many young athletes and he embraced that role. That is how I am always going to remember Kobe now. You look at any of these videos, articles, stories that are surfacing now and how Kobe impacted not just professional athletes but youth, high school and college athletes everywhere, you see how genuine he was in trying to help and care for others.

The one video I have seen that I think sums up Kobe the best is from Lebron's post game interview after passing Kobe in points the night before the accident.

My one lasting takeaway from Kobe is this: You have 24 hours a day to get better, how are you using that time?

Kobe you were more than a hero, you were a legend that will never die.