Rock Wall!

This past week I got to take a trip to ESPN for a meet and greet/interview. For me, being a sports journalism major, ESPN is the end all be all career wise in my eyes. I got to meet one guy who had been working at ESPN for 30 years now. He began working there as a janitor just around the building and now helps produce one of the most successful shows ESPN broadcast, ESPN First Take. He explained to me his whole journey from working from the bottom up and shared some advice I've never heard before. He told me, "life isn't simply about moving straight up, sometimes you have to rock wall." At first I didn't understand what he meant, but then I thought about how one climbs a rock wall. When your climbing a rock wall, you don't just go straight up, sometimes you have to reach out side to side and move horizontally in order to reach the top. Once he got his foot in the door, he managed to keep working his way up slowly until he reached what he wanted. He preached to me about how patience is one of the most over looked traits it takes to work in "the business." Overall, after that day, after hearing that advice, I am going to carry that with everything I'm trying to accomplished. Hope you feel inspired.

Effort Has No Odds

This past weekend the sports world was spoiled with a legendary matchup that we will never see again. Peyton Manning vs. Ray Lewis for a chance of playing for the AFC championship. What we had was a moment where greatness stared into greatness. Both have the accolades that speak for themselves over their illustrious career. At the end of the day and against all odds, the Ravens pulled out a charismatic comeback to advance to the AFC championship rematch against the Patriots.

              "Greatness is a lot of small things done well, stacked up on each other," said Ray Lewis. Those few words perfectly describe the career of one of, if not, the greatest linebacker of all time. He is living proof that you don't have to be the biggest or fastest to make a splash in this gladiator game. He prides his career on the effort that pumps through his heart at a rate that no other player has been able to duplicate.  It's like riding a bike, no matter how tired you get, it's never about that one pedal you are pedaling. It's about the next pedal, and if you can get to that next one, your bike will keep moving. No amount of championships can disguise a characteristic like this, and that is what differentiates between being remembered and leaving a legacy. 

#52

Lucas Saunders 2012 Highlight Tape Middletown, CT

Alex Bednarek, Berlin High School, Berlin, Connecticut

My Thanks

23 years of life and the list of things I am thankful for is already endless. First and for most, I am thankful for my beautiful family. I am thankful for my father who has instilled in me the ultimate level of optimism. The things he has taught have been some of the most simplest and yet complex things at the same time. I am thankful for my mother who has given me the drive that I live by. She has taught me to have so much confidence in myself that I never thought I would be able to carry. Words can't describe how thankful I am for my younger brother, my best friend. He has shown that age does not bring wisdom, attitude does.
          I am so lucky to have not one, but seven best friends. I am thankful for them no matter how much or little I see them. I am thankful for them for having the conviction of keeping it real with me the entire time I have known them.
         I am thankful for my entire Springfield family. I am thankful for the maturation process we have been able to share and the legacy, yes legacy we left on that school.
         23 years of life and I could go on for what I am thankful for. Thank you for the people in my life who have supplied me with the motivation that fuels me everyday even if you don't know it. Little lessons in life are the things that carry dreams into reality, and I am thankful for everyone who have been able instill that into me.

Running Up The Score

Sportsmanship is something we are taught at a young age in the world of athletics. Good sportsmanship is viewed as special as winning sometimes in the realm of competition. There comes a time when sportsmanship is also tested with character. In today's world when an opponent seems outmatched it is seen as bad sportsmanship to run up to score. But here lies the conflict of character, as children we are taught to always try our best no matter what. We tell kids try their best and give it their all, but we don't take into consideration what "good" sportsmanship ultimately allows for that. If your child is winning and the score seems to be getting out of hand, it seems hypocritical to tell your child to "ease up." The definition of good sportsmanship would totally support that idea, but the character we are built upon does not. I ask myself, why is it my duty to ease up when I have put in the hard work to become the best I can? Why do I need to pull back because I am working hard just to benefit someone else's feelings. As wrong as that may sound, imagine telling your child, "I want you to go out there and try hard, not to hard, but just a little." We live in a society where we want to have it both ways. We cannot punish people for putting in the time and effort to become great and them because someone else feels bad.

Middletown High School Boys Soccer 2012 Season Highlights