Monthly Archives: March 2018

March 24, 2018 · 8:15 AM

Good Sports: Wakefield Recreation Association

We have some pretty cool things going on in our region. This post is the first of the Good Sports series, which I hope will become a long-running series highlighting some of these feel-good activities and organizations.

The spotlight today is on the Wakefield Recreation Association (WRA). Wakefield is a small town in Clay County, Kansas. It has a K-12 school, the Kansas Landscape Arboretum, Milford Lake, a plethora of outdoor activities, and great people. My special guest is one of those awesome Wakefield citizens, Ashley Dumler, president of the WRA and a teacher at Wakefield School.

MH: Welcome, Ashley! What is the Wakefield Recreation Association all about?

AD: Our philosophy is entirely based on community involvement. We want young and old and everyone in between participating and not just physically, we want all types of involvement. Our goal is to transform this community into a family.

MH: We know how tight the budgets can be in a small town community. We also know the importance of recreation in the health and wellness of our communities. How does the WRA balance increasing financial demands with limited financial resources?

AD: Another goal is to make this affordable as possible. We’ve dropped our prices to $20 per child for each sport and we lessen the amount by $5 for each additional child of the same family.

MH: How is the WRA organized?

AD: About 6 months ago, it was decided that the city would take over funding and manage the funds of the WRA. They would eliminate the treasurer’s position and have a board of three- A president, vice president, and secretary. Debbie Brown, AnnMarie Striggow, and myself were the only three who applied. I am the president, AnnMarie is Vice President, and Debbie is secretary.

MH: With the recent partnership with the Wakefield city government, have you made any changes to the core philosophy of the WRA?

AD: We discussed with the city council what the vision of WRA would look like. We decided that we wanted it to be an association for everyone-not just kids.

MH: Recreation for all! I like that. Can you give some examples of recent or upcoming WRA-sponsored activities?

AD: For adults, we’ve offered Open Gym, a Paint and Sip Night, and we’re getting ready to offer a 30 Day Get Fit for Summer Program. Our kids have been offered a fundamental basketball program, a soccer league, and we’re getting ready to run a baseball and softball fundamentals clinic on Sundays in April. We will be running baseball and softball leagues in the summer as well. Our vision for the fall is a spirit squad and flag football program.

MH: Paint and Sip Night? That sounds intriguing. Tell me more about that!

AD: We hired Gloria Fowles from Clay Center to come down and run two nights where people could paint a flower picture on a canvas and sip their choice of beverage. Our turnout was great. We filled 30 of the 40 spots for the two nights. We can’t wait to hold more events in the future!

MH: As a sports coach, I’m always interested in the fundamental goals of a youth sports programs. What goals do you aim for with the WRA youth sports activities?

AD: When it comes to athletics, our philosophy is to do our best to build players based on fundamentals and not playing games. Parents like games, kids like games, and we understand that, but fundamentals are what build athletes. We want strong capable athletes entering our junior high and high school programs at Wakefield.

MH: How about non-sports activities to build strong minds as well as strong bodies?

AD: For those not wanting to participate athletically, we are also planning to add more events like a book club and a card night. We’d like to launch these in the fall.

MH: Recreation is an important facet of community wellness and economic development. How important of a role has the WRA played in the Wakefield community over the years?

AD: As an alumnus of Wakefield, I can personally say this organization is near and dear to my heart. I grew up participating in the WRA program, and I want my sons to continue this tradition.

MH: I’m all about a  “for the community, by the community.” philosophy in regards to improvements and activities in a small town. The success of these community-driven programs rides on the back of its sponsors, volunteers, and coaches. Who helps lift the WRA’s projects?

AD: I truly believe though “it takes a village” and we as an organization have been so blessed to have our high school and junior high coaches volunteer their time to coach. Who knows better what these kids need to be prepared than the coach who will be coaching them in a few short years? We couldn’t do it without our amazing volunteer coaches.

MH: How can the people of Clay County help the WRA succeed?

AD: We are always open to new ideas and would love to have anyone join us! Our meetings are the third Monday of each month at 6:00 and next month will start being held at the Wakefield City Building. For anyone interested in volunteering for our baseball/softball clinics, please contact me or attend our coaches meeting March 25 at 4:00 at the city building!

MH: For those interested in sponsoring or following WRA activities, how can they contact the WRA?

AD: You can email me at ashley.dumler@kcddesign.com, call me at 785-209-0214, or the city building at 785-461-5886. We also have a Facebook page!

MH: Thank you, Ashley, for filling us in on the good things going on in Wakefield with the Wakefield Recreation Association. You and the WRA are doing things the right way. Best of luck as you grow and serve the community. Enjoy the ride!

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March 15, 2018 · 6:33 PM

The Bubba Conundrum

I’m a big boy. A lineman for life. “Husky” was my Sears Toughskin categorization as a kid. I loved coaching the big boys of the offensive and defensive line in my football coaching days. Loved it.

We called ourselves the “Bubbas”. The running backs/defensive backs were called “Bullets”. The TE/linebacker-types were the “Bricks”. Everybody belonged to a group, everybody in each of those groups trained differently in our strength and conditioning program.

I almost blew a gasket recently when I heard of a coach telling a big boy lineman he wouldn’t be much use to the team next fall unless he got into better shape. First, I hate this approach, especially with a Bubba. It’s tough growing up a big boy in a skinny boy world. When one tells a big boy the above criticism, what he hears is something he’s probably heard over and over in his entire life—that he’s fat, lazy, and/or of little value— instead of hearing that he needs to be in better shape. Second, the above criticism from the coach is delivered with no plan of action.

The young athlete was knocked into a dark pit by someone he probably respects and not given any plan or tools for climbing out. Modern coaches and parents need to be more positive in these situations. Point out to the athletes they’d perform at a higher level if they were in better condition AND then give them a vision of how we’re going to accomplish this. (The WE part of the equation is very important.)

The conditioning requirements for high school football players are different for the Bubbas, the Bricks, and the Bullets. The specific work/recovery demands require specific considerations for each group of players. Even the casual high school football fan realizes the differences in physical demands between an offensive guard and a wide receiver on any given play. The lineman’s job and the wide receiver’s job both use the burst energy supplied by the anaerobic energy systems but in different ways. The lineman is using power over speed. The wide receiver uses the opposite, speed over power. Power/Speed vs. Speed/Power

A high school football play lasts only 5.6 +/- 2.0 seconds according to a study published in 2006. The NFHS play clock is 25 seconds. Adding the variable length of time it takes for the ball to be marked and set before the play clock is started, the total time between plays is about 45 seconds. I know what you’re saying, “This Hays guy is such a geek. I just want to play football and hit people. I don’t care about math or physiological energy systems. Where’s my dang helmet?”

My answer is this, you don’t have to care. Not really. But, as a strength and conditioning coach, I HAVE to care. I HAVE to design training regimens that give you the best chance to perform and “hit people” like a cannon shot each and every play of a four-quarter high school football game. I HAVE to consider these geeky physiological demands in order to give you the power you need.

5.6 +/- 2.0 seconds work followed by 40 seconds rest.

Why share these seemingly trivial numbers? No, I don’t give you these numbers so you know there’s about 40 seconds to run to get a bag of popcorn without missing any action. I emphasize these numbers because everything we need to do to prepare our Bullets, our Bricks, and our Bubbas to perform needs to revolve around this conditioning ratio. About 8 seconds of intense work, followed by 40 seconds rest.

Sprints, lifts, med ball slams, swings, pull-up, sled pulls/drives, agility drills, etc. all should follow fairly close to this timing 75-80% of total training time. The wide receiver’s plan would include a high percentage of the speed-building exercises. The offensive guard’s plan would include a high percentage of the power-building exercises. The remaining 20% or so would be developing general fitness in order to support the basic foundation.

These methodologies are usually sufficient for the high school athlete. If athletes move up to high levels, the college or professional level, the methodologies become even more personalized and intricate.

Bottom line, give your big kids a solid plan. Instead of straight up criticism, give them a goal. Give them the tools they need to attain the goal and give them the support they’ll need along the way. Every football team is built on the backs of the big boys. You better figure out how to deal with them and understand their needs if you want to be successful.

Respect your big boys! #BubbaForLife!

 

 

 

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March 8, 2018 · 8:30 PM

Lipstick on a Pig

One of my coaches from way back in the day used to have this saying about trying to be too flashy with your game. “You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.”

Although I’ve never attempted to put any kind of makeup on swine, I understand the basic meaning of this old piece of wisdom. I’ve particularly become well-tuned to the spirit in this saying since I’ve become a sports coach.

To begin with, I think it’s all about being who you are as a coach, a player, or a program. Avoid trying to be something else. Be proud and be the best version of you that you can be. Strive to reflect this in everything you do.

I also think “Lipstick on a pig” means something that should be very important to a coach. The focus on the core goals of the program. As a coach, there is a fundamental need to focus on the important things—those things your program needs to succeed. Outside of this core mission, all else sits on the periphery.

Everything has to have a purpose and a meaning that’s all about the mission. A coach needs to keep everyone in the program riding the purpose and meaning tracks to the goal.

Unfortunately, in today’s environment, there are a host of distractions waiting to put lipstick on your pig. There are well-meaning distractions from parents and fans that pull the coaches and the players away from the goals. There are also the not-so-well-meant distractions by parents and fans which completely derail the program and make achieving any positive steps virtually impossible.

And as coaches, we often distract ourselves. We do things for the sake of doing things. We run schemes and shifts and motions without a hint of the purpose to gain information. We invest time and energy in shiny, new things, that provide little or no value to the goal.

Coaches, take a minute, step back from the program, and have an honest look at it.

  • What kind of distractions keep you from your core mission?  
  • What external distractions suck your time and energy and resources from where they need to be invested?
  • Are you spending more time running outside activities that detract from your program?
  • Is your training program laser-focused? Is every lift, run, jump, throw, sprint, and movement done with a sense of purpose in mind?
  • Is your philosophy consistent with your actions?

Coaches, in short, take a look at everything you do and identify where you’re wearing out that container of lipstick. Find out where you’re taking care of things not associated with your core goal. Everything needs to have a purpose. If it doesn’t, get rid of it. Those things are not worth the expenditure of effort and energy.

Never lose sight of the prize. Keep your focus, your performance, and your program on task. Don’t allow distractions to derail you from the track of success.

Putting lipstick on your pig may make for a fancy pig, but after everything is said and done, that pig is still a pig.

Develop a goal.

Develop a plan.

Do the work.

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March 5, 2018 · 7:34 PM

THANK YOU!

Wow, people! You did it, again! Thanks to the generosity of many individuals and businesses, we were able to wire the down payment and start the manufacturing of this:

OUR NEW SCOREBOARD!

It should take about three weeks to manufacture and another week to be shipped. The Clay Center Public Utilities has offered to help with the installation.

After looking at many scoreboards of all shapes and sizes, we decided to stick with the basic 12′ x 8′ footprint of the current scoreboard. We went in this direction because it allows us to save money by using the existing support beams and posts and because this scoreboard was the best value of all the options we quoted.

I’m sure we will run into a few hurdles installing the scoreboard and learning to use the remote control systems but thanks to this incredible community, we have climbed the highest mountain. We’ve bought a brand new scoreboard.

When we started this project in September of 2013, we wanted to establish a spirit of ‘for the community and by the community’’ with Campbell Field and other facilities. Thanks to you, I think this is truly coming to fruition.

We invite you to visit Campbell Field to watch a game this spring or summer. Come out, watch some baseball, eat a hot dog, spit some sunflower seeds, and visit with other fans in a facility we hope is getting closer to being a baseball facility we can all be proud of.

THANK YOU!

I’d also like to give a special thanks to the Clay Center Community Improvement Foundation. As someone who has researched non-profit tools for baseball field fundraising since 2000 and always ended up overwhelmed at the legalities and paperwork, I can’t tell you how awesome it is to have this organization working on behalf of our community. The CCCIF allows a bunch of rockhead baseball guys to do rockhead baseball stuff while providing the infrastructure and the mechanics on the financial side of things. More importantly, they allow an organization like ours to raise money in a transparent and trustworthy manner.

Thank you, CCCIF Board of Directors!

Chairperson – Morree Floersch
Vice-Chairperson – Brad Dieckmann
Secretary – Karen Bryan
Treasurer – Robin Thurlow
Board Member – Jayson Hood
Board Member – Jill Mugler

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