Weekly Reflections

Looking back isn't the hardest thing to do, and I choose to look back for positivity, growth and appreciation for what I have today. Some of the things that I struggle with today seem so minimal when I really think about what I went through 5 or 10 years ago. As I said here, I want to take time to reflect on memories to help appreciate today for today!

// My Hubs Career
As hard as it is to think about, less than 10 years ago, the Hubs and I (at the time- the fiancé and I) were in one of the lowest lows financially we have ever been in. He had the opportunity of a lifetime to intern in the weight room at Oregon State University, so we packed up our goods and 2 doggies and hit the road from Cali to Oregon. I left my full-time job and he left his high school coaching job to endure this journey which we had no idea would lead to. Almost 10 years later, we survived many months of being more than broke, away from our family, and in the midst of busy football seasons! Today, I'm so proud of where he is with Nebraska Huskers, and we are blessed to own our first home with our first baby!

// Learning is my Game
I was in school for what seemed like a lifetime! I loved (most of) everything about it... from the new term school supplies, to my classmates, to my professors, to just learning new theories and research about topics I was passionate about! School brought me lifetime relationships that I still hold onto dearly today, from classmates to professors. Nobody understands the hustle and grind other than the peeps that surrounded me day in and day out. To my surprise, I'm still in the educational setting, but this time I'm the one teaching. There's something about education that is new, exciting and ever-changing!

// Professional Coaching
Coaching has always been a fun topic in my books! I love helping people in general, but to actually help someone help themselves is on another level. I worked quite a bit to get through coaching training, and then thereafter with clients to actually practice coaching. What I would love is to continue that journey and coach student-athletes towards career goals upon graduating and playing ball.

One-on-One: K. Marzorini

How many of you can recall what it was like to be a high school student? Hormones at it's finest, cheap lunches, summer beach days, and preppy spirits over sports teams. I can only imagine how much has changed in that environment... even further, how much things have morphed as a student-athlete!

I had a chance to ask a few questions to one of those lovely student-athletes who plays softball at North Torrance High School, Kyndra Marzorini (aka Toots). I wanted to hear first hand what types of things our high school student-athletes are facing in today's world.

Q // What does being a softball player mean to you?

My life revolves around softball every day... there's always something to do: pitching lessons, practice, workouts... it gives me life. Softball teaches me lessons and to have confidence on and off the field.

Q // What lessons has softball taught you about life?

That you have to put in work in order to achieve your goals... they're not just achieved magically. The only way to get better is to practice, practice, practice. You can make mistakes, but it's okay because you learn from them- mistakes only make you better!

Q // How has softball affected your studies in school?

Playing softball has made it harder to do homework. I had to figure out how to manage my time and make it work. I miss 5th period to go to games, so I have to go to class during lunch to get the work from my teacher. Since my teacher is not there to teach me, I have to learn to teach myself.

Q // What are you looking forward to the most while searching for the right college?

I want to find a college I'm comfortable going to, with a good softball program, nice coaches and great teammates!

Demands can be high even before student-athletes hit college! I'm always wondering, in what ways can we (as society) be more supporting of academics?

Balancing in Cleats and Books

Practice, classes, lift, meetings, study table, homework... all too familiar to student-athletes. Whether you're in college, high school, middle school or even younger- trying to juggle life in cleats and with the books is an endless struggle. Student-athletes go through such a straneous process, mentally and physically. They test their bodies in the physical practices they have... they exhaust their mental capacity by learning so many new things throughout class and even in meetings for their sport!

One football player from Dordt College captured an amazing documentary of what a glimpse of his life looks like behind closed doors, in which you can appreciate the hard labor these student-athletes are exuberating!

You might be a parent of a child who is starting to play sports... or you might be a student-athlete yourself. Whichever the case, there are a few things that you can start to practice that might help overcome some obstacles during these difficult years:

1. Master TIME MANAGEMENT
You just might feel like there's something to do every waking minute. To be honest, this is a great lesson for what's to come once you start working in your career field! Every day presents itself with the same number of minutes and hours. It all lies in how you utilize those minutes and where you want to spend that time in order to fulfill the best YOU. If you have scheduled meetings or classes, make the best of those minutes and find a moment to seek happiness in what you're doing. Here's more to say about managing your time in this J&BT post.

2. NETWORK
There are so many students in the same boat as you that surround you day in and day out (aka your teammates). BUT, if you are able to grab a quick coffee or lunch with someone from your classroom, you can start to build relationships that can steer you in a specific direction for life after sports. Check out this J&BT post for more happs in networking, or this J&BT post for some ideas for convo starters.

3. Get plenty of REST
Sleep is such a sacred thing. Some of us cherish it, while others abuse it. Our bodies and brains recharge at it's best when we rest as much as we can. Put away those cell phones, turn off that tv, and lie in bed with a clear mind. Try not to think about what you have to do the next day, or what you didn't do earlier throughout the day. Just BE... and allow yourself 6-8 hours of beauty rest so you can rejuvinate yourself for practice and school (or work)!

I also recommend a great article titled, "8 Tips for Being a Great Sports Parent" written on Changing the Game Project. He talks about some great insights we can appreciate as parents to support our children who play sports.

The truth of the matter is that you will always have to balance in life. Cleats and books... work and family... time and happiness... children and career... on and on and on. The best thing we can do for ourselves and others is to be as present as we possibly can to whatever it is we are doing in the moment.

How do you balance?

Huskers to a Bowl

Tis' the season of bowling! As the football season comes near to an end (wahhhh), coaches and players begin to bask in their eligibility of playing in a bowl. 'Which bowl? What state? Against who?' are some of the popular questions that pop up in the football world.

Sadly, the Nebraska Cornhuskers ended their season last weekend with a 5-7 record. The numbers certainly don't tell the story of the season, but rather the game film and the score of each game we lost. I honestly feel that this season was meant for the new coaching staff and players to get acquainted with one another, from the play calling to the execution of each play. We can only rise up from this point!

Anyhoot, if you know a thing or two about football, you know that with a record of 5-7, it doesn't necessarily constitute us as being bowl eligible. According to NCAA rules, a school must have at least 6 wins to secure a spot in a bowl game. BUT this year, they fell short of the 80 schools to play in a bowl game. Only 75 schools won six games (or more), which means they are short 5 teams to play. After this weekend, they will have a better sense of who is playing where since there are still a few major games to play.

What does this mean for our Huskers? WELP, it means that NCAA will now look at each school's APR (Academic Progress Rates) to determine how players stand in their academia. Since Nebraska is at the top of that APR list (WOOOOOP!!), we will be bowl eligible even with our 5-7 record!

Morale of the story? Academics play a huge part in student-athletes' lives... from start to finish. This is only one of the many rewards student-athletes can bask in, especially if you prioritize your classes and school work. I am proud to say that our Husker players have rose to the occasion and should take great pride in stellar performance on AND off the field!

One-on-One: L. Bernal-Wood

Let me have the pleasure of introducing this fine young woman to you! Her name is Lisa, and she is an amazing wife, mother, sister, daughter, cousin, friend and so much more (not just because she's my cousin!). Her and I share very similar passions, a few of them being football and student-athletes. She's got some great insight to share with you as it pertains to being a student-athlete or being surrounded by a student-athlete and coach!

Q // How did meeting your husband and your Master's Thesis play a part in your passion for sports and student-athletes?

As a football wife, I stay involved in football by helping my husband with recruitment, tutoring, campus visits, etc. It is important that we are here to help our student-athletes. We do this because we want our students to succeed - in and out of the classroom. It is hard to see talented youth be turned away from their football dreams, losing their football scholarship, or being unable to graduate after their eligibility has expired because they do not have the grades. 

Somehow, student-athletes are being lost in the process of grades and games. I wanted to study ways to increase student-athlete football graduation rates. I focused specifically on football because studies have shown that student-athletes who participate in high revenue sports (such as football) had lower cognitive outcomes and learning benefits than other students and even other student-athletes. This special student population will dedicate so much time to their sport, and it is their academics that takes a back seat to the sport, and sometimes it is their academic career that pays the price.

Q // What tips can you share with student-athletes that you wish someone told you in college?

I wish someone told me - go to the career center the first semester you are on campus! Make sure you LIKE or even LOVE the career you are in because you are going to be doing it for a long time. Study and get your degree - you are paying lots of money to get smarter... so get smarter!!

Q // How might students prepare best for post-graduation?

Try to work (or at least intern) while you are in college in your field because today employers are looking for candidates that have education AND experience. Be the candidate that has both!! As a student, we focus on being just that - a student. We get tunnel vision and don't think outside of our schooling and sport. Although some degrees require internship hours to graduate, not all majors do. Internship hours are great because they not only get you the experience you need, but most of the time you can get college credits for your internship hours - talk to your academic advisor about it!!

Lisa has some GREAT points that I think can benefit from student-athletes or students attending college. I think there needs to be an emphasis on what life will be like post-college. There's nothing wrong with taking the time you need to explore your passions before jumping into a job!

Do you have any tips you would like to share for college students during and after college regarding a future in their career?

Networking is KEY!

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How many of you have been in a situation where you might be... job hunting?... Shopping around for mechanic?... Looking for advice with your new baby (ME!)?... basically anything that may cause you to seek advice or find referrals to someone or something that would benefit you?

You may think first thing to turn to is online searching. But if you think about it, it's much more than Google searching something online. It's about personally knowing if someone or something is worth it. How else might you find this personal info out?... PEOPLE! We typically ask around for personal references and experiences. We learn from others, and others actually learn from us! This is just one aspect of what we commonly call NETWORKING!

Networking can also help you in the professional world to market your expertise, interests and strengths. Being a student-athlete can be a full-time job, but if you don't start to make time to meet new people outside of your team and coaches, it may hinder you once you graduate college and are ready to start your career.

Here are some tips on networking that may help you begin at your stage in life right NOW:

// Attend CAREER FAIRS or CONFERENCES
Take advantage if you're a student and attend these types of events that should be completely free for you! And don't just attend these... but take business cards and approach the professionals at the booths and introduce yourself by offering your time and willingness to help them in any way (whether paid or not!). Also, be sure you collect business cards from professionals, and follow-up with an email saying that it was nice to meet them at the career fair/ conference.

// Connect on LINKED
If you haven't created an account on LinkedIN yet, DO SO TODAY! You won't regret it... it's a great way to stay connected with professionals, follow the latest news and updates on companies, and apply for jobs all over the world! They have a live feed (just like you would see on Facebook), which you can scroll through to see any new updates. Comment, like, and follow conversations that help you become more involved in any specific community.

// Ask for INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS
You may hear people frequently say, "We're not hiring now." Well, don't let that be your end all be all! Approach someone you may know that works at an organization, and ask if you can set up a half-hour to an hour-long informational interview. In these informational interviews, you can ask questions that help you gain more insight into the organization, department, and job role. Be sure that you spend some time preparing questions ahead of time so you drive the conversation and gain information that will help you in the long run. In addition, professionals remember these conversations, and when something does open up, most likely they would think of you!

// Send monthly EMAILS
Spend a few minutes of your day and send frequent emails to professionals you have met (in-person or virtually). Let them know that you wanted to check-in and see how things are going with them, and to let you know if they ever want to grab some coffee or lunch with you, or have a phone conversation. Meeting with people is a great way to just catch up and see what's going on. You never know how you may be of help with someone, or how they may be able to help you!

Utilize these tips to help you expand your networking circle (or begin one). Our fellow peeps are the greatest gift you can ever ask for, and you can also gift someone else with!

If you are also working on sprucing up your resume, see this post about including sports on your resume.

How do you network?

Find your ZONE

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As we close out the month of July, some of you may be sad that we're more than half way through 2015, while others of us (me!) are ready to welcome August with open arms. Many things happen in August for student-athletes.. specifically football players. Fall starts... School starts... and of course... CAMP STARTS! For those of you who are not familiar with camp life for football players (and coaches!), let me just say that these guys are busy from sun up to sun down 6 out of 7 days of the week for the entire month up until the season begins! Whether you (or someone close to you) are a college student-athlete or a young man who's getting ready for youth football to begin, this may sound familiar to you!

From practices, to workouts, to meetings, to team building... these fellas will be in their ZONE during camp and well after. But what about their, or even YOUR, personal zone? In other words, how can you ensure you take care of your mental health and well-being while you're putting your all into showing up on the field or in the weight room (or maybe at work or school)?

Here are some tips on how to focus in on your personal zone as we soon approach August:

// Set GOALS
New Years isn't the only time to start anew and create new goals for yourself... I encourage you to develop short-term and long-term goals throughout the year! Aim at what you strive to accomplish quarterly, monthly and/or weekly! This can totally help you stay focused during your daily tasks at hand, ensuring you are taking steps to attaining your personal goals.

// Take time for some positive SELF-REFLECTION
It's hard for some to celebrate or appreciate the quick wins in life. Did you run your fastest? Squeeze in one more rep than the norm? Check something off your to-do list? It's imperative to reflect on what you accomplished and acknowledge it! There's nothing wrong with a dose of positive reinforcement!

// BREATHE
This is one of the best gifts you can give yourself to stay in the moment... by focusing on your breath for 2-3 minutes at a time. Close your eyes, and pay attention to how your air comes through your nose and out of your mouth. The minute you focus in on your breath is when you clear your thoughts and mind! This can be very useful when you're stressed or have too much going on in that head of yours.

Embracing your personal zone looks different for each of us... maybe your personal zone brings you peace by singing, surfing, hiking, spending time with your family. I know in Southern Cali, this image below captures MANY of our personal zones!

Hermosa Beach Strand

As you embark a new month and even new week, think about these 3 tips that can help you stay in your personal zone, as well as your athletic/ work/ school zone!

How will you ensure you stay in a good and healthy personal zone?

TIPS on Managing Time

I made it home this past week and I was oh so excited to be back in L.A.!! My time back home just flew right past me... actually time flies in L.A. no matter if you live here or are just visiting. I'm not sure why that is. Is it because we sit in traffic at all times of the day? Or maybe it's because there's so many options to partake in that you lose track of time? Or maybe times flies because it's so over-populated in Southern California?

Whatever the case may be, lately I've been concerned with enjoying the moment and living in the present. I haven't perfected this motto, but I've certainly gotten better at it!

I wanted to share some tips that might help you manage your time, including tips particularly if you're a student athlete!

// PRIORITIZE your day
Look ahead of schedule to see what you have during the week, and plan each day accordingly. Take care of things that are scheduled (classes, workouts, practice...) and fill in the rest of your day with what MUST be done in order for you to be a successful student-athlete.

// Allocate time for EMAILS (and maybe even social media!)
Set aside a specified time to check your emails and respond to them. I suggest to even spend less time on your social media accounts, as this fills up your free time more than you even know! Perhaps you can commit yourself to spending one hour less on your social media per day.

// Use your CALENDAR on your iPhone (or smartphone)
This tool is SO underutilized in my humble opinion, yet extremely helpful! Enter your meetings, classes, assignments, etc. into your daily calendar and utilize your location to help you remember street addresses!

// Turn OFF your phone during study table (or during meetings)
Think about when you have to fly... and how nice it is to be disconnected from reality for the duration of the flight. You can have a similar feeling when you shut OFF your phone during your study table time. Dedicate your study hour to focus solely on your scholastic work! Trust me... your friends and family will live if you text them back an hour later!

// Utilize your WEEKENDS
I know it might seem like the only time you have to see your friends and family, but it's also important to take care of yourself, physically and mentally. Take a day (or two) of the weekend to sleep in, relax, read, watch movies... whatever it is that puts your mind at ease.

These are just a few things you can start to do in order to manage your time more effeciently. After all, can you believe we're more than halfway through 2015??

Sports in Numbers

I'm not the type of person to memorize numbers or stats when speaking on any topic. BUT there are some numbers that are just mind-boggling when I do read about them. Even further, it's astonishing to interpret the stats into an actual real life stories, some in which I want to share with you all today:

FOOTBALL
Did you know...
     There are +1 million high school football players?
     Of these high school players, only 6.5% will play in college?
     Of these college players, less than 2% are drafted by the NFL?

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Did you know...
     There are +430,000 high school basketball players?
     Only 3.8% of these high school players will play in college?
     Less than 1% of these college players will be drafted in the WNBA?

BASEBALL
Did you know...
     There are +480,000 high school baseball players?
     Only 6.9% of these high school players will play in college?
     8.6% of these college players will be drafted by the MLB?

Ultimately, this means that majority of our kids that are playing the game from high school (some even earlier on) through college are NOT going to make it to the pros to play ball (which is no surprise based on this post). The call to action here is simple... we need to put more focus on preparing our student-athletes as best as we can to rely on their education and networking resources to pursue another type of career!

This can mean... sprucing up the resume  //  creating or updating a LinkedIn profile  //  being productive during the summer breaks  //  benefit from some professional coaching (more to come on this offering soon!)  //  conducting informational interviews with professionals and/or coaches.

If you're a student-athlete yourself, or are a parent to a student-athlete (or any parent!.. you never know what sport your little one may be playing), or maybe a coach or a friend or a relative... don't wait until after graduation to address these concerns. There are so many resources to take advantage of during school and even in preparation for college. You're always more than welcome to email me if you're interested in learning more about these offerings!

*Stats cited from NCAA website

Team Spirit

I just can't tell you how excited I am to finally have launched J&BT for me to SPEAK ON IT! Since we're still getting to know each other, I thought I would share some background to where the hubs and I have been in our little athletic adventure thus far...

We started our official career (yes, I say we because it was a total TEAM effort) at Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR. My hubs had an amazing opportunity to intern in the Strength & Conditioning department, which he worked hard at and eventually landed an actual position as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach. Meanwhile, I was fortunate to land a job in the football office working at the front desk, assisting with recruits, camps, football games and much more!

We became Beaver Believers, and surely it didn't hurt that my brother-in-law played for OSU as well. It was here at Oregon State that my interest in the game of football grew immensely... the passion, the motivation, the dedication, but most importantly... the WELL-BEING of these student-athletes!

I graduated from a Doctorate program in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (Organizational Development), and soon landed a job at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA. It was an amazing feeling to move back home with the family after being away in Corvallis for 4 years, and also to finally begin a career with my education that I long awaited for! What totally put the cherry on the cake was while we were driving from Oregon to move back home to LA, my hubs got a phone call to interview for an Assistant Strength Coach at USC... BOOM! We were back as a dynamic duo at a prestigious university as Trojans!

Although my focus at work is primarily with USC staff, my passion and interest for student-athletes progressed even more at USC. I completed a professional coaching certification at USC which got me thinking... how amazing would this type of coaching opportunity be for our student-athletes?! To provide some assistance and self-realization about athletic goals, academic goals, CAREER goals post-graduation would be such a gift to these hard working individuals who give blood, sweat and tears their entire 4-5 years as a student-athlete [more to come on that topic along this blogging journey with J&BT]!

After 2 years of being with USC, my hubs got a call that lead to an opportunity of a lifetime. He was blessed with a shot at being the Head Strength Coach for the University of Nebraska! As hard as it was for me to leave the PAC-12, it was the start of yet another athletic chapter in our lives together in the BIG TEN conference!

I was even fortunate to keep my job with USC to work remotely... so our house is now split between Trojans and Cornhuskers (predominately Cornhuskers though since we are in Husker Nation!).

There you have it... a snippet of how we got to where we currently are. My plans are to utilize J&BT to continue to reveal my passions little by little. After all... By taking care of myself I'm able to take care of others!