There were numerous unique sights on the Cowgirls soccer trip to Barcelona. Along with the monastery of Montserrat and the Salvador Dali museum, there was Amy Kuykendall, a fifth year senior. Amy is unique because she made her second international tour in her time at Hardin-Simmons University. NCAA rules allow teams to make a foreign tour once every three years, which means a student-athlete only has the chance to make the trip once. Amy was a sophomore when she suffered an ACL injury in the fourth game of the year. The injury occurred after a stellar freshman season, and the Cowgirls had gone on their international tour in 2007. Since the injury occurred before the end of the first half of the season, she was able to receive a hardship waiver from the NCAA, which gave her another season of eligibility.
“At the time of the injury all of my friends were saying that at least you can make another foreign tour.” Amy mentioned to me as we walked around Gaudi’s Park Guell. “Back then another trip did not seem like that big a deal as I was trying to recover from my injury. Now it certainly seems worth the wait.”
And while many student-athletes have overcome an ACL injury, the rehab process brings out more uniqueness to Amy’s story.
“Amy had the chance to demolish numerous scoring records before the injury,” stated Head Coach Marcus Wood. “The amazing thing to me is that I have never heard her complain about the injury and how it impacted her career. Because of that I have so much respect for her character.”
It’s fairly remarkable for an individual to know that if they had stayed healthy, they could have rewritten the record books. Even more remarkable? Not to complain to your coach and team about your injury. To have the character and resolve to deal with a setback and not use it as an excuse is a trait to be admired. Many of us are quick to blame events beyond our control when the world does not appear as we want it to. I even blamed the paper cut on my finger for the microwave burning my popcorn last night.
The art experts say that Gaudi’s work was under appreciated when he was in the process of creating many of his architectural achievements. We have another year to appreciate Amy’s work on the field. She has already given us a masterpiece when it comes to appreciating the value of good character.
Cowboy Up,
John Neese
Barcelona, Spain, 2010 Ipod Mix
1. Holiday in Spain, Counting Crows
2. St. Agnes and the Burning Train, Sting
(None of my friends believe this is Sting when they hear it.)
3. Spanish Horses, Aztec Camera
4. Chico Groove, Gustavo Santaolalla
5. Low Rider, War
6. Looking for Paradise, Alejandro Sanz and Alicia Keys
7. Spanish Bombs, The Clash
(How many punk bands wrote a song about the Spanish Civil War?
Just another reason why I will always love The Clash)
8. Teatro, Willie Nelson
9. Spanish Rose, Van Morrison
10. Big Brother, The Stephanie Wremble Trio
11. Tout Le Monde, Carla Bruni
12. Asturias, Juan Quesada
13. Spanish Caravan, The Doors
14. Dicen Que la Han Visto, Alberto Inglesias
15. The Pan Piper, Miles Davis & Gil Evans from Sketches of Spain
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Change
Even in this day of instantaneous global communication, there are still reminders that change can take time. As I walked thru the Dallas -Ft. Worth airport last week on my way to Atlanta for the NCAA Convention, I noticed there were several large signs encouraging me to “be a Tiger.” I would guess that Accenture is working to remove their wall-size portrait of Tiger Woods challenging me to take a risk and to go on, be a Tiger. I doubt if my boss or fiancé would approve of me following Tiger’s lead at this stage of his career or this stage of my life.
Then on the plane-there was Jay Leno on the cover of American Way. The title of the story in the publication on the late night comedian? The secret of my success. Things can change in a hurry, for all us regardless of our station in life. As Sinatra once sang, “Riding high in April, shot down in May.”
And there was change at the convention. The business session, where the Division III membership meets to vote on the proposals submitted by various groups, lacked the controversy that we have seen in the past. All nine proposals were accepted by a large margin, including a proposal to allow football to have walk-thru’s during their acclimation period. The business session was brief and lasted less than 2 hours. I have been to conventions where we spent nearly two hours just debating the merits of one proposal.
We also reviewed the first draft of the Division III Strategic Positioning Platform, which is a document that the NCAA hopes will help inform the general public what Division III has to offer. Several years ago when NCAA Division II was looking to help brand their identity the NCAA approved the slogan of “I choose Division II.” The tag line for Division III is Discover, Develop, Dedicate. Expect to see the NCAA promote Division III in the coming months as they make the commitment to publicize what the division has to offer to student-athletes and their families.
Cowboy Up,
John Neese
Then on the plane-there was Jay Leno on the cover of American Way. The title of the story in the publication on the late night comedian? The secret of my success. Things can change in a hurry, for all us regardless of our station in life. As Sinatra once sang, “Riding high in April, shot down in May.”
And there was change at the convention. The business session, where the Division III membership meets to vote on the proposals submitted by various groups, lacked the controversy that we have seen in the past. All nine proposals were accepted by a large margin, including a proposal to allow football to have walk-thru’s during their acclimation period. The business session was brief and lasted less than 2 hours. I have been to conventions where we spent nearly two hours just debating the merits of one proposal.
We also reviewed the first draft of the Division III Strategic Positioning Platform, which is a document that the NCAA hopes will help inform the general public what Division III has to offer. Several years ago when NCAA Division II was looking to help brand their identity the NCAA approved the slogan of “I choose Division II.” The tag line for Division III is Discover, Develop, Dedicate. Expect to see the NCAA promote Division III in the coming months as they make the commitment to publicize what the division has to offer to student-athletes and their families.
Cowboy Up,
John Neese
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
New York, New York
As I sit here on Election Day, I wonder how much money a Division I football playoff (similar to Division III) would generate to help out our sagging economy. A stimulus package revolving around a college football playoff might be one of the few things that our representatives in Washington D.C. could agree on.
As you have noticed on our web site, ZaVious Robbins has received a prestigious award from the National Football Foundation. ZaVious will fly to New York City in December to receive his award alongside Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow and others. The event will be held at the legendary Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and the NFF has two full days of activities for ZaVious and the other award winners.
This will mark the second time this year that an HSU student-athlete has earned a trip to the Big Apple ,as Ashley Huston went to New York in June to receive her Honda Woman of the Year award. As you recall, Ashley had to overcome a significant injury before she could accomplish all that she did for our track program. ZaVious is in the process of recovering from a season ending injury that he suffered in the second game of the season. While ZaVious has accomplished a great deal for our athletic program, we hope that next year will allow him to do even more. It’s ironic that two of our most prestigious award winners both had to deal with a major injury during their athletic careers. Perseverance is a word that sometimes we throw around easily; we mention it so much that I think we forget the true meaning of the word. Both Ashley and ZaVious have had obstacles to overcome during their athletic careers. They should help motivate us when we have to deal with difficulties in our everyday lives.
Cowboy Up,
John Neese
As you have noticed on our web site, ZaVious Robbins has received a prestigious award from the National Football Foundation. ZaVious will fly to New York City in December to receive his award alongside Colt McCoy, Tim Tebow and others. The event will be held at the legendary Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and the NFF has two full days of activities for ZaVious and the other award winners.
This will mark the second time this year that an HSU student-athlete has earned a trip to the Big Apple ,as Ashley Huston went to New York in June to receive her Honda Woman of the Year award. As you recall, Ashley had to overcome a significant injury before she could accomplish all that she did for our track program. ZaVious is in the process of recovering from a season ending injury that he suffered in the second game of the season. While ZaVious has accomplished a great deal for our athletic program, we hope that next year will allow him to do even more. It’s ironic that two of our most prestigious award winners both had to deal with a major injury during their athletic careers. Perseverance is a word that sometimes we throw around easily; we mention it so much that I think we forget the true meaning of the word. Both Ashley and ZaVious have had obstacles to overcome during their athletic careers. They should help motivate us when we have to deal with difficulties in our everyday lives.
Cowboy Up,
John Neese
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Walk Through
The American Southwest Conference received some good news last week when the Division III Management Council gave its support for allowing walkthrough sessions during the opening days of pre-season football practice. The ASC along with the Empire 8 and the New Jersey Athletic Conference all sponsored this legislation for the 2010 NCAA Convention in Atlanta.
The proposal will allow Division III schools to have walkthroughs-consisting of daily one hour instructional periods during the five day acclimatization period without helmets, pads or conditioning activities. Last year the proposal failed to make it to the convention floor as several committees expressed their concern over the safety factor of having walkthroughs during the hottest time of the year. Now with an additional year of research and the expected support of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the proposal will go to the convention floor in January.
I hope the proposal will pass, because I think this is a good way for our coaches to get some additional opportunities to work with our student-athletes in a safe environment. I think that anytime we can create more opportunities for our coaches to be with our young people, it is a positive thing for both sides.
I realize that some of my colleagues might view this as an attempt by Division III to mirror Division I and Division II, which already has the walkthrough policy in place. Many times I hear representatives from Division III institutions remark that it is bad policy when we try to implement a policy that is in place from the other two divisions. I hear them say that we should be different than the other two divisions because that is where our identity is: we are the only division that does not offer athletic scholarships.
It’s not that we want to be Division I or Division II- we only want to provide our student-athletes with the coaching and support that they have come to expect from their high school. When we attempt to upgrade our facilities or petition the NCAA for more interaction with our coaches and student-athletes, it’s not an attempt to be the University of Texas. It’s an attempt to provide the student-athletes with the opportunities that they have grown up with, whether they compete for a club team or for a high school program.
The walkthrough proposal will not have a financial impact and should not require any additional manpower from athletic training or other support staff. I hope the membership will see the value of this proposal as the Management Council has.
Cowboy Up,
John Neese
The proposal will allow Division III schools to have walkthroughs-consisting of daily one hour instructional periods during the five day acclimatization period without helmets, pads or conditioning activities. Last year the proposal failed to make it to the convention floor as several committees expressed their concern over the safety factor of having walkthroughs during the hottest time of the year. Now with an additional year of research and the expected support of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the proposal will go to the convention floor in January.
I hope the proposal will pass, because I think this is a good way for our coaches to get some additional opportunities to work with our student-athletes in a safe environment. I think that anytime we can create more opportunities for our coaches to be with our young people, it is a positive thing for both sides.
I realize that some of my colleagues might view this as an attempt by Division III to mirror Division I and Division II, which already has the walkthrough policy in place. Many times I hear representatives from Division III institutions remark that it is bad policy when we try to implement a policy that is in place from the other two divisions. I hear them say that we should be different than the other two divisions because that is where our identity is: we are the only division that does not offer athletic scholarships.
It’s not that we want to be Division I or Division II- we only want to provide our student-athletes with the coaching and support that they have come to expect from their high school. When we attempt to upgrade our facilities or petition the NCAA for more interaction with our coaches and student-athletes, it’s not an attempt to be the University of Texas. It’s an attempt to provide the student-athletes with the opportunities that they have grown up with, whether they compete for a club team or for a high school program.
The walkthrough proposal will not have a financial impact and should not require any additional manpower from athletic training or other support staff. I hope the membership will see the value of this proposal as the Management Council has.
Cowboy Up,
John Neese
Monday, October 19, 2009
Time To Exhale After Great Homecoming
It was one of the busiest weekends on campus that I have been involved with and it was also one of our most successful. From Thursday afternoon to Saturday night, Hardin-Simmons was busy with Trustees meetings, homecoming activities and athletic events.
Friday night we had the Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner with over 230 people in attendance. All four of the inductees did a great job with their remarks and I thought it was a wonderful evening. I think several of the highlights for me were Collin McCormick thanking his mother for all of her support and basically saying that it was his turn to take care of her after all the years that she took care of him. Doyle Brunson said that when he was on campus he used to make fun of the Cowboys for Christ group, but that they knew what it took him forty years to learn.
All of our athletic teams were successful as the football, volleyball and soccer teams all recorded wins. What you don’t see in the box scores and game stories is everything that happened behind the scenes. With a hectic weekend like this, numerous people have to work long hours to make sure everything goes right. Thanks to our facilities staff for making sure that the fields were lined and marked and ready to go. Our athletic training staff and sports information folks also deserve a word of thanks for making sure that our student-athletes were taken care of –on the field and on the athletic website. I think all of our support staff should feel a sense of accomplishment for making sure that everything went as smoothly as it did.
So after this long weekend we get a slight chance to recharge our batteries, as everything is off-campus this week; after this past weekend, even the long drive to Alpine will seem easy.
Cowboy Up,
John Neese
Friday night we had the Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner with over 230 people in attendance. All four of the inductees did a great job with their remarks and I thought it was a wonderful evening. I think several of the highlights for me were Collin McCormick thanking his mother for all of her support and basically saying that it was his turn to take care of her after all the years that she took care of him. Doyle Brunson said that when he was on campus he used to make fun of the Cowboys for Christ group, but that they knew what it took him forty years to learn.
All of our athletic teams were successful as the football, volleyball and soccer teams all recorded wins. What you don’t see in the box scores and game stories is everything that happened behind the scenes. With a hectic weekend like this, numerous people have to work long hours to make sure everything goes right. Thanks to our facilities staff for making sure that the fields were lined and marked and ready to go. Our athletic training staff and sports information folks also deserve a word of thanks for making sure that our student-athletes were taken care of –on the field and on the athletic website. I think all of our support staff should feel a sense of accomplishment for making sure that everything went as smoothly as it did.
So after this long weekend we get a slight chance to recharge our batteries, as everything is off-campus this week; after this past weekend, even the long drive to Alpine will seem easy.
Cowboy Up,
John Neese
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Centenary Talk
If you are a casual fan of Division III athletics, the fact that Centenary College in Louisiana is making the transition from Division I to Division III might have slipped below your radar screen. The announcement which was made in late July opened the door for the possibility that HSU and Centenary might be reunited as conference foes.
Both HSU and Centenary were charter members of the Division I Trans America Athletic Conference which was founded in September, 1978. The Cowboys and Gents were joined by Houston Baptist, Mercer, Northeast Louisiana, Oklahoma City, Pan American and Samford. When HSU first started traveling to Shreveport, there were no casinos on the river front, so it looked considerably different than it does now. At that time it would have been hard to see Don Henley of the Eagles on a local television station, much less appearing at a casino as he recently did.
There will be a great deal of work for Centenary as they plot their course for Division III. Like HSU, they will have to work hard to win back some of the fans they lost because of the decision to discontinue athletic scholarships. The coaches who will succeed at this level will realize that recruiting at the Division III level is difficult work. We are constantly recruiting our student-athletes, even when they are on campus and are enrolled. And it appears that Centenary does have the facilities and the location to recruit and retain talented student-athletes. These student athletes will be able to give the school local and regional exposure once they begin to succeed at the Division III level.
There is speculation about which conference Centenary will join when they are granted full membership into Division III. Both the American Southwest Conference and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference can offer valid reasons for Centenary to join their respective leagues. The Presidents of both conferences will be responsible for making the final decision. If they join the SCAC, it will still be a positive move for our league as we will have one more potential regional opponent for either the regular season or the post-season. If they join the ASC, it will balance out the eastern division of the league and help provide another scheduled Division III opponent for many of our sports that struggle to find D-III games.
We wish Centenary the best of luck as they go through this difficult process. I hope their fans and alumni will be patient as the administration made a tough decision during this current economic crisis. And while we don’t know when and where they will be as a Division III member, we look forward to the chance to compete with them.
Cowboy Up,
John Neese
Both HSU and Centenary were charter members of the Division I Trans America Athletic Conference which was founded in September, 1978. The Cowboys and Gents were joined by Houston Baptist, Mercer, Northeast Louisiana, Oklahoma City, Pan American and Samford. When HSU first started traveling to Shreveport, there were no casinos on the river front, so it looked considerably different than it does now. At that time it would have been hard to see Don Henley of the Eagles on a local television station, much less appearing at a casino as he recently did.
There will be a great deal of work for Centenary as they plot their course for Division III. Like HSU, they will have to work hard to win back some of the fans they lost because of the decision to discontinue athletic scholarships. The coaches who will succeed at this level will realize that recruiting at the Division III level is difficult work. We are constantly recruiting our student-athletes, even when they are on campus and are enrolled. And it appears that Centenary does have the facilities and the location to recruit and retain talented student-athletes. These student athletes will be able to give the school local and regional exposure once they begin to succeed at the Division III level.
There is speculation about which conference Centenary will join when they are granted full membership into Division III. Both the American Southwest Conference and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference can offer valid reasons for Centenary to join their respective leagues. The Presidents of both conferences will be responsible for making the final decision. If they join the SCAC, it will still be a positive move for our league as we will have one more potential regional opponent for either the regular season or the post-season. If they join the ASC, it will balance out the eastern division of the league and help provide another scheduled Division III opponent for many of our sports that struggle to find D-III games.
We wish Centenary the best of luck as they go through this difficult process. I hope their fans and alumni will be patient as the administration made a tough decision during this current economic crisis. And while we don’t know when and where they will be as a Division III member, we look forward to the chance to compete with them.
Cowboy Up,
John Neese
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
“You really are from the South aren’t you?”
“You really are from the South aren’t you?”
Reporter to Ashley Huston after interviewing her at the NCAA Outdoor Track Championships.
Yes Ashley Huston is from the South and yes, Ashley added to her NCAA Championship totals at the NCAA Division III Track championships. The fans and competitors were talking more about her accomplishments than her southern accent. In 72 hours Ashley set the NCAA Division III record for the Heptathlon, placed seventh in the long jump and won gold in the high jump.
The reporters and fans might have had even more to talk about if the schedule had given her a break. Twenty minutes after running the final event in the heptathlon, the grueling 800 meter race which took place with temperatures reaching 92 degrees, Ashley raced in the first heat of the 100 meter hurdles. If she had run in a later heat, which would have given her more time to recover, she might have qualified for Saturday’s finals. Instead she failed to make it out of the heat. However the event did provide a wonderful moment of sportsmanship. As Ashley prepared to run the hurdles, the athletes that she had been competing against in the heptathlon lined up on the inside of the track. As she sprinted down the track, her former competitors cheered her on and shouted out encouragement. A sure sign of respect for what Ashley had accomplished at the championships and as a person.
On Saturday morning at breakfast, a tired but motivated Ashley talked about her chances in the high jump. She was banking on two things to help her through the competition. A complimentary massage offered by the NCAA later in the morning to help stretch out her back and leg muscles as she prepared for the high jump. The second was using five words to motivate her that she had received from Coach Smith.
“Each trip Coach Smith says that we have to act better than we feel.” Anyone can compete when they are feeling good. Perhaps one of the keys to great performances is those individuals who can compete on days when they do not feel 100%. Act better than you feel. Obvious solid advice for someone on the day they are trying to win a national championship. And probably good advice for each of us as we make our way through our day to day existence.
Cowboy Up,
John Neese
Reporter to Ashley Huston after interviewing her at the NCAA Outdoor Track Championships.
Yes Ashley Huston is from the South and yes, Ashley added to her NCAA Championship totals at the NCAA Division III Track championships. The fans and competitors were talking more about her accomplishments than her southern accent. In 72 hours Ashley set the NCAA Division III record for the Heptathlon, placed seventh in the long jump and won gold in the high jump.
The reporters and fans might have had even more to talk about if the schedule had given her a break. Twenty minutes after running the final event in the heptathlon, the grueling 800 meter race which took place with temperatures reaching 92 degrees, Ashley raced in the first heat of the 100 meter hurdles. If she had run in a later heat, which would have given her more time to recover, she might have qualified for Saturday’s finals. Instead she failed to make it out of the heat. However the event did provide a wonderful moment of sportsmanship. As Ashley prepared to run the hurdles, the athletes that she had been competing against in the heptathlon lined up on the inside of the track. As she sprinted down the track, her former competitors cheered her on and shouted out encouragement. A sure sign of respect for what Ashley had accomplished at the championships and as a person.
On Saturday morning at breakfast, a tired but motivated Ashley talked about her chances in the high jump. She was banking on two things to help her through the competition. A complimentary massage offered by the NCAA later in the morning to help stretch out her back and leg muscles as she prepared for the high jump. The second was using five words to motivate her that she had received from Coach Smith.
“Each trip Coach Smith says that we have to act better than we feel.” Anyone can compete when they are feeling good. Perhaps one of the keys to great performances is those individuals who can compete on days when they do not feel 100%. Act better than you feel. Obvious solid advice for someone on the day they are trying to win a national championship. And probably good advice for each of us as we make our way through our day to day existence.
Cowboy Up,
John Neese
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