Family & Homecoming Weekend

This past weekend, F&M welcomed back alums of all ages as well as the families of our current students for Family & Homecoming Weekend.  It was great to see so many folks return to campus.  The weekend started with various events on Friday night.  The F&M Athletics Hall of Fame inducted 6 individuals and 1 team - all very deserving of the honor. 

On Saturday morning, our team was out at Baker early to host our 2nd annual Fummer 5K.  It was a great success with over 60 racers running and walking on a beautiful morning.

After our Fummer 5K, we headed over to the Tailgate Extravaganza and cheered on the many Diplomat Teams competing.  It was a great weekend.  Thank you to all those who came back to campus!  More pictures are on our Facebook page. 

Fummer 5k Registration

Our Fummer 5k is rapidly approaching.  Join us on Saturday, October 20 at 9am for our 2nd annual race.  We have great prizes for all age groups and walkers are welcome.  Registration info is online.  Hope to see you there!  

 

13 Leadership Goals for All Team Members

This is one of my favorite pieces that I think concisely captures what it means to be a good teammate.  It comes from Keith Kenyon of the American Athletic Institute.  We put it in our team notebooks each season and talk about many of the points throughout the year.

1.     Always follow team rules. 

(We call them our team standards, but same idea.)

2.    Try to be the hardest worker on the team.

3.    Try to be the most enthusiastic player on the team.

4.    Try to be the best conditioned player on the team.

5.    Observe and reflect on the leadership traits of the team captain(s) and  coaches.

6.   Master the plays and team strategy.

7.    Care about your teammates; this includes being supportive and never backstabbing.

8.   Maintain your sense of composure and balance when adversity strikes.

9.   Always put team goals ahead of personal goals.

10. Inspire confidence by demonstrating self-control.

11.  Try to be the most coachable player on the team.

12.  Reach out to those team members with whom you have little  in common.

13. Try to energize your teammates by your positive attitude.

Check out President Porterfield's Blog Post: This is Not

Click the link to check out President Porterfield's blog post:  This Is Not

Developing Leaders

Now that the school year is in full swing, some of the leadership development programming is starting up again for our students.  This week, Kevin Touhey, a leadership development expert, will be back on campus working with our student-athletes.  All of our new players will meet with Coach Touhey for an introduction to the philosophy of lateral leadership.  On our team, we believe that everyone contributes to our team leadership, in different, but all meaningful ways.  Coach Touhey will be back throughout the year to meet with each team individually as well.

I also have the honor to participate in the Harwood Leadership Program.  The nominated students gathered yesterday for a round of interviews and activities.  It was a great afternoon, and I had a lot of fun participating in the interviews.  The launch of this program will be an innovative way to foster peer learning and provide the framework for students to learn from each others leadership experiences.  I'm really looking forward to the first session.

As we get closer to the start of our season, we are preparing a number of team building and leadership development activities for our team.  It's so important to prepare and develop the mental side of the game as well!  I'll be sure to keep you posted as to what we are up to!

First Day of Classes

Happy First Day of Classes to everyone at F&M!  A good quote to start the semester:

I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.  - J.B. Priestly

Closing Out the Summer

Time has just flown by this summer.  I feel like I was just standing at graduation, watching our Class of 2012 walk across the stage to receive their diplomas.  Throughout the summer, our players have been busy with various jobs and internships, while continuing to improve their game for the 2012-2013 season.  Our coaches attended a number of tournaments and worked several camps - always on the lookout for the special players who will be future Dips!  

I am so excited for our team to return to campus next week.  I always enjoy seeing all of our players together - there is a special energy and chemistry - and I've missed that this summer.  We will be welcoming our new teammates to campus in just over a week, then classes will begin several days later.  Pretty soon we will be saying that the fall semester has flown by!  

HOOP THOUGHTS: CHOICE NOT CHANCE

This comes from Joanne P. McCallie's new book, "Choice Not Chance," by way of the Hoop Thoughts blog.  I really like number 2 - how our little choices do matter just as much as the big choices we make.  Take a look:

HOOP THOUGHTS: CHOICE NOT CHANCE: When I coached at Maine, we created a program called "Choice Not Chance," which stemmed from a philosophy that I thoroughly believe in and...

Have you seen?

Periodically, we will post some snapshots of spots on campus you may not see on a quick trip to a game, or even on a walk through campus.  Click on the photo below and get a 360 degree look at the Hard Living Room on the first floor of the Harris Center for Business, Government and Public Policy. 

 

Pat Summitt ESPYS Tribute

In case you missed it last week, check out the tribute to Pat Summitt from the ESPYS, when she was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.  While Pat Summitt has retired from coaching, her legacy will continue through all the women's basketball players and coaches she has contributed to directly and indirectly.