Blog 20: Exit Interview

Content:

(1) What is your essential question and answers? What is your best answer and why?

EQ: What is the best way a girls' softball team can win CIF (California Interscholastic Federation)?

Answers 1: Character // Answer 2: Teamwork // Answer 3: Commitment // Best Answer: #2

I chose my second answer as my best answer because it was a common answer I saw being played out throughout my journey to answer my EQ. For my actual mentoring hours I mentored with Jennifer at LPHS and for my independent component 2 I coached middle school softball and one key thing that these two teams didn't have in common, besides the obvious, was the amount of teamwork that was shown throughout games and practices.


(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

How I decided that my 2rd answer, teamwork, was my best answer was when my mentor Jason Rochwerg trusted me enough to let me coach a few games and practices. There were 5 out 14 members of the team that have had prior experience and were honestly the people who made most of the runs, catches, and hits but also the main people who would should up to practice whenever they felt like it. These players knew they were the top players because not only were they on a city league team while playing for school, or had already played for a league, they knew the rules like second nature while the rest of the players on the team were new to the concept of being on a team or the sport even. 

There was this kid, Bryan (8th grader), who was our pitcher and was very good at it too because he got an average of 3 out of 5 players out with a strike. Now, Bryan knew very well he was a good athlete and no one else on the team could pitch as well as him so he would constantly decide that he didn't need to go to practice because he simply "did not need it." My mentor Jason is very understanding when it comes to family issues or school work, but Bryan never gave a good excuse. He never lied either. He constantly verbalized that he didn't need practice because he already gets the practice with his other team and Jason asked him "what does your league team have that this team doesn't," and Bryan answered with, what I took as a personal insult, "an actual chance of winning." Now winning is important but when you have a team of people who are new to the sport or have never played a sport, you're more likely not going to win but improvement is definitely the outcome of it and Bryan didn't get that. He was more committed to a team he knew would win versus and team he knew wouldn't and as much as I hate his mentality on that, I was proven to do the same thing when my first independent component.

I joined Southlands Christian High School girl's basketball team and it was the same as the team I coached because only 5 girls knew the sport and were really good at it and I was one of them. I was really committed to the team, I went to all summer practices and even stayed late to get some more practice in because it was a while since I played but once the season started Julius Johnson, the coach, was teaching the sport from the beginning since we had players who have never touched a basketball. I love helping people as much as I possibly can so I did show up to all practices 4 out of 6 days a week for 2 months but after a while it got boring because there was so much I had to hold off on. I started to miss practice and caught myself not being as involved with the team as I was when I started and I forced myself back on the team and finished what I started and very glad I did.

Bryan and I had that in common because he was also very satisfied with the outcome of the team as well as became really good friends with people on the team.

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

Bryan was the main person to cause most problems with teamwork but definitely wasn't the only one. After every practice or game Jason liked to reflect and emphasize on what went well and what we as a team can do to improve. (sound familiar? Like, an iPoly method)

He really let me know that I had just as much authority over the team as he did because of how well the kids respected me and how great my ideas were. Now, I usually don't like to take over but when he said that I immediately said I was going to change the rules he had about practice. His rules were if you missed practice and don't have an valid excuse you wouldn't start but I wanted to change it to you wouldn't play. I understand it's such a big step to not let them play but they are in middle school and they have to learn now before they get into high school that when you are in a team you have to be respect everything the team as a whole has to offer or there will be consequences. A lot of the kids felt like this rule was fair and the only people who didn't were the kids who were constantly missing. We had to forfeited two games due to the fact that those 5 kids thought I wasn't being serious and we didn't have enough players to play because 5 of them were benched. It sucks yes, I get it and the kids hated me but they had to understand this was a team effort and not a 5 player team.

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

My mentor Jason Rochwerg from Sierra Vista Middle School and Julius Johnson from Southlands Christian High School because they both helped me not only find answers for my EQ but also without knowingly provided perfect examples of the cause and effect of them. With Jason I learned more about commitment and with Julius I learned more about character but together they taught me how important we have to show teamwork is.

Be prepared with evidence and specific examples to support any response.  It is also significant to cite sources as you explain.

Blog 19: Independent Component 2

LITERAL
(a) I, Darlene, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
(b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component.

• My mentor Jason Rochwerg and the softball team from Sierra Vista Middle School

(c) Provide a digital spreadsheet (aka log of the 30 hours).   Post it next to your mentorship log.

• Done.

(d) Explanation of what you completed.    

• I got my hands on experience with coaching thanks to my mentor who allowed me to completely coach 4 softball games. 2 home and 2 away games. I had to come up with my own plays and the hitting line-up. I played a lot with the positions of the players because a lot of them believed they were good at playing only on position but that was not the case at all. You know what they say, you never really know how good you are at something unless you try.

INTERPRETIVE 
Defend your work and explain how the significant parts of your component and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work.   Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work.  

APPLIED
How did the component help you answer your EQ? Please include specific examples to illustrate how it helped. 
With my mentors Jennifer and Jason, I wanted to focus on the different coaching philosophy that take into play. In my first interview with Jennifer she stated that a male coach would not be able to coach a girls' softball team as well as a female coach because of the lack of the female body knowledge. It was really a goal of mine right after hearing that, to find a male coach and compare the differences. I had predicted that it shouldn't matter and I was proven correct. Yes methods of teaching are completely different but lead to the exact same outcome.

Successful game day!

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships." 

-Michael Jordan

           

So today I coached my very first softball game with minor help from my mentor Jason. I was really nervous but the kids are awesome and listened to everything I had to say plus asked questions on anything they needed clarification on and even gave me suggestions on the position's of players that could be changed. The respect level the kids have not only for me but in general makes them very coachable which made my first time really fun! The game took place at Lassalette Middle School at 3 but I went to go buy gatorade and waters for the kids to drink because apparently they don't bring water and being hydrated during a game is very important. I met them at the school around 1:50 and helped them warm up with catching and throwing.

One thing I noticed during the game was that the kids need to practice on their running. Most of them could have been saved at first base but they ran really slow and those 14 home runs could have easily been 20 if they RAN. I told my mentor if I could run practice on tuesday of next week (4/15/14) because I wanted to do drills that help improve running speed as well as create better endurance. Hopefully the kids don't hate me because I know it's been really hot lately but a little sweat never killed anyone!

Our next away game will be this Monday (4/14/14) at Sparks Middle School and I won't be coaching but I will be assisting and we're told this school has experienced players but as long as the kids keep doing what they've been learning at practice, they can win ANY team.

Independent Component update

"Nothing can substitute for just plain hard work. I had to put in the time to get back. And it was a grind. It meant training and sweating everyday. But I was completely committed to working out to prove to myself that I could still do it." -Andre Agassi

Today was actually really fun and I did a lot of running at practice since I warmed up the team and helped with cleaning up the batting because they have a game tomorrow at Lassalette Middle School @ 3, which I will be attending. The kids are all so amazing and very determined but understanding. Understanding that they're not that great of a team but as long as they work together and communicate they can go far. I can't wait to see them play tomorrow again. I'm going to surprise them with gatorade since they never bring drinks to keep them hydrated.

• Coach Rochwerg is the one on your left in that huge hat that he loves and won't take off haha.
• This is just a picture of the kids playing as if it were a real game with a few audience members.

Great News :-) / NEW INDEPENDENT COMPONENT

I went to my old middle school yesterday with a friend of mine to watch her little sister play softball. I stayed to help the team pick up and the coach started talking to me asking what high school I went to and the subject of my senior topic came up and he said if I wanted to make hours by coaching his softball team, i'm more than welcome to! So of course I said yes, which means I have a new independent component!
Coaching these middle school kids is perfect because what i'm learning with my mentor I can apply them and plus doing my hours at Southland's was getting complicated since the coach would never let me know when to go and what times were good for him. 

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will. 

- Vincent T. Lombardi

Blog 18: Third Answer

"You spend your life gripping a softball, but in the end it was the other way around the whole time."

EQ: what is the best way a girls softball team can win CIF (California Interscholastic Federation)?

Answer #3: Softball players are constantly practicing trying to perfect themselves but without the commitment set by themselves, practice won't ever make perfect.

3 details to support the answer (facts & example):

• Commitment involves tenacity which is the ability to continue on despite difficult circumstances or obstacles. For example, in April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson was one of the first male African Americans to play baseball and joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. Obviously at the time they did not except the fact that colors could do a white mans job just as well, or in this case better, and was given such a hard time but he stuck through it because he knew this was a passion of his. 
• Life skills can be learned through commitment to sports. Individuals can learn the value of teamwork. Understanding that when you are part of a team you lose some semblance of individualism. Being committed to your team, teammates and the sport is essential for overall success.
• Success does not occur overnight, it's an ongoing process. Some people and organizations who were exemplary in exhibiting commitment in their respective sports: Vince Lombardi (legendary football coach), Michael Jordan (superstar basketball player), New York Yankees (baseball team). These individuals and organizations are the perfect examples for commitment to winning and excellence. It is something that has been earned over several years of dedication.

Research sources:

• "Be Committed." Elite Sport Leadership Central RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <http://www.elitesportleader.com/themes/be-committed/>.
• "ARTICLES." Sportsmind. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <http://www.sportspsychology.net.au/index.php/articles/motivation/the-power-of-commitment>.
• "The 6 Key Components of Commitment." Janssen Sports Leadership Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. <http://www.janssensportsleadership.com/resources/janssen-blog/the-6-key-components-of-making-a-serious-commitment/>.

Concluding Sentence: These lessons can be transferred into life skills that coincide with relationships, business, and social matters.

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Blog 17: Fourth Interview

“The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.” -Robert G. Ingersoll

1. What are a few things that standout for you when you notice a player is committed to the team?
2. When losing a big game, how do you handle the team's emotions?
3. Does a coach's body language affect the way a player performs?
4. Can you describe a situation where a player showed lack of teamwork and what you did as a coach to resolve it?
5. Can you describe a situation where a player showed commitment to the team?
6. Describe your most effective effort to create or promote a positive image for your team.
7. Can you tell me about a situation that best illustrates your ability to work collaboratively with a diverse group of people?
8. As a coach what are some qualities you want your team to represent?
9. How do you make sure your players stay humble during a winning streak?
10. What are some things you do to motivate your team to do better?
11. From experience what do you believe is a skill a player should have when it comes to sports?
12. How do you get a play to do more than what they believe they can when it comes to their skill level?
13. How do you find the talent of each individual on your team?
14. How high do you set goals for your team?
15. How are coaches suppose to handle pressure under stressful situations?
16. How important is character for a player to have?
17. Is consistency important in coaching your team?
18. What are certain things you do to make sure your players are relaxed and ready for a game day?
19. Do you notice a change in attitude when a player is out of the field?
20. Can you name a time frame that you've noticed your players improve in the sport?