A new gig is exciting, challenging ... and worrisome, too

In essence, today starts a new adventure for me. Since August 1, I have been filling for my friend Steph Harris as the Sports Information Director at Hamline. It was kind of like when Johnny Carson used to go on vacation and he would have guest hosts. You kept things going until the incumbent returned.

Steph took a three-month family leave to be with her father in Florida, who was battling cancer. Sadly, her dad passed away in late October. Steph has now decided to stay in Florida and help her mm sort through everything that needs to be done. She'll look for work there. In the meantime, the athletic season is in full blast at Hamline and somebody needed to step into the SID role. The Athletic Director, Bob Beeman, a very good man, offered me the job on a full time, interim basis through the end of June (when contracts for nearly everybody expire). I accepted and here I am.

As a fill-in for Steph, I tried to be very careful and not change much of what she had done. After all, if she had decided to return, that would not have been fair to her or the right thing to do.. Besides, she did a terrific job and, truth be told, there was very little reason to change much.

Now that I have the gig (at least until the end of June), I may tweak a few things here and there to suit my comfort zone (just as Steph did when she first got the job). That's the exciting part. The challenging part is figuring out is a proposed change can actually occur. The worrisome part is making sure any change made really is for the betterment of the school and the job.

I have been a SID before but the job has changed considerably since my last shot at it (at Concordia from 1999-2002). There is a lot of internet work to do. Much of the recruiting done by coaches is now via the web. I am not a tekkie but have learned a lot about cyberspace over the years. I need to learn a lot more in a hurry to make our website look snazzy. That's exciting, challenging AND worrisome.

I know the league well so working with the players in it isn't going to be the issue.

No, the problem will be Steph was a lot better at cyberpsace than I can ever hope to be. Being younger (and, sigh, a lot more hipper than me), she has spent more time on computers and, thus, can pick up concepts quicker. If I want to know a trend in that area, I have to ask someone.

But I like dealing with reporters, coaches and officials. I enjoy the stat work. I like our game day personnel. They're not working for the money. They want to and enjoy being at games. I love the MIAC. It stands for what can be very good in college athletics. There may be a Jerry Sandusky somewhere in our Division III midsts. But I doubt it. A fellow like that would stand out and (forgive the term) be exposed a lot earlier than happened at Penn State.

I signed my contract the other day. The gig is now mine and that means the responsibility for everything is now officially on my head. I am no longer the fill-in just keeping a chair warm. Let's hope I know what the hell I am doing. There is one advantage that many others in a similar spot wont have. Steph and I can contact each other easily. She has been wonderfully patient with my many (at times, repetitive) questions. Thanks, girl.

Starting a new adventure at age 58 is not something I expected to do. But such is life.

We have a home mens bb game against UW-Whitewater. A bb game Wednesday. Hockey games Friday and Saturday. Games next week as well. There is a lot to do and it is now incumbent on me to handle it all with no excuses and nobody to saddle with blame if something goes wrong.

Exciting, challenging and worrisome.

But isn't that what life is supposed to be?

Thankful for many things

It's been a helluva run of death lately. My dear friend Steph Harris' dad passed away after a noble fight with cancer. My friend and former colleague Gordy Lee died suddenly. My sister-in-law recently lost her father this week. A longtime family friend lost hers last week. Another good friend's beloved dog died the other day.

I understand death is a part of life. I feel for all my friends and their families. I try to find the words to comfort them. But the reality is you really can't comfort them much. They hurt like hell for their loss. All you can really do is hug them, tell how much you care and let them recover at their pace.

But you also feel very badly for them. You feel as if you aren't really helping their burden. In turn, that depresses you a bit, too.

When that happens, you need something to pep you up. This week, I found it in an unusual way.

I know this young couple slightly. She is the niece of a good friend. He is a pr guy and a strategist for the Dems. They are fun, neat people who are a joy to be around.

This week, they had an addition to their fold-- a baby boy named Emmett. A baby. A new life. Somebody who starts fresh with no baggage and can explore the world in their own way. A fresh face to consider after seeing all the tired old ones around us (I mean the politicians and entertainers, not my friends.)

On top of it all, he has a great old name. I had an Uncle Emmett. He was a feisty character who was tough as a whip. He sired six boys with my dad's only sister. What I remember the most about him was his bushy eyebrows and his gruff demeanor. Like most guys with that kind of demeanor, he had a very soft side, too. He always held doors for women and, while he was tough with his kids, he was always gracious and kind with Aunt Helen, his wife and the other women he ran across. Uncle Emmett may have been a hard-nosed fellow but he was a gentleman in every way. Just thinking of him makes me smile.

So, this Thanksgiving, I am being thankful for a new baby to a couple who I am sure will be great parents. I am grateful for the return of a great old name and hope the youngster lives up to the fine character of previous Emmetts. I am thankful that, although I have several friends and families who have recently suffered personal losses, all of them are surrounded by family and friends who love them and will be there for them whenever they need it.

I am thankful for a loving wife and family and a dog that has a few issues but still brings joy into our lives. I am thankful to be working.

Most of all, I am thankful that I can still find things to make me smile. I hope you, good reader, can do the same.