December’s Stater code is preparation.
It seems simple enough, but preparing for a season is serious business. Every team wants to be the most prepared, making the nature of getting ready for the season a competition in itself.
I think it was Vince Lombardi who said, “The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.”
Similar to when people call money the means of exchange, conditioning is the means of exchange for teams.
The more money people pay for something, the more they expect in return; well, the harder teams work in the offseason, the more they expect in return also.
When the going gets tough through the course of a season (which it will), the tough can get going knowing that they have already dominated a workout program that was no easy task.
A big thing in December came in the form of max week, when we tested the max weights and times of our weight and conditioning workouts. We love this week because individually we see some of the fruits of our labor.
Any good Stater has to know where they have been to know where they are going. Looking back on the last season, as so many do as the year comes to a close, reminds us that we have something to prove.
It also reminds us that life is short and we only live once, so moving forward we want to enjoy the battles that lie ahead, and rejoice in the presence of our brothers.
Away from the barn and weight room, December brought good things to the Stater family.
To start, our team GPA for the fall was as high as it has ever been. This is a huge thing for our team, as the coaching staff makes sure to let us all know that excellence is not a part-time job. We want to be the best in all facets, including those off the field.
And let’s not forget the white elephant gift exchange we had as a team. It never fails. This year’s exchange was highlighted by the giving of a goldfish—like, the kind that’s alive in a tank and needs food. Pretty good savvy from a freshman.
With a fresh calendar, we have a brand new year to look forward to.
The year will hold great things, like when the freshmen get their first hits, or record their first punch-outs on the mound. Those are sacred moments to us.
The betting lines for the first young bucks to do this have yet to been opened, but when they are it is sure to bring some smiles and laughs.
Like in 2009, when Paul Clingan took home this prize with an epic opposite-field double in the gap.
Respect.
Quick shout-out to Abe Lodwick and the rest of the basketball team as they start up their conference schedule. Let’s all get behind these guys and enjoy the excitement they bring into town.
From the Cougs, Happy Holidays.
Tommy Richards
