Today was a day that confirms once again the passion I have for my profession and the love and respect I have for the members of the SBU softball team. We put the team through a tough workout today, including wall-sits, board pushes and leg presses. If anyone has ever experienced these exercises, you understand the term "jelly-legs." You push yourself so hard that your legs seem to move in all directions at the same time when you try to walk. Walking up and down stairs after a workout like that is a feat in itself.
Watching these outstanding student-athletes push themselves to the point of leaning over garbage cans in case the days breakfast makes a sudden come back or each one of them helping the other stand up re-affirms what I surmised about this team a while ago. They want to be great. They are beginning to understand what it takes to be great and they are starting to realize that there is no limit to how great we can become as long as we are a team that respects and cares for each other.
It takes a lot of support from teammates and coaches to make it through a day like this in the weight room. Most freshmen have never experienced pushing themselves to the level where their bodies are telling them to stop but their will and determination is screaming at them to continue. The pictures I take out of today were of a freshman about to begin her last board push and a senior, who had all ready done her workout earlier in the day grabbing a board and doing the exercise with her. Also another senior doing one more board push than she needed to just to help her sophomore teammate finish up her workout. All of them side by side working together to make this team better. My respect grows more and more each day for all of them.
A sophomore came up to me the other day with a bracelet on her wrist that she made online. My philosophy has always been that we are friends first and teammates second at SBU. However, what she showed me, is what we will live by every day here at SBU while I remain the coach. Her bracelet read..."Our Family vs Your Team." That sums up everything I believe in and stand for as a coach and a person. GO BONAS!
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