The athletes are the face of the school and with recognition comes responsibility. Below is a list of “What an athlete should do” the first week of school. Really, what he/she should do everyday of the school year.
1. PRESENTATION – “Back in the Day” [older generations say this all the time…haha] the first week of school was super important. The shoes had to be fresh, the jeans had to be creased and book bag needed to be Jansport. The presentation was key! It still should be. The first impression to your instructor says a lot. Before you even open your mouth to speak, how you look can relay several different messages; Attitude towards education, character, behavior, values, ect. Yes, teachers will “judge a book by the cover.” So why not make the book look as good as it is? Take the IPhone for example. iPhone 5s is precision crafted down to the micron. And it’s evident throughout. The beautiful aluminum housing. The sleekness of metal and glass. Sapphire crystal in the Home button. And more sapphire crystal protecting the iSight camera. Design and construction of this level is unmatched. As a result, iPhone 5s looks and feels unbelievably thin and light. And it’s available in three elegant expressions: gold, silver, and space gray. – Apple.com. Now, the packaging is just as simple and sleek. Apple wants the packaging to reflect the product and be part of the customer experience. If the outside looks good, customers will believe the product on the inside will be just as good.
2. ENTRANCE AND EXIT – If you did in fact decide to show-up looking like you were late to Saturday’s film session, then you’d better get this one right. “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” if you’re an upperclassmen REGARDLESS of the teacher, so make sure that you are at the very least awake, ready to look your instructor in the eyes and tell them “Good Morning” (or afternoon as the case may be). If you are not giving off the “appearance” of giving a damn about this responsibility of respect, then don’t expect the adults to be as empathetic to your cause as you would like them when it hits the fan later down the road.
3. PREPARED – Be on time, have your supplies, YADA, YADA, YADA. You already should know what you need to bring with you to school. It’s the same rule that is implemented (mostly in vain) by teachers every year since the dawn of time. Look, if you can remember to bring your iPods and all your “accessories” for your practice (we talkin’ ‘bout PRACTICE) uniform, then you can remember to bring whatever it is you need to be successful at getting this learning process going like an 80yd bomb on the first play. Otherwise you should be prepared to suffer the same social & academic fate on said hypothetical comparison to that of a fumble on the snap, leading to a defensive TD. (Pro Tip: None of the essentials involve your “smart” technology…you’re welcome)
4. RESPECTFUL – Ever heard the phrase “Treat a butthole, like a butthole?” If you have not, let it soak in for a minute. Teachers are professionals, but they are human and will remember how they are treated. Yes sir and no sir (or ma’am) go such a long ways, that it could be the difference between a C or B, B or A. Good things often happen to good students just because they show effort and are always respectful. Example: End of 1st quarter grade could be a 77%. Because Johnny Joe is always polite, mannerable, respectful and courteous, that 78% magically gets bumped up to a bold 80%. Just be a nice guy/girl and good things will happen.
5. OPEN DOOR POLICY – What ever happened to opening the door for the person behind you or the young lady slightly in front of you? Our southern ways have gone down the drain to selfish satisfaction. Try it. Try opening the door for the person next you especially an adult in the building. Not because you are wanting to receiver “something” because of the act, but just because it is the right thing to do. Kindness will rub off and become contagious. Maybe not to the entire school, but maybe a few influential members of the student body. Small acts go a long ways.
6. UP FRONT – You don’t have to sit in the very front of the room where you can smell the coffee breath of your teacher. But sit somewhere towards the front. Sitting towards the front of the classroom gives the impression that you are concerned about your academics and would like to increase your knowledge of the subject matter the instructor will teach. Even if you don’t give a crap about the class, FAKE IT!
7. CLASS CAPTAIN – Be an athlete; be a leader. In the classroom, this is essentially MUCH easier than what you do on the field. If you can’t answer a question that you’d rather attempt with a sly answer, say nothing. If you know the answer and the guy/girl who is going to MIT or Harvard knows it, beat ‘em to the punch, and do it with class. People are watching. Once you are in a jersey on Friday’s in 1st Pd, or in a coat & tie it will be a dead giveaway. Establish the pace and the environment in your small groups or in lectures in a positive, and thoughtfully challenging way; don’t be “that” guy that ruins it for the rest of your team. Not every teacher on your campus is as excited about your representation of their workplace on Friday’s as you seem. You can change that.
8. SEPARATE, BUT EQUAL – This is time management dressed-up as a life-lesson in balance. When your Physics teacher demonstrates weights and scales, pay close attention. On one side is your ball, the other side is your books. One cannot survive without the other no matter how hypocritical and nonsensical the two can become. If anything, you’ll learn something that most of us learned the hard way; that the day should be measured in 28-30hrs and not 24, and that you simply cannot have enough time to get it all done. That’s when you’ve arrived, when you get it all done and make it happen all over again 365 days of the year. When it is time for ball, it is time for ball. When it is time for class, it is time for class. Keep it separated.
9. LUNCHROOM LADY – There are three people you always take care of in any school; The person who cuts the check, cleans the room and feeds your face. All those apply to a faculty member. Two of three apply to the student and the last one should come first on the list. The lunchroom manager and assistances have a hard enough job already. They don’t need the athletes on campus making their job even harder. If you get in good with the lunchroom attendants, that one day you don’t have any cash, they may hook you up. The one day you want an extra milk, they may hook you up. They one day they run out of chicken sandwiches, they may pull one out the back. Never mistreat the folks that feed you. Go watch one of those restaurant documentaries and see what happens in the back kitchen.
Good luck and God Bless this year, make it special you guys.
– In collaboration with Doug Pugh