Bill Evans is a student of the game when it comes to wrestling, and the Richmond Hill coachs attention to detail has helped build one of the top programs in Georgia.

This season, the Wildcats had another impressive campaign. Richmond Hill finished second in the GHSA Class 6A State Dual Meet tournament losing to Pope 30-24 in the finals in a battle that came down to one match.

In the State Traditional Tournament, the Wildcats set a school record with three state champions in Jakeem Littles (195 pounds). Kamdyn Munro (152) and Rick Shores (132) among six place winners that included Joe Fusile, who was the runner-up in the heavyweight class; Tate Evans, Bills son who finished third at 182 pounds; and Nathan Furman, who took fifth at 126 pounds.

For the second year in a row, Evans is the Savannah Morning News Wrestling Coach of the Year.

What Ill remember most is that we had a great room this year. There was a lot of competition in our practices every day, said Evans, 46. We knew we had a team that was state championship caliber but there were some other great teams out there, too.

Evans has been coaching with the Wildcats for seven seasons, the last two as the programs head coach. He has learned a lot from Nick Purler, the highly-regarded coach who runs the Purler Wrestling Academy in Missouri. Evans knows the sport like the back of his hand and is always learning the latest techniques to pass along to his wrestlers, whom he considers to be family.

Jakeem Littles, the Richmond Hill star who became the first two-time state champion in school history when he won the 6A 195-pound title this season, is headed to Life University to continue his wrestling career in the fall. He said he wouldnt be where he is today without Evans.

Coach Evans has taught me everything I know, Littles said. Hes been supporting me since I started and taken me to all the camps to help me improve. He helped me develop my own style.

He knows how to motivate every wrestler on the team. Were all part of his family. He knows when to get tough, when to support us and hes always messing with us. Hes always there whether you need a laugh, or you need some help even if it doesnt have anything to do with wrestling.

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Wrestling coach of the year: Bill Evans, Richmond Hill - Savannah Morning News

Wins On The Court: Ravenswood head coach Mick Price is No. 3 when it comes to all-time wins in West Virginia high school basketball.

State sports historian Doug Huff gave me the list recently.

Price presently owns 688 victoriesmeaning at least 12 wins next season will get him to 700.

Of those 688 victories, 674 have been accumulated at Ravenswood. The data was supplied by Ravenswood basketball history buff Bryan Canterbury.

Two of Prices wins were state Class AA state championships (2006 and 2009).

Dave Rogers of Martinsburg leads the way with 775.

He was hoping to add to the totals in the State Tournament. Rogers Bulldogs were set to open in a Class AAA quarterfinal against Pakersburg South, guided by Ravenswoods Brett Rector, who is leaving the Patriot program to be an assistant for the University of Charleston.

Second on the list is Howard (Toddy) Loudin with 698. Loudin coached at several West Virginia schools.

Following Price is Pocas Allen Osborne, who led the Dots to a regional final spot in Class AA with hopes of reaching the State Tournament. Osborne owns 667 victories.

The late Jerome Van Meter is next in line with 647. Van Meters coaching career is legendary with the bulk of his wins coming at Beckley Woodrow Wilson.

The states high school coach of the year award (for all sports) is named in his honor. Price was the recipient in 2009.

Former Morgantown head coach Tom Yester is fifth with 627.

One of Yesters assistants during his career was former Ravenswood player Jason White, who has won three state titles as the girls head coach at MHS.

The late Sam Andy follows Yester with 211. Andy won his games while coach at old Wheeling High and later Wheeling Park.

On The Road: Since the State Tournament has yet to be played, West Virginia Radio Corporation, which does an incredible job broadcasting the event around the state each year, has been reliving championship games from the past over the air on stations such as 580 WCHS in Charleston.

The other night while driving, I was flipping around the dial and decided to see what game they were broadcasting.

And it just so happened to be Ravenswoods 2006 state championship win over Bluefield.

Dinner Plans: Not only are sports teams dealing with the coronavirus, but so are sports banquets.

-Sadly, the upcoming West Virginia Sports Writers Association Victory Awards Dinner has been scratched for this year.

The 74th annual event was slated for May 3 in Charleston at the Embassy Suites. The dinner is the longest running of its kind in the United States. This marks just the second time since it started back in 1945 that it is being cancelled (the other was in 1966).

Ripleys Tori Starcher was set to be honored for a second straight year as the female recipient of the Ray McCoy Award, given annually to the states top track and field/cross country performer.

Starcher, a senior at Ripley, is bound for Stanford University to continue her studies and track and field career.

-The 24th annual Mid-Ohio Valley Sports Hall of Fame banquet has been shifted from its original date of June 13 to August 22 at the Grand Pointe Conference and Reception Center in Vienna.

Jackson Countians James Abshire, Chase Fischer and Josh Miller are to be honored in the 10-member Class of 2020.

-Meanwhile, Tex Williams is still holding out hope his annual West Virginia Sports Legends Reunion event can take place at the Charleston Convention Center on July 11.

Since 2009, Williams has turned this into one of the biggest sports reunions in the country, recognizing past coaches, players, officials, administrators, band directors, volunteers and media members.

Well over 500 are to be at this years event, including former WVU head football coach Don Nehlen, one-time Marshall head football coach Bobby Pruett and Greg White, head coach for both Marshall and University of Charleston mens basketball.

Some Jackson Countians are to be recognized. Williams will be releasing a complete list in the coming days.

Remembering Bev Shatto: Like a lot of people I have had the pleasure of getting to know through the years, the sports world has been our bond.

Such is how a friendship was developed with the late Bev Shatto Ripley High Schools beloved principal who passed away last week.

In her earlier years as an educator, Shatto was also a tennis coach.

Not only could she play the game, but she had a gift of showing others how it was to be done on the court.

Her playing background included winning a national tournament earlier in her life.

With no pun intended, Bev truly loved tennis.

She loved sports in general and staying physically fit.

The Ripley community has been incredibly saddened with her passing.

I didnt see Bev often, but when the two of us did cross paths we always had a nice conversation. The topic was usually about sports, her family or her Ripley High family.

While teaching Sunday School for several years at Calvary United Methodist, I had the pleasure of having some of Bevs children in my class.

Bev worked tirelessly as a teacher, coach and later as an administrator.

One of her friends (and she had a boatload) told me it was nothing for Bev to put in 15-to-16 hour days at Ripley High.

She referred to Ripley High as her second home.

When you look up the word class in the dictionary, you might just find a picture of Bev Shatto.

She had so many great qualities.

She was kind, caring, dedicated and passionate...just to name a few.

Our heart aches for her four children and other family members. It aches for her church family. It aches for her many colleagues. It aches for her abundance of friends outside of the school system. It aches for all the young lives she touched through the years in the education field. It certainly aches for the Ripley High Class of 2020.

I have heard so many wonderful things about her over the course of the past few days.

And having known her myself, those heartfelt tributes come as no surprise.

She will be forever missed.

More:
State coaching wins; dinner plans and remembering Bev Shatto - Jackson County Newspapers

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Author JK Rowling created a flutter on Twitter recently when she gave scathing replies to a person, who suggested that the author should not knock life coaches for trying to inspire people during these troubling times. In her tweet, Rowling said: Implying that people are lazy or unmotivated if they arent knocking out masterpieces daily isnt inspiration, its a form of shaming. If endless distraction cured depression, no rich person or workaholic would ever have killed themselves. Sadness and anxiety arent weaknesses.

Theyre a natural human response to difficulty and danger. Allowing ourselves to feel what we feel, and acknowledging that we have good reason to feel that way, is a better route back to good mental health than beating ourselves up for not being superhuman. Rowling was on to something when she said this. Alongside the steady and bleak stream of the number of COVID-19 positive cases, social media today is full of tips and ideas on how to make this pandemic useful.

Life coaches and influencers are exhorting people to not waste the extra time they have earned while working from home during the lockdown. But does this create a pressure on people to be extra productive when just coping can be stressful for many?

Dr Pragya Rashmi, consultant psychologist, says: We are culturally taught to be stronger in difficult times, to put on a happy face when we are going through depression. We are told to behave in a way that contradicts our feelings. This school of thought has been coming down from generations. It might have some meaning at that time, but currently, it does not.Baijesh Ramesh, a clinical psychologist at Chetana Hospital in Secunderabad, says: We are facing unprecedented chaos, and this can easily overwhelm many of us. What we are going through globally is a collective trauma.

There are people amongst us who lost their jobs and many more living in fear of losing jobs. The whole situation has given rise to significant anxiety, profound grief, panic, and fear of loss of lives of loved ones among people. Many of us are struggling to survive poverty, financial burden, health issues, mental health difficulties, and relationship struggles due to the lockdown.

Individuals differ dramatically in their response to stress and how they cope with it. Some people thrive even under these circumstances and make the best use of this time to be extra productive, but that cannot be expected of everyone. If a person feels pressured to be extra productive amid these uncertainties, that can be unhealthy. This pressure can create an additional challenge for children, who may not express their stress and anxieties like adults do; they are also perceptive of whats happening around and are concerned.

If anyone can cope with this situation by being productive, then thats great, but if someone doesnt have the bandwidth right now, thats fine too. It is absolutely okay to be not okay.Stating that we are witnessing an unprecedented situation, Pragya adds: The Covid-19 pandemic is a situation that most of us are undergoing for the first time in our lives. The last time the world saw such a crisis was during the World Wars. Amid this, people are being told to be extra creative and extra happy by social media, influencers and the socio-political environment.

Students are being asked to take up extra coaching, mentoring etc. I coped is no longer a thing for us. We dont see coping as an activity and ignore the fact that it requires energy too. We want to sweep coping under the carpet, put some activity on top of it, and believe that is the way to go forward. The more we repress coping, it will come back in a darker form. We have to face our anxieties and accept that dealing with them requires energy. Its not mandatory to be happy.

There are people who are being extra productive now, and it is their way of dealing with things. But everyone need not be happy, or cooking, or acquiring a new skill. To let go of all activities is an important psychological phenomenon that nourishes our minds. A retreat need not be activity based. Its important to pause our minds to gain new perspectives.

Creating extra pressure is stressful Life coaches and influencers are exhorting people to not waste extra time while working from home. Does this create pressure on people to be extra productive, when just coping can be stressful?

kakoli_mukherjee@newindianexpress.com@KakoliMukherje2

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You need not do anything extra this pandemic - The New Indian Express

Todd Woodcroft instructs during a Winnipeg Jets practice.(Photo: Jonathan Kozub/Winnipeg Jets)

Soon after Kevin Sneddon announced his intentions to retire at the end of his 17th season in charge of the University of Vermont men's hockey team, athletic director Jeff Schulman heard from Noah Segall, theprogram's former director of operations.

As Schulman prepared to begin a national search to replace Sneddon, Segall tossed a name in the mix for consideration: Todd Woodcroft, a longtime NHL coach who has spent the last four seasonswith the Winnipeg Jets.

"He said you may want to take a look at this guy," Schulman said, "and it evolved from there."

More than two months later, and smack in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic that prolonged the process for the school and itsmost sought-aftercandidates, Schulman and UVM selected Woodcroft, 47, as the fifth Catamount coach in program history.

"I talked to several head coaches in college hockey including in our league who know Todd and feel like hes a really exceptional person and his background and international reputation for player and skill development indicated he was somebody we should really consider," Schulman said.

"We really felt like he was a great fit for UVM and where we want to move our program," said the fourth-year AD and 1989 alum of the hockey program.

More: Why NHL assistant coach Todd Woodcroft wanted the UVM men's hockey job

Todd Woodcroft instructs players during a Winnipeg Jets practice.(Photo: Jonathan Kozub/Winnipeg Jets)

Woodcroft was UVM's guy, its top choice, according to Adam Wodonof College Hockey News.And Woodcroft yearned for a situation that had presented itself in Burlington. The marriage seems like an ideal match for both parties: A coach on an upward trajectory to take the reins ofa programand a school hoping the right personcould spark a return to prominence after seven losing seasons this decade.

"This isnt just a good place," Woodcroft said Thursday during a phone interview, "this is a destination where you want to be."

Schulman: "When I really evaluated what I think our program needs and to take the next step and compete at a championship level, which is what our goal is, Todd is the best person to help make that happen."

On the surface, there are questions. UVM'sopening, the final vacancy out of the 60 Division I teams, went to a coach who has noNCAA background either as a player or as a member of a college staff. And despite a stacked resume, the UVM gig is also Woodcroft's first head-coaching assignment.

"I dont know if I consider myself a maverick in any way, but I also dont mind pushing up against the status quo," Schulman said. "Most of our candidates came from deep inside the college hockey world and Todd represented a pretty stark contrastin that regard.

"Ive never been a believer that there is one career path for a successful coach. For me, its more about the person and their core values and what they bring to the job."

More: UVM tabs Todd Woodcroft to lead men's hockey program

Jerry Tarrant, part of an alumni group that played a small rolein theinterview process, praised the decision.

"This is a bold move and I really respect it. There were a couple choices that were safe choices and nobody would havechallenged Jeff on it," said Tarrant, who played hockey with Schulman at UVM. "Having talked with this guy, I can see the allure of (Woodcroft). This one is so far out of the mainstream of what people thought was going to happen that it creates an even higher level of excitement."

Associate athletic director Joe Gervais, another UVM hockey alum, called it a "non-traditional hire." But the overwhelming reaction has been positive, and could be viewed as a sneaky-good hire when the time comes for judgement.

"Ive been part of a lot of searches over the years and theres never one candidate who has absolutely everything," Gervais said."Time will tell how good a hire it was, but we feel like he's a great person for the job right now."

Todd Woodcroft has been picked as UVM's next men's hockey coach.(Photo: Courtesy of Jonathan Kozub/Winnipeg Jets)

Woodcroft hasn't stepped foot into Gutterson Fieldhouse in about five years. And the COVID-19 crisis turned all formal interviews from in-person to video or phone conversations.

But that was only a minor setback thanks to modern technology.

Resuming after the pandemic delayed proceedings for a couple weeks, Woodcroft was impressed by UVM's pursuit and dogged preparedness.

"They were meticulous in their research about me. They did a marvelous job vetting me,"Woodcroft said. "It was an intense process,I felt like the character of Red in 'TheShawshank Redemption' at the parole hearings."

Woodcroft also noticed the longevity of the administrators and coaches he spoke with. Schulman and Gervais are each closing in on 30 years at their alma mater. Men's head basketball coach John Becker just wrapped his 14th season with the program.

"Thats the greatest testament to a school," Woodcroft said.

Schulman said they had to win over Woodcroft, too.

"A big part of this process was us selling Vermont to Todd," Schulman said."I think it became pretty clear as the process went along that this was a good fit on both sides."

And, of course, Woodcroft had to beat out a strong candidate field. Six others were formally interviewed; associate head coaches Ben Barr of Massachusetts and Jerry Keefe of Northeastern were the other two finalists, according to several media reports.

"There seems to be a real synergy between (Schulman) and Todd, two people who share a common vision of trying to bring the program back to prominence," said Jay Woodcroft, Todd's younger brother. "I think the way that he prepared and delivered in theprocess, he showed them how serious he was about theresponsibility."

Woodcroft was also sold on the team's potential. Sure, the Catamounts won just two games in Hockey East this winter, part of a66-136-37 record in conference play over the last decade. But the Toronto native and 1995 McGill graduate saw a group who played and skated hard.

"I watched some games (on film) and this was a team that never quit, they blockedshots for each other," Woodcroft said. "They were inso many one-goal games."

Todd Woodcroft instructs players during a Winnipeg Jets practice.(Photo: Jonathan Kozub/Winnipeg Jets)

Woodcroft has spent the last two decades with five NHL teams in various roles, most notably as a scout. He won a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 as the team's primary European scout. He alsowas an assistant coach on gold-medal winning teams forCanada and Sweden at the 2004 and 2017 IIHF World championships, respectively.

Given his NHL experience, his teaching knowledge of the game "a cutting edge technician," his brother saidand the contacts he has amassed in North America and Europe, it was only a matter of time before a professional team or school offered Todd Woodcroft a head gig.

"Theres a reason the best players in the world gravitate toward him. Yes, hes dynamic and he has a magnetic personality but, most importantly, hes got the coaching chops," said Jay Woodcroft, a former NHL assistant coach who now leads the AHL's Bakersfield Condors. "Hes earned every opportunity, hes earned the right to work with the best people in the sport.

"Hes spent the last 20 years of his life preparing for this moment."

The key to unlocking the Catamounts' success is through recruiting, finding elite players, and Tarrant said Woodcroft appears to havethat ability.

"For me, I feel like recruiting is a very important part of the job, maybe the most important. I felt like he spoke to that," Tarrant said. "These kids will say, This is a guy who can get me ready to achieve my goal of playing in the National Hockey League. Thats a good reason to go to Vermont."

Naturally, Woodcroft's younger brother believes in him.

"He has an unmatched work ethic. When he sets his mind to something, hes a very driven person," Jay Woodcroft said."Thats why I think the University of Vermont not only got a great human being, but a very motivated and a very prepared hockey coach.

"Hes going to make it his mission for that program to succeed."

Contact Alex Abrami at 660-1848 oraabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter:@aabrami5.

Read more:
How UVM landed NHL assistant coach Todd Woodcroft for the men's hockey gig - Burlington Free Press

Chiapparelli, 64, who has a mop of shaggy curls on his head and still wears those tight, mid-length gym teacher shorts nearly every day, even in the winter, didnt plan on any of this when he was starting out in coaching and teaching physical education 40 years ago. He spent 32 years coaching three sports, then dialed it back to just hockey and baseball after his wife asked him to, though he still helps out on the sidelines of varsity football games on Saturday afternoons in the fall.

The programs were fairly mediocre when he took them over, but he joined the board of the local Little League and tried to make it a little more competitive, encouraging better players to play in older divisions. He also started after-school floor hockey and baseball programs in the districts elementary schools, giving him an early look at the best athletes in town.

He paid his high school players to coach the children and used the rest of the money to help improve the facilities and opportunities for his high school teams. They got batting cages and bullpens and spring trips to tournaments against other nationally ranked teams, plus some sweet swag batting gloves, polo shirts, sweatshirts.

His players also do off-season weight training and conditioning in the mornings before school. He joins them for five-mile runs several mornings a week. His team is the grounds crew. They rake the infield and manicure the pitching mound and home plate and roll out the tarp when bad weather is coming.

In the early 1990s, he started scheduling games against the best teams in New York, teams that battered his Tigers at first. Now his teams regularly contend for state championships.

Im not afraid to lose, and thats what I tell the kids, he said. When you put yourself up against the tougher challenge you get used to having tougher challenges.

Since the season got put on an indefinite hold, he has cleaned up his yard and done all the early spring chores around the house. He usually works Sunday nights tending bar at a local tavern, but that isnt happening either. Now hes just bored, a guy who is used to having five jobs, who now barely has one. He should be throwing a thousand pitches a day for live batting practice, because hitting a ball out of a machine just isnt the same, but hes got no one to throw to. And nothing fills the hole of whats really missing.

Originally posted here:
For Coaching Lifers, Losing the Game but Sticking With It - The New York Times

Posted April 08, 2020, 10:30 am

In the fall of 2019, my hospital put out word that it was looking for physicians who might wish to undergo intensive training to become certified health and wellness coaches. Having worked with patients who have used health coaching, I jumped at the chance. Their experiences were almost universally positive: many of them had attained health goals that had been otherwise elusive, such as the weight loss they invoked annually and fruitlessly as a New Years resolution. The few physicians I knew who were also coaches seemed to be able to fuse the different skill sets in a way that expanded their ability to connect with their patients and address their health needs on a deeper level.

Just as a sports coach can help an athlete develop and excel at a sport, a health and wellness coach can help anyone excel at living their life, even or especially if they have chronic medical conditions. The coaching process is similar to talk therapy in that it involves two people discussing ideas and issues, but it is different in that the person who is being coached is in the drivers seat, creating their goals as well as the strategies on how to arrive at these goals.

People tend to hire health coaches to help them with a broad variety of health issues, such as weight loss, stress reduction, the management of chronic conditions, improving diet and exercise, tobacco cessation, addiction, and adjusting to a life-altering health event, like a heart attack. There is overlap between what a health coach does and what a life coach does, but a life coachs domain is much broader, and includes career issues, executive coaching, and professional effectiveness.

A key technique utilized by coaches is motivational interviewing, in which a coach asks open-ended questions intended to help their client elicit his or her own reasons for change. Instead of the doctor saying, You need to lose weight, a coach might ask, How might your life be different if you lost the weight that youve been trying to lose? The concept, which has been proven effective in many research studies, is that people who are changing for their own reasons, on their own terms, are far more likely to succeed when compared with someone telling them what to do which is less motivating and is more likely to instill resistance to change.

Motivational interviewing has been creeping into the medical profession as well, with great success. With the intensive focus on it I received in my coaching training, I now put it in the forefront in my interactions with patients, trying to really hear what they are saying and to engage them as much as possible in coming up with solutions for the various health issues that arise. Patients seem to genuinely appreciate this, and while I havent conducted a study, this approach certainly seems successful in terms of both my relationships with patients and the results I am seeing.

Whereas traditional psychology has focused on what is wrong with people and what needs to be fixed, coaching philosophy focuses on what has, can, and will work better for you. This means that instead of rooting around for problems to dwell on, a coach will work with you to harness your strengths, in order to improve the health behaviors you want to address.

Coaching is effective for people managing a variety of health conditions. According to a recent study, coaching results in clinically relevant improvements in multiple biomarker risk factors (including systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose, body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and cardiorespiratory fitness) in diverse populations. Coaching has also helped improve health-related quality of life and reduced hospital admissions in patients with COPD. No wonder some doctors offices are offering it, some insurance companies are paying for it, and private companies are even starting to offer coaching to their employees in order to lower their healthcare costs.

Coaching is a relatively new field, and it is an unregulated industry, so you do not need any certification to practice as a health coach. There is no strict definition of what a health coach even is, which adds to the confusion. In other words, anyone can hang out a shingle and call themselves a coach. However, there are many programs that do train and certify coaches, both in person and online. Among the most popular and well-respected are: The National Society of Health Coaches, The American Council on Exercise, Dr. Sears Wellness Institute, Duke Integrative Medicine, and Wellcoaches School of Coaching (which is where I was trained). It is strongly recommended that you choose a certified coach, to ensure that they have a certain level of training and experience.

The time commitment and cost of coaching are highly variable. Some people do very brief coaching even one session for a discrete problem, such as whether or not to accept a job offer, whereas others may participate in coaching for months or years, for something like managing weight, diabetes, depression, or hypertension. The cost varies with the skill and experience of the coach. As mentioned previously, some employers and medical plans may cover this, as there is abundant evidence that, for example, health coaching around issues such as weight loss can significantly lower healthcare costs. It is important to note that coaches take privacy very seriously, and they have a professional code of ethics, but there are not the same HIPAA-level privacy protections as there are when you visit a medical office.

Coaching appears to be as effective when administered remotely by phone or the Internet when compared with face-to-face coaching. This provides great flexibility, as coaching can be performed in person, over the phone, or via videoconferencing.

Coaches resumes will often be available for you to review, so see if their interests and experience overlap with the issues you wish to address. Coaches enter the field from a wide variety of different backgrounds, and it might be an advantage to pick a coach who has a background in a health or wellness-related field, though many extremely talented coaches come from careers in different realms. Word of mouth is always an excellent way to find a coach, or you could call your insurance company and, if this is an offered benefit, its likely that they have coaches they can recommend.

Unlike health fads that come and go, health coaching has strong evidence behind it backing its effectiveness for improving health and well-being. Becoming a health coach has been deeply rewarding to me, because it is rare in life that you get to promote happiness, build resiliency, save people money, and help people live longer and more fulfilling lives at the same time.

See the rest here:
Health coaching is effective. Should you try it? - Harvard Health Blog - Harvard Health

SAN MARCOS, Texas -- A year ago, Alex Muntefering didnt think hed be discussing his departure from Texas State University.

The Parkston native was thankful for the Division-I assistant coach opportunity he held on the cross-country and track and field staff for three and a half years.

He developed as a mid-distance and long distance coach, built strong relationships with his runners and helped guide the Bobcats to unprecedented long-distance running success. They won three Sun Belt Conference championships -- 2019 womens indoor track, 2019 mens outdoor track and 2017-18 womens cross-country -- and he coached multiple runners to all-conference placing and school records.

The long road trips for meets and recruiting weighed on him, though, and forced him to start thinking about his future. As hard as it was to step down in December, he wanted to find a better balance in his life between coaching and family.

Over the course of this past fall, I think there were some seeds that were starting to be planted in my heart about what I wanted my life to look like, Muntefering said. What I wanted my role as a coach to look like. More importantly, what I wanted my role as a family person to look like.

Muntefering took a chance, leaving Texas State in December 2019 to open a private coaching business in San Marcos, Texas, called PR Project. Hes still located in the same town as Texas State, utilizing the highly-populated market between Austin and San Antonio where the presence of private coaching is evident.

Thats what it came down to for me, Muntefering said. Having this passion to coach, but to see how I can design my life to maximize my ability to coach and not let it be a sacrifice to other parts of my life.

Hes still learning how to run a business, but hes formulated a plan in how he wants it to develop. As of now, Muntefering is coaching seven runners, with hopes of obtaining as many as 30. Its different from other private coaches who work with 75-100 athletes, but hes focused on quality rather than quantity.

I want to have a smaller amount of athletes, but be able to pour more and more of my time into them, Muntefering said. I know if I took in a large number of athletes, like 75 to 100, I would sacrifice the quality of my coaching.

This wasnt the passion Muntefering envisioned growing up. Even during college, he figured hed continue running or go into physical therapy. Now, hes blending what he learned at all of his stops, even if he didnt know he wanted to be a coach until he was a junior at Colorado State University.

The work ethic comes from growing up on a farm in the state he still owns the Class A 800-meter state record (1:53.76). Hes dealt with transferring from the University of Oklahoma to Colorado State, then excelled on the track despite not having the most talent.

As a graduate assistant at South Dakota State University, Muntefering was able to observe the training and interactions between runners and coaches. His knowledge behind the science of different workouts grew at Texas State, as well as learning to not just work hard but to work efficiently.

Most importantly what I learned here at Texas State (was) how to pour into people, Muntefering said. Using my role as a coach, how to positively impact people. I knew it was something I wanted to gain in my lifetime as a coach, but Texas State afforded me the opportunity to actually do that. To really be able to get deep with each of my athletes.

If the right opportunity arose, Muntefering would return to collegiate coaching. For now, hes focused on growing PR Project, and having the same influence his coaches had on him.

I think slowly over time as I got to learn and see some really great coaches of mine practice their art of coaching, Muntefering said. I think it just slowly started to get ingrained in me that this would be a really (good) opportunity for me to use in my lifetime to positively impact others.

Link:
Still on the track: Parkston native Muntefering dives into private coaching after DI opportunity - The Daily Republic

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 29: Pitching coach Steve Foster meets with Kyle Freeland #21 of the ... [+] Colorado Rockies in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on April 29, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Ideally, the Rockies would have played their 12th game of the season Wednesday, completing their first homestand in the process. The starting pitchers would have been on their third turn through the rotation.

Of course, none of that has happened with the COVID-19 pandemic delaying the start of the season and causing concerns whether there will even be games this year.

Rockies pitching coach Steve Foster said when Major League Baseball halted spring training March 12, the starting pitchers were given a road map of sorts about what would be needed when a second spring training began.

This is kind of an unprecedented time, Foster said Wednesday on a conference call with Denver media. The thing that I know is if you give us 20-25 days, I think its going to give us plenty of time to get our pitchers built up enough to be able to compete. Theres enough history in this game to know what it takes to build a starting pitcher up. It all comes down to that, because the relievers and the position players can get ready in plenty short time.

Foster said weekly Zoom meetings began this week. Pods have been established for both the major league and minor league pitchers with the pitching coaches and coordinators serving as pod leaders for the weekly meetings that can include discussion of training regimens to keep arms and bodies in shape and go well beyond those conventional areas.

Coaching isnt just coaching when were on a baseball field, Foster said. Coaching is life coaching as well. And sometimes life goes in directions we didnt expect, and we certainly didnt expect this.

Mental skills development director Doug Chadwick is in charge of distributing a weekly YouTube clip or article to pitchers throughout the organization. Foster said Chadwick gets input from pitching coaches, and then hes going to pick what the weekly discussion is going to be centered on. This week, Chadwick selected a YouTube clip from author, speaker and pastor John Maxwell titled, The Reasons Why Most People Fail Dont Make This Mistake.

Foster said Chadwicks choices are something to spearhead a discussion. But with pitchers widely disbursed Foster said about 15 Rockies pitchers live near the clubs complex in Scottsdale, Ariz. - there is an added benefit to these discussions.

It pales in comparison to just seeing faces and laughing, Foster said, and if we need to cry, well cry. But most importantly, its that were connecting, were staying engaged, were encouraging, were finding out the information from guys on how theyre doing because no ones been here before.

Foster said the pitchers are following health mandates, and some have been pairing off when it comes to playing catch Kyle Freeland and Jeff Hoffman, Chi Chi Gonzalez and Jairo Diaz and Carlos Estevez and Antonio Senzatela.

Freeland has purchased a portable mound. And reliever Scott Oberg has brought one out of storage, as he noted in his Instagram post showing the mound outside his home in Sewell, N.J., and captioned: What bullpens look like for the forseeable future.

Foster was speaking from his home in Mosinee, Wis. He said his daughter, Lauren, a shortstop on the University of Wisconsin softball team will finish her junior year online next month. They have been working out together, but not playing catch or hitting since she wont be playing until next spring.

Foster said what he missed most being away from baseball are the people and the competition and being part of the team.

Our everyday existence is about a win and a loss, Foster said, and risking it all and being all-in and engaged and interacting with people and laughing and loving and crying.

Its by no means the same as trying to weave through nine innings and prevail, but Foster has found some competitive outlets around the house.

We do have Yahtzee here, he said. We have ping-pong. We have a pool table. Weve got some things around the house to draw a little blood.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected Fosters family in other, more serious ways as well. His brother P.J. Foster, 39, was getting ready to leave the U.S. Navy after 20 years and was on his way home from the western Pacific Ocean. But when crew members of the USS Theodore Roosevelt tested positive for COVID-19, the aircraft carrier went to port in Guam so crew members could be tested and isolated, causing an extension of the younger Fosters tour of duty.

Hes been recalled, and now hes on a warship in the South China Sea, Foster said. Thats as much as I know.

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Rockies Pitching Coach Steve Foster Remains Connected With His Pitchers - Forbes

Ralph Davis poses with a Milwaukee Washington High School student at the school's graduation. Davis, 60, who had diabetes, died of COVID-19 on March 25.(Photo: Courtesy of Paul Edward Davis)

A beloved Milwaukee high school basketball coach. A grandfather eagerlyawaiting his first great-grandchildren. A woman who remained close to her five children even as she depended on dialysis.

Theseare some of the people who have succumbed to COVID-19 in the past three weeks as the death toll surged across Wisconsin. The count passed 100 this week, more than half of them in Milwaukee County.

The virus, which spread around the globe, claimed its first victims in Wisconsin on March 19. That day, three men died in three counties:

A66-year-oldretired firefighter in Milwaukee who served as a father figure to boys in the Sherman Park neighborhood; a92-year-old Grafton man who served in the U.S. Air Force and then worked as a mechanic in the paper industry who wasin the late stages of life; and an airplane buff and longtime Mercury Marine employee from Fond du Lac who contracted the virus while on a cruise inEgyptfor his 55th birthday.

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Over the next three weeks, deaths came in 17 of the state's 72 counties. Trends have surfaced, most notably the high percentage of African Americans affected by the virus in Milwaukee County. Roughly 70% of those who have died were black.

Those dying have tended to be men in their 60s or older, and almost every one had underlying medical conditions making them vulnerable to the ravages of the virus.

The illness has hit many victims quickly.

One man,who asked not to be named, said his mother depended on dialysis but seemed fine the last time he saw her in mid-March. The next morning, she was found unresponsive, and was rushed to the hospital. A week later she died.

But beyond the statistics, the state's coronavirus victims are defined more by how they lived than how they died.

Ralph Davis learned how to play basketball from his older brother when he was in grade school. Soon Ralph was showing his brother and many others his moves on the playground courts of Milwaukee

By the late 1970s, Davis became part of the powerhouse Purgolder teams at Washington High School.

They were running folks off the court," said Henry Davis, one of Ralph's brothers.

Ralph Davis joined the boys basketball coaching staff at Washington in 1994.

He said it would be for a year. He never left.

Ralph Davis (rear left) poses with one of the teams he coached during his 25 years at Milwaukee Washington High School.(Photo: Courtesy of Paul Edward Davis)

Davis was on the staffthat coached the Purgolders to state runner-up finishes in 1997 and 2000. He later coachedthe girls basketball team and was the schools track coach last season when Elijah Johnson won state titles in the 100 and 200 meters.

Davis also worked as a teacher's aide at Washington for 25 years.

He really connected with the people in many different ways, Washington Athletic Director Marlon Boyd said. He was a down-to-earth guy, a comedian, always telling jokes, telling stories and cheating the basketball players when they played horse."

Outside Washington High School, a makeshift memorial has gone up this week.It says, "RIP Coach Davis," spelled in cups jammed in the fence.Former players and students have been stopping by to leave a memory.

A memorial has been erected outside Milwaukee's Washington High School for Ralph Davis, the schools basketball and track coach who died of COVID-19 complications March 25.(Photo: Angela Peterson / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

As news of his death spread, people flooded his Facebook pages with stories about the impact he made on their lives.

"I think its crazy how one person can leave such an impact on sooooo many kids,"one former student wrote."If tough love was a person, it wasRalph Davis."

Davis, 60, who haddiabetes, went to get a COVID-19 test on March 20. He was told to expect a call in 24 hours. He never heard back and was found dead in bed earlyMarch 25. The test result came later that same day, according to the medical examiner's report.

Family members said they were trying not to ask"what if," but remembering the man whom many simply knew as "coach."

"My brother was one of the nicest, most gentle guys," one of his brothers said."Hewould bend over backward for anybody and he did."

Richard Malmberg was a large, vibrant man who could filla room.

He grew up in Cudahy, did a stint in the Army, moved back to Wisconsinand married at 21. He went to work at Ladish Co., a metal forging factory in Cudahy where he rose to become a supervisor.

Karen Kazmierski remembers hearing her dad talking in his sleep, bossing subordinates as he was conked out in a living room chair.

"He literally would be bossing people around in his sleep," she said.

Malmberg also was a charmer and a character. He would start whistling or singing 1950s tunes in the grocery store, driving his wife crazy.

"Everybodyloved him. He was reallyoutgoing," Kazmierski said.

Later in life, Malmberg retired from his Ladish job and turned in his golf clubs to becomea devoted grandfather. But he always kept that sharp wit.

Richard Malmberg at a "gender reveal" party in 2019 for his first great-grandchildren, fraternal twins. Malmberg, 89, died from COVID-19 on April 1, 2020.(Photo: Courtesy of Malmberg family)

"He was a character. He liked to give you a hard time, get you riled up, keep it going and then look at someone else and laugh becausehe knew he riled you up,"Kazmierski said, adding she fell for that every time.

Eight years ago, his wife of 62 years, Dawn, died. He was in a rehab center, which he thought he would hate, but he soon started making friends. There he met a woman who would become his girlfriend.

Malmberg was his bubbly self late last year when he had attended a "gender reveal" baby shower. As he closed in on 90, he was giddy over the prospect of becoming a great-grandfather. In a photofrom the party, Malmbergis shown with pink and blue beads around his neck, smiling broadly. It will be a boy and girl, due in May.

But before the birth, Malmberg and his daughter were scheduled to go on the Honor Flight taking veterans to Washington, D.C., on March 23.

In mid-March, Franciscan Courts assisted-living facility in South Milwaukee where Malmberg lived closed to visitors, but residents could leave to go shopping, Kazmierski said.

Malmberg, 89, had heard the news about how toilet paper was in short supply because of panic overCOVID-19. He didn't need to buy his own toilet paper. The facility would supply it if he needed it. But Malmberg was determined, his daughter said.

"He was just a man on a mission," she said. "I was mad at the staff. I said, 'Isnt this defeating the purpose of lockdown if you are letting my dad go out?"

The facility did not return calls requesting an interview.

Kazmierski can't be sure, but she thinks her dad picked up the virus at one of the three stores where he searched for toilet paper.

She couldn't see her dad in person then, but in the days that followed, she heard a worsening coughover the phone. Late one night, Kazmierski said she got a call from anursing aide who found her dad shaking and disoriented. 911 was called.Kazmierski met her dad at the Aurora South Shore Hospital ER.

His voice was what she noticed.

"Hehad this bigboisterous voice, and every day you could hear it get littler and littler until he sounded like a little frail man at the end," said Kazmierski, who remainedin quarantine Thursday at home because she went to see her dad in the hospital.

At the emergency room, he told her he just felt terrible.

Malmberg had faced illness in his later years with grit and determination. There were heart issues and a pacemaker, cancer and the removal of a kidney.

"He had beaten everything, made it through everything but he got this virus, and it just took him out. He had health issues, but it was COVIDthat took him out. It just took over his body and lungs," Kazmierski said. "I never thought this is the way it would end with me not being able to be with him never in a million years."

The last time Kazmierski saw her dad was over Skype with her son at her side. The hospital, she said, would not allowfamily to come in person for fear of infection.

"We were trying to get his attention and it was pretty much just, 'We love you,'" she said. "It was just heartbreaking."

Cary Spivak of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.

Contact John Diedrich at (414) 224-2408 or jdiedrich@journalsentinel.com. Followhim on Twitter at @john_diedrich,Instagram at @john_diedrich, LinkedInorFacebook.

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The charmer, the coach, the firefighter: These are just a few of the lives lost as Wisconsin's coronavirus death toll passes 100 - Milwaukee Journal...

COVID19, or coronavirus, while causing serious physical health challenges to many, self-isolation is causing mental health challenges to even more. For many, modern living brings considerable stress, with work, family, money and more all bringing mental health issues through anxiety and in cases fear.

Coronavirus, along with self-isolation, has leveled that stress up even higher though.

With fear not only of contracting the COVID19 virus itself, but of whether friends and loved ones will be OK, when they will meet them next, what will happen with their work or business. And for those who lost their jobs, how long it will be till they can get another job. Or in certain cases whether theyll actually be able to get another job.

This is the most stressful situation that many have ever experienced, when it will end, how it will end, is all completely unknown. Being isolated at this time, unable to talk things through, or just enjoy that distraction of spending time with friends, edges stress higher for many.

So having some solid mental health tips, so that your mental health can be managed, without going crazy, is worth taking a few minutes to digest.

These are some mental health tips from my online coaching practice that can really help you come through successfully.

What undoes most people is focusing on what they havent got, or have lost. It triggers a negative spiral, which leads into ever worse anxiety and depression, deepening that mental health challenge.

This is where mindful practice really is beneficial.

Being mindful of your thoughts, consciously pivoting and choosing to find positives, focusing on what is good, will reduce mental health challenges from self-isolation in a big way.

Enabling you to stride into a state of self-assurance which has you feeling good about yourself, and your life.

By focusing on your ability to enjoy calm relaxation, taking time to heal, away from the stress of work is good. For most, constant stress from work gets debilitating. This time when youre essentially forced into staying home is a perfect time for getting into personal development that can empower you through life in greater ways.

Whether youre taking up meditation, starting a course of study online, or delving into something else which helps you grow as a person, you have an incredible opportunity now.

Taking time for meditation especially is good. It is calming, and by building up a practice now, you can develop a practice which empowers you ever more for the rest of your life.

Meditation is great, it is calming and helps you build your mental strength in a beautiful way.

Meditating with a notebook, allowing your mind free flow of what youll do post COVID19 opens up realms for positive visualization that will strengthen your resilience for getting through current mental health challenges.

This type of activity gives you thing that you can really look forward to.

Thus increasing your positivity.

Just flow with pen onto paper all the great things you are looking forward to doing. Places, activities, people, everything.

Hold off from putting dates in, though do add what day and time things are. Whether its a Saturday, Thursday evening, Sunday morning, or whatever. Describe in detail what youre enjoying doing. Build it out.

Visualization is an incredibly powerful thing, it has helped me through some of the toughest times in my life. Whats more, the more you go through these visualizations, the more positivity you fill your mind with about the future, the more you actually draw positive events to you. Simply speaking it puts the law of attraction into action in your favor, which right now, as always, has to be good.

Living in Japan had me getting comfortable with online communications and video meetings years ago.

With lock downs and self-isolation in place getting out and seeing friends and family is impossible for many. However, you can still stay in and enjoy time with your loved ones via video call.

With incredible services like Zoom Cloud Meetings, Skype and Messenger you can easily link up with friends, or even groups of friends, and hangout.

You are only isolated if you choose to be isolated.

Technology has enabled us to reach around the world and back with minimal time lag for years. When I video call friends and family half way around the world it is like theyre practically there in the room with me. Removing feelings of isolation, along with those mental health challenges that self-isolation brings.

I remember as a kid calling family on the other side of the world, and the massive time lag involved. We are in a seriously empowered time technology wise. Something which has allowed me opportunity to coach people internationally without getting on a plane. Online coaching means my clients can chat with me in their living rooms. That same technology means that even in isolation you can have your friends and family with you.

These things are all great for helping you overcome mental health challenges from self-isolation.

There are times when stronger help is good. There is never any need for struggling on alone, especially with technology as it is now. Support exists in so many places, much of it online, though there are also hotlines for depression, anxiety and many other things.

Mental health need never be faced alone, regardless of its cause.

When things are getting darker than you can face, reach out.

There are people ready to help you, who truly wish to help you. If you can get your mind into positive space, then keep it there using those tips for overcoming mental health challenges listed above, thats great.

Never allow yourself to feel overwhelmed though. When things start getting too much, reach out and get help.

Call someone, if not a friend then a professional. Allow yourself to have benefit from help. If youre concerned about what others think, just let that thought go. Things like online coaching benefit you with anonymity for a start, many hotlines do too.

Getting help for mental health challenges never makes you a lesser person, it makes you a more enlightened person. Seeking help and then using it means you are accepting that spreading the load has you cross challenges with greater ease, which is very positive.

Whatever your state of mental health, however COVID19 has touched your life, I wish you every success in coming through healthy, and in better state psychologically than you were before. Just remember, if you feel yourself needing help, whether its online coaching, help with meditation, someone to talk to and just let go, reach out and get that help. And if I can help you, then I would be happy to.

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Top Online Coaching Mental Health Tips To Overcome COVID19 Isolation - Thrive Global