Those memories include travel tournaments, games, and practices that his family attended, as well as playing alongside his cousin, a close defender.

Even when Im not on the field, Im always talking about lacrosse, so its definitely a vital part of my life, said Jay. Having [Brady] on the other side of the field is good, so I always have someone to trust. We balance each other out.

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Brady and Jay have always had a friendly competitiveness, helping each other get better as players and keeping each other accountable for their play. Brady, a senior attack, and Jay, a senior long pole, play opposite roles and have often tried to match up against each other in drills and scrimmages.

When they were younger, the boys switched roles during games and practices, but always came back to the same conclusion, Brady was best at attack and Jay was best at defense.

As it happens, both boys ended up playing the same positions as their fathers. Bradys father, Nate, starred on the attacking line at St. Sebastians (90) and Curry (94). And Jays father, Jamie, played defense at St. Sebastians (87) before playing one year at Babson (91). Brady wears his fathers college number (17) and Jay wears Jamies college number (19) for Natick.

Id like to see my son and nephew go out on a positive note if this is the last time they play.

Natick boys' lacrosse coach Nate Kittler, on mentoring his son, Brady, and nephew, Jay, in their senior campaigns

Now, Jamie is the program director for Natick Youth Lacrosse and Nate has been head coach at Natick since the programs inception 24 years ago. When his son and nephew entered the youth program 11 years ago, Nate jumped in.

Our families are super close, Jay is more like a son than he is a nephew, said Nate. Ever since they were born, I was hoping they would play lacrosse.

Nate has been coaching the boys with his brother since they started in youth lacrosse. While they hoped both boys would pursue lacrosse like their fathers had, the option to play other sports was always open for Brady and Jay growing up.

When they both hit high school, they both made that decision that lacrosse was going to be their sport, said Nate.

This is the first class that Nate has coached from youth all the way to the varsity level, which he says makes it a special year. He has high hopes for his team and what he believes they can achieve.

I do think there is a little bit of extra passion in it, said Nate. Id like to see my son and nephew go out on a positive note if this is the last time they play.

Im definitely nervous about whats to come, said Brady, but Im also super excited for the upcoming season and to have one last year with both of them. It just means a lot to me.

With Natick securing a 14-3 win over Wayland in the season opener Tuesday, the season is looking bright for the Kittler family and the Redhawks. Brady had a goal and four assists and Jay forced three turnovers.

While there is plenty of lacrosse left to be played this spring, Jay expects the ending to be bittersweet.

Its kind of sad to think about, said Jay. All 18 years, [Nate] has been there for us as a coach and a mentor, so for that to come to an end its a little bit sad but I think well have a great year this year and well end it off and itll be fun.

Quick sticks

After a successful run as the girls coach at Billerica, Ashley Martell was thinking of stepping away from the game this year. But the Bedford physical education teacher stepped up when boys lacrosse coach Alan Chang went on medical leave a few weeks before the season, taking over as head coach of the program.

Last Friday, Martell steered Bedford to a 12-2 victory over Nipmuc in the Buccaneers season-opener, becoming the first female coach to win a boys lacrosse game in the Dual County League, and perhaps in Eastern Mass. history. Honestly, after the first day of tryouts I was all in, said Martell, a former star at Billerica and Springfield College.

Once I stepped into the role I was surprised how receptive the kids were to me coaching. At first, I was nervous because its uncharacteristic to have a woman coach mens lacrosse. Ive never seen it and I dont think the kids have either, but after Day One, I think they were all on board and made the transition easier.

In the win over Nipmuc, senior captain Ian Grove spearheaded the Bedford defense and Richie Fedele tallied a team-high 6 points (three goals, three assists). Seniors Eric Miles and Nick Tatarczuk, and sophomore Jackson Malio also played key roles.

Lynnfield junior Jack Calichman tallied a program-record 10 assists in a 17-3 nonleague win at Gloucester Tuesday . . . Abington junior Hunter Grafton exploded for 12 points (eight goals, four assists) in a 17-12 win at Weymouth Monday, then his freshman brother, Matt, scored seven goals in a 16-8 win at Rockland Tuesday . . . Two-time defending D1 state champion St. Johns Prep opened with a 15-7 win at Xaverian Tuesday with Luke Kelly (four goals, one assist) leading the way . . . Cohasset topped defending D3 state champion Norwell, 9-8, in a thriller Tuesday.

Games to watch

Thursday, Lincoln-Sudbury at Medfield, 7 p.m. Two of the states most successful programs over the past two decades meet in an early-season tuneup under the lights in Medfield.

Saturday, Acton-Boxborough at St. Johns Prep, 11 a.m. Last April, the Revolution handed Prep its first in-state loss, 8-4, in nearly a year with head coach Pat Ammendolia out because of COVID. The rematch will have a different look on what is projected to be a sunny day in Danvers.

Saturday, Lexington at Needham, 5 p.m. The Minutemen played excellent defense in their opener to earn a 9-2 win at Wakefield and that unit will have be sharp again to try and score a nonleague win at high-powered Needham.

Tuesday, Nauset at Sandwich, 4:30 p.m. Lacrosse has been rising on the Cape for years and these programs proved it with their respective results last season. With a talented senior class returning, Nauset looks to score a big nonleague win on the road.

Tuesday, St. Johns Prep at BC High, 5:30 p.m. Since 2021, these Catholic Conference powerhouses have met eight times, including twice in the state championship. The first of two regular season bouts will serve as a measuring stick.

Correspondent Nate Weitzer contributed to this story.

Zachary Lyons can be reached at zach.lyons@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZachLyons_.

Continued here:
At Natick High, lacrosse has been a way of life, and labor of love for ... - The Boston Globe

Jeff and Debbie Karam got in their Chevy Silverado, headed west and kept going. The Rocky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and more.

It didnt rain at all, Karam said. We saw everything. It was an incredible time. It was really cool.

In the back of my mind, I started my bucket list.

At the end of that trip, Karam formulated a plan to make the 2022-23 Bethlehem Catholic wrestling season one in which he gave everything he could.

A sour-tasting end to the previous season pushed the ultra-competitive Karam to do that.Bethlehem Catholic this season won every dual meet, won every postseason team title.

And now the 55-year-old Karam is walkingaway after three decades of coaching a sport hes given most of his life to.

When we got done with individual states, Karam said, I was really tired. I thought about things the last couple weeks. I got to the point where I feel I know what the program needs, and I dont feel I can give that kind of commitment right now.

Karam won 364 times in his coaching career at Delaware Valley (N.J.), Freedom and Bethlehem Catholic. He won an absurd 88.9% of his matches while in charge of the Golden Hawks.

But it was never about all those victories, the PIAA-record nine state team titles, the 22 individual state champions or all the other accolades for Karam.

I dont know if I was a great coach, he said. But I wanted the kids to know that Coach Karam cared about them.

I had a lot of success, a lot of medals and trophies. But what meant most was the relationships with the kids. I hope my impact on them was positive. Thats why you coach, to build character and help them grow into great men one day.

Karam stepped away for the 2018-19 season to see his sons compete in college but returned a year later and the Golden Hawks returned to dominance. They didnt lose a match the last two seasons and won consecutive 3A state team titles.

Karam did not eliminate the chance for a return to coaching, but right now he is working on his bucket list.

He and his wife met the week after his last season of college competition. He had a black eye and cauliflower ear. She knew what she was in for.

Debbie Karam lived the sport every day since their twin sons, Cole and Luke, started in the sport at age 4. She sat alone in the top row of the Giant Center in March 2016 to watch Luke win the last of his three state titles.

Shell sit next to her husband again this summer, first on a plane to Seattle, then on a cruise to Alaska.

They are making plans to visit Cole, who earned his graduate degree in architecture and took a job with a firm in Miami.

Karam is a longtime Dolphins fan, so plans are in the works to see them at home for the first time during their visit.

Im not old, Karam said, but Im older. There are a lot of things I want to do. Were going to take a lot of trips, do as much as we can until the money runs out.

You never know whats on the horizon. Well figure it out as we go.

Karams ride at Bethlehem Catholic was with his best friend, Randy Cruz, riding shotgun. Cruzs job as manager of learning design at Penske kept him out of the practice room more in recent years, which has left more on Karams plate. That wore on Karam.

So, too, did the way the 2021-22 season ended with an individual state tournament that was not up to the programs standards.

Even though we were team state champions, he said. I felt there were cracks in the foundation.

Karam did contemplate retirement after the 2021-22 season. He became more committed to fixing the flaws.

He couldnt have about been happier about what transpired in his final year.

The kids around me were a privilege to coach in the room, Karam added, and the parents, too. It was a fabulous season.

But you cant sugar coat it. Its a 365-day-a-year job. If youre not fully committed, the kids know. I have to be honest with them.

Karam told Cruz as soon as he made up his mind to step down. The two took the program to unseen heights.

They wore different titles, but Karam didnt see a distinction between him and his best friend.

There is no way our program is where it is without Randy Cruz, he said. He is, hands down, the best coach Ive ever seen in a wrestling room.

Cruz has zero desire to be a head coach, so where does that leave Bethlehem Catholics program? There is no clear-cut choice on a replacement. But the cupboard is far from bare. Nine starters, including three state champions, return.

Theteam coming back is ridiculous, Cruz said. You dont leave that. But I honor and understand his decision. Its the right decision. Its time.

Filling the shoes of Karam and Cruz will be an enormous challenge.

But other national-level programs in the Lehigh Valley survived coaching changes of this magnitude (Easton and Nazareth among them).

Karam left a strong foundation in place. He takes countless relationships with those he coached, most of whom reached out within hours of his decision going public. Many took to social media to express their admiration for him.

Cruz echoed those sentiments.

Without Jeff, we probably might not end up at Bethlehem Catholic, Cruz said of himself and his two sons. Who knows where we might have ended up if not for Jeff taking that position and having a vision of creating something great.

I give credit him for having that foresight, taking us in and starting something that became a 15-year journey of great wrestling.

Cruz and Karam always have spent time together outside of wrestling. Dinners with the wives. Vacations with the families. That will continue to be a priority.

Karam knows that the chapter of his life as a health and physical education teacher at Freedom is a year or two away from ending.

But hes looking forward to the new experiences and will take the three traits that molded his career in education and coaching: He was committed, competitive and compassionate from the time he was an assistant to his brother, Jody, at Delaware Valley until the last match last month in Hershey.

I loved every minute of it, he said. I have been blessed at both ends and am very thankful.

Karam has only seen one bald eagle outside of a zoo. It happened near a McDonalds on Route 31 in Flemington, New Jersey. He was traveling for wrestling.

With that life path closed for now, he will experience more than bald eagles this summer on his journey through Alaska.

And, he cant wait to fill that part of lifes bucket.

Morning Call reporter Tom Housenick can be reached at 610-820-6651 or atthousenick@mcall.com

The 22 PIAA of Bethlehem Catholics champions under Jeff Karam:

Luke Karam (3)

Mikey Labriola (2)

Ryan Anderson (2)

Nate Desmond (2)

Darian Cruz (2)

Randy Cruz

Keanu Dillard

Kollin Rath

Elliot Riddick

Kenny Herrmann

Cole Handlovic

Zeke Moisey

Jake Reigel

Andrew Dunn

Joey Gould

Tyler Kasak

Bethlehem Catholic has won a PIAA-record nine state team titles under Jeff Karam:

2011-14

2016

2018-19

2022-23

Excerpt from:
Why Jeff Karam left Bethlehem Catholic wrestling: Grand Canyon ... - The Morning Call

The six-week program gives tools to prevent participants from going back into incarceration.

By Allison Joyner

To prevent a repeating cycle of imprisonment, the Henry County Sheriffs Office (HCSO) has partnered with Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) to create a program to helps those returning to society.

Last month, the Step in the Right Direction: Pathway Forward Reentry Program began at the Henry County Restorative Center to help men released from Henry County Jail develop new life skills they will use after release.

The 180-day program will feature learning modules focused on personal development, job readiness, securing housing and addressing transportation needs, among other topics. At the end of the program, the inmates will receive a certificate of completion from Morehouse School of Medicine and participate in a graduation ceremony. Resources on enrolling in government assistance programs for amenities like food, housing and healthcare are also given to participants to utilize after graduation.

This partnership will help maximize the opportunity for each inmate to succeed and prepare them for a promising future. Recidivism has been an ongoing initiative Sheriff Reginald Scandrett has had on the top of his list, said TaMarlion Carter, Director of the HCSO.

Morehouse School of Medicine buildingCredit: Morehouse School of Medicine.

Thanks to a grant from healthcare company Wellpath, which has already funded the schools life coaching program, MSM can improve health equity efforts for those who have been imprisoned.

MSM has always had a focus on equity, and when we think about health equity, we think about vulnerable populations but one of those significant populations are those currently incarcerated, said Dr. Adrian Tyndall, Dean and Executive Vice President of Health Affairs at MSM.

The program serves men whose sentence is almost complete and teaches them life skills like problem-solving, job readiness, success planning and money management, which will help them from falling back into the criminal system.

We at MSM want to help resolve their internal issues that are happening and rehabilitate them not by locking them up but by giving them a pathway forward, said Dr. Angelita Howard, Founding Dean of Online Education and Expanded Programs at MSM.

The recently opened Henry County Restorative Center was developed to support mechanisms that directly reinforce the HCSO recidivism initiative. The center uses four approaches educational enrichment, life skill enrichment, technical enrichment and self-care enrichment to help engage, equip, empower and employ those participating in their programs. More specifically, applicable inmates will be able to receive their GED, or welding, forklift, fatherhood and job interviewing principles certifications.

Sherriff Reginald Scandrett cutting the ribbon to open the new Henry County Restorative Center. (Image provided by Henry County Sherriffs Office.)

Not only is [the program] equipping the individual but its strengthening their families and the potential for the community to step in the right direction, Carter said.

Howard told SaportaReport that 30 participants are currently enrolled in the program and are motivated to use what they learn after release. Also, the Henry County Courthouse is interested in using the program for alternative sentencing instead of jail time.

Its programs like these that will equip them to go back into these dynamics because once an individual is a part of the justice-involved system, it will be downhill from there, Carter said.

HCSO is looking for more partnerships through their Henry County Sheriffs Office Foundation with local businesses and organizations. Click here to find out more.

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Morehouse School of Medicine, Henry County Sheriffs Office partner to reduce recidivism through reentry program - SaportaReport

Clements head coach Shane Childress wont take all the credit, even though he was named the head coach of the year for girls 3A basketball by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.

Its hard to be humble and answer that question, and the good Lord told us to be humble, Childress said when asked how it felt to receive the title. Honestly, I had a lot of help now. I had a vision of what I wanted, and I had a lot of people get on board.

He said his wife and assistant coach, Kelley Childress, and other assistant coach, Mitzi Bugg Grizzard, jumped onto his plan for the team. He also said the Clements championship team from 2010 came and talked to the girls a few times.

Coach Bugg said that she didnt know anyone that was as passionate about basketball as Shane Childress was when he came on as head coach.

He deserves it because he came into a situation of girls where everyone told them they werent good enough, they never would win, and he turned it around. He told them from jump that that wasnt true, Bugg said.

She said after games he would be up late at night studying film to figure out what they could improve, and he stuck with his plan, getting the team to buy into it. Coach Childress said the assistant coaches buying into that plan was crucial, too.

I demanded as much as I could outta Kelley and much as I could outta Bugg, and I said, Hey, this is yours, and if they dont do it good, Im gonna get onto you. He explained how he relied on them to help the girls with certain parts of the game.

He said at the beginning of the year they didnt have an identity and he had to get to know the team to create a vision of what they could do offensively, but defensively he had a pretty good idea.

I just had to keep teaching different presses and different formations so we would have weapons to use when it came game time. It wasnt just the same old thing, and I knew they couldnt play man yet, so I had to teach man all year long before I could use it at the end of the year, he said.

After he figured out they were averaging about 53-55 points a game, he said he had to start designing schemes around that to keep the game in the range they were capable of scoring.

I knew I had the guards to be able to control the pace of the game. So thats what my offense turned into, he said. Im gonna control the pace of the game. Its gonna be what I want it to be. If were gonna play fast, its cause Im playing fast. If were gonna play slow, its cause were playing slow. So thats what our offense finally turned into, so that it wouldnt hurt my defense.

But, really he said coaching isnt just about what goes on the court.

I know that Im in this for these kids, to get them stronger in life and get ready for problems in life, to get ready for the things theyre gonna face, the tough times. And, then Im also teach em to enjoy the good times, he said. I also want to teach them to dream. The worlds in front of you. You can go do whatever you want to do. Nothings stopping you. Only thing stopping you is you.

He said he knows the girls picked up on that, and he saw how the season helped some of them turn their life around. Bugg said he deserves the coach of the year award because of the person that he is.

He believes in our team. He believes in us coaches. He pushes all of us every day that were there, she said. I learned more things this year than I ever have as a coach.

She said shes seen him put in hours and do things for the team that she said is rare for coaches to do.

Nobodys seen him working the concession stand or going out of his way to get everything and staying late nights to clean the gym and coming early mornings when we didnt have to be there. Its just the little stuff that nobody sees. Everybody sees him coach and eat suckers, but he deserves them, she laughed.

Bugg was an assistant Coach last year, so shes seen how the team has changed, and Coach Childress knows things are on the upswing, too.

Our girls athletics now is really starting to take off here at Clements, he said. I brought mine here because I saw that I thought we could have a decent team if I could get them to go all in.

And, he said, they did.

Those girls were amazing. They had it. They just had to have somebody try to get them to believe they had it, Childress said.

Eventually the crowds got bigger too as the community started to believe in them too.

People pitched in, and they saw what we were trying to do. Especially as we started gaining momentum and then they wanted to jump in to help too, Childress said.

He said this year is just the beginning.

Were going to fill the gyms up again next year and for the next few years, he said. Cause were going to put a product on the court thats fixing to play hard. Theyre gonna pull for each other. Theyre not gonna play selfish. Theyre gonna pick each other up. and whoever theyre playing, theyre going to go compete.

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Coach of the year: Shane Childress recognized by Alabama Sports ... - News Courier

MANHATTAN, Kan. Head coach Jerome Tang has been selected as the winner of the 2023 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club at its annual Final Four Awards Brunch at the Ballroom at Bayou Place in Houston, Texas on Sunday (April 2).Tang was chosen for the award over a finalist list that included Purdue's Matt Painter, Houston's Kelvin Sampson and Marquette's Shaka Smart.Tang becomes the first K-State head coach to earn the Naismith coaching honor and just the third to be selected as National Coach of the Year, joining Fred "Tex" Winter who was chosen for the honor by United Press International (UPI) in 1958 and Jack Hartman who was named the NABC Coach of the Year in 1980.Overall, Tang is just the fourth head coach at a Big 12 institution to earn the Naismith coaching accolade since it was first awarded in 1987, joining a trio of Kansas head coaches in Larry Brown (1988), Roy Williams (1997) and Bill Self (2012). He is one of three current Big 12 coaches to have won the award, joining Self and TCU's Jaime Dixon, who was selected for the honor while at Pittsburgh in 2009.

"I'm honored and blessed to receive the Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Award," said Tang. "There have been a lot of great coaching jobs this season and to be recognized among them is truly a humbling experience for me. I want to congratulate the other finalists Coach (Matt) Painter, Coach (Kelvin) Sampson, Coach (Shaka) Smart for their tremendous years."I want to first thank my Lord and savior Jesus Christ for all the blessings in my life. I would not be where I'm at right now if it wasn't for his faithfulness in my life and guidance."There are so many people to mention who have put me in this position. I want to thank our players and staff. I can't begin to express my appreciation to them for all their hard work and sacrifice this season. We started with Markquis (Nowell) and Ish (Massoud) and it grew to 15 players who became brothers on and off the court, enabling us to go from a team picked last in the Big 12 to one who won 26 games and advanced to the Elite Eight. I will always be indebted to them."I have the best coaching staff in America, from associate head coach Ulric Maligi to assistant coaches Jareem Dowling and Rodney Perry to my chief of staff Marco Borne to director of operations Bailey Bachamp to director of player development Austin Carpenter to director of video operations Anthony Winchester, director of strategies Kevin Sutton, volunteer analyst Al Grushkin, strength coach Phil Baier, athletic trainer Luke Sauber to all of our graduate assistant and student managers. I'm blessed and honored that I get to live life with these incredible men and women every day."I also want to thank our university president Dr. Richard Linton, athletic director Gene Taylor and executive associate AD Casey Scott for giving me the opportunity to be at K-State. I'm fortunate every day to be at such a special place. I'm excited about the future with their support."I'm not here today without the love, support and sacrifice of my family. I want to thank my parents, Paul and Bano Tang, my brother Mark, sister Kim, my wife, Careylyen, our children Seven and Aylyn as well as my in-loves, Calvin and Carolyn Carter."I have been fortunate to be around quality people throughout my life. Dr. Jennifer Cooper gave me my first coaching job back at Heritage Christian Academy. Scott (Drew) gave me the opportunity to coach in college at Baylor, where I was influenced by coaches like Matthew Driscoll, Paul Mills, Grant McCasland, Alvin Brooks III, John Jakus and Bill Petersen and countless players."I share this tremendous honor with all these individuals. I'm truly blessed."Tang has been named a finalist for several National Coach of the Year honors, including the Joe B. Hall Award (top first-year Division I head coach), the Ben Jobe Award (top Division I minority coach) and the Jim Phelan Award (Division I Coach of the Year). He has also been District Coach of the Year by the NABC and USBWA.Tang was the runner-up for The Associated Press' National Coach of the Year, finishing with 13 votes behind Smart, who garnered 24 from a national media panel of 58 voters.Picked 10th in the preseason Big 12 poll and armed with just two returning players, Tang guided the Wildcats to a 26-10 overall record and a spot in the Elite Eight, which was the 13thin school history and the first since 2017-18. The 26 wins are the third-most in school history, trailing the school-record 29 in 2009-10 and the 27 in 2012-13, and just the eighth 25-win campaign and first since 2017-18. His win total was the second-most by a first-year Division I head coach, trailing Duke's Jon Scheyer (27-9).Tang and Texas' Rodney Terry were the only first-year Division I head coaches to advance to his team to the Elite Eight in 2022-23. Overall, Tang is the 11thfirst-year head coach to direct his team to Elite Eight since 1996-97, while he is just the fourth first-time head coach, joining North Carolina's Bill Guthridge in 1997-98 and Hubert Davis in 2021-22 and Kent State's Stan Heath in 2001-02.Tang was the consensus Big 12 Coach of the Year, earning the honor from both the league coaches and AP after helping K-State rise from being picked last in the preseason Big 12 poll to finishing in a tie for third place with an 11-7 record. He is the seventh head coach in school history to earn conference Coach of the Year honors, including the second (Bruce Weber in 2013) to win the honor in his first season.Tang was selected as the 25thhead men's basketball coach at K-State on March 21, 2022, after serving as the one of the chief architects in helping build Baylor into a national powerhouse in his 19 seasons as an assistant and associate head coach from 2003 to 2022.How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit http://www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Tang Selected as Naismith Coach of the Year - Kansas State ... - K-StateSports.com

PRESS RELEASE

Published April 5, 2023

Tristan Stahl, the Founder of ValorMen, has recently launched a new coaching program called The Alignment Blueprint, created for young men who want to become the best versions of themselves. The program is designed to provide a comprehensive guide for navigating life's challenges while staying true to oneself and personal values.

Orlando Florida - April 5, 2023 - Tristan Stahl, the Founder of ValorMen, has recently launched a new coaching program called The Alignment Blueprint, created for young men who want to become the best versions of themselves. The program is designed to provide a comprehensive guide for navigating life's challenges while staying true to oneself and personal values.

The Alignment Blueprint covers a wide range of topics, including discovering one's life purpose, setting healthy boundaries, understanding women, and staying grounded in difficult situations. The program offers practical and easy-to-implement strategies that can help young men make meaningful changes in their lives and experience a life of impact and adventure.

The program has tailored exercises from world-renowned experts, such as Dr. John Demartini, to help participants discover their current life purpose. The program also helps young men communicate assertively and empathetically, build supportive relationships, and set healthy boundaries. It also teaches principles taught by relationship experts like Dr. Glover to help participants develop a deeper understanding of the opposite sex.

Moreover, The Alignment Blueprint teaches mindsets and heart sets from influential figures like Jesus, Gandhi, and Lao Tzu, to help young men stay grounded and centered even in the face of chaos or uncertainty. Participants learn how to manage their emotions, cultivate inner peace, and find strength in adversity.

Overall, The Alignment Blueprint is an invaluable resource for any young man who wants to become a better version of himself. With its practical strategies, insightful guidance, and supportive community, the program helps young men achieve their goals and live a life of purpose and fulfillment.

Enrolling in the program also provides an opportunity for men to start the journey to becoming a ValorMen.

According to Tristan, a ValorMan is a man that lives with shameless authenticity. A man that lives in congruence with his values and natural talents in both his career and relationships. A man that leads with integrity and compassion.

For those interested in learning more please visit https://tristanmstahl.com/.

Media ContactCompany Name: ValorMenContact Person: Tristan StahlEmail: Send EmailPhone: (407) 375-7562Country: United StatesWebsite: https://tristanmstahl.com/

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Tristan Stahl From ValorMen Releases The Alignment Blueprint: A ... - Digital Journal

Finally, in early June, as rosters were all but full, Vanderbilt called. And then so did Connecticut. Hurley had one scholarship available and was hunting for someone who could shoot and wouldnt play with fear. But he told Calcaterra he wasnt sure if he was good enough to get on the court.

Calcaterra hopped on a plane right away.

I knew I had what it takes to play at this level, and I wanted to see what this was all about, he said. I only spent one night there, but I saw everything I needed to. I sat in on one workout and I saw the intensity no rest, no break time. I knew I would maximize my potential.

He committed the next day.

At one of Calcaterras first summer practices, Hurley christened him with the nickname Joey California, which might conjure an image of a laid-back, sand-between-the-toes, surfer everything Calcaterra is not. The first time, I was probably, like, what did he just call me? Calcaterra said. But he kept saying it and saying it.

Soon, social media did its work, and now there is a Joey California line of hoodies and T-shirts. (Friends and neighbors in Novato, Calif., north of San Francisco, have taken to calling his parents Richie and Wendy California, according to The New Haven Register.)

Hes the exact type of player from a guard standpoint that you want coming off the bench confident, gunslinger, Maverick from Top Gun-type mentality, said Hurley, who added that he encouraged Calcaterra to go somewhere else if he had doubts about whether he could break into the rotation.

When San Diego States coaches delivered scouting reports to the their players on the Huskies, Scholl gave the report on Calcaterra. He informed the Aztecs of Calcaterras deadeye shooting a team-high 44 percent from behind the 3-point arc and also that even though he is a role player, averaging about 14 minutes per game, he is not shy.

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Joey Calcaterra and Sam Scholl, Who Were Together at San Diego ... - The New York Times

Last week, all 30 MLB teams opened up the 2023 baseball season. The worlds greatest players show their stuff every day on the diamonds across America as the new season rallies on. Their pinnacle of success just didnt happen by chance. It began whenever their Dad got them a glove and/or a bat and it all began.

U.S. Marine Jim Hyland

That could be as early as 5 years old or even younger.

Some of these kids are truly blessed with what is called Natural Ability. You can see it instantly. The kid may have it, but it has to be nurtured and developed year by year. This is where it all begins with a role model we call the COACH.

The crack of the bat across the country signals its time for thousands of kids to begin playing the great game at all levels. Of course, this includes Leagues such as these: Little League (8-12), Babe Ruth (13-15), American Legion (16-18), High School, College and Stan Musial Baseball (18+).

Success at any of these levels begins with the key to the door THE COACH and MANAGER.

Curt Clevengers Facebook post thanking his coaches.

When anyone accepts the responsibility of coaching or managing a baseball team at the youth level, chances are they may not have any idea what goes with the job. Trust me, whatever it is, it can give you a feeling of appreciation, OR, you may ask yourself in frustration, WHAT AM I DOING HERE? Remember, the parents are watching.

Its more than just showing up for the practice or the game on a Saturday or during the week. When you become manager of a team, you are likely the one person that will touch the players life and could leave an indelible mark that will last a lifetime. Sure, you have to know the game, the fundamentals, the rules and how to handle 15 players each differently. Theres good reason for that because each player on your team and this includes parents, who are looking at you as a person who has control of their children and expect fairness and wisdom.

For me, I was lucky. For 22 years, I was privileged to have managed fine players at all age levels from Little League to the young men of Stan Musial Baseball (18+). My focus was simple. My Recipe for Success was first and foremost, they will learn the fundamentals and love and respect the game.

My Ashland State Musical Team Kentucky 1988 State Champions

However, along with that, the manager or coach should be keeping fresh ideas, always being positive, having vivid imagination while using strong leadership.

Another facet of my success was stressing teamwork while answering all the challenges. It doesnt come easy, but when it does, you will know. One of the major requirements for the manager or the coach they definitely should possess strong communications skills. Your approach to talking to your players will differ obviously with the age level of your players. Always remember to be a good communicator; you have to be a good listener. It helps to also learn how to read facial expressions.

A Coach must be able to communicate with the players at any time; whether it be instructional or just informally.

There will be the good times, and there will be times of dismay. Yet, the players will look to you for the answers and your support. Remember, the team is like a family.

Curt Clevengers plaque from his players

The manager or coach is the patriarch who meshes the team together while teaching them how to win, but also to remember to have fun. Sometimes, as a strong role model, some of your skills can be used off the field of play or in the dugout. In fact, many players look up to their manager or coach for direction and guidance.

At the Stan Musial level where I managed young men for a 10-year period, our record was 208-79 while winning 6 League Titles and 2 State Championships. In Babe Ruth play (13-15) our team won the League Championship 5 times from 1980 through 1988. The 1987 Team finished 29-3 while winning the Triple Crown which included winning the League, the Invitational Tournament, and the prestigious Shrine Tournament in West Virginia. My final team of 1988 finished 23-4 while winning the League and Invitational Tourney as well. If you combine my Stan Musials 1988 record of 32-7, my Babe Ruth team of 1987s 29-3 and Babe Ruth team of 1988 it totals to an 84-14 record.

How did that success happen?

The success of all these winning teams was predicated on discipline, focus, desire, and skills. However, the key to it all was the aforementioned communication with the players. Listen to them and talk to them. It works.

Heres a story of one of my players, Jim Hyland.

Jim was a big kid for 15, almost 6 feet and very strong. However, he had some troubles off the field that required my attention. I was a Police Officer at that time and I worked very closely with Jim in addressing his problem and later he even excelled in High School baseball and graduated. Sometime later, Jim came into my office at the Police Department, tapped me on my shoulder and said, Hi Coach! I turned around quickly and it was Jim Hyland who was in complete uniform of the United States Marines.

My last team 1988 League Champions and Invitational Champions

He told me with a huge smile, Coach, you should be proud of me, I was named Best Boot at Paris Island. He had just finished Basic Training. Then he said something that I will never forget, Coach, lunch is on me. I owe you my life. You saved me back when you were my Coach. Thanks for all you did and being there for me.

Today, decades later, Jim and I are still friends and we keep in touch. The center of his life is his young son, Kristian which looks just like him. Jim is doing fine today where he is Director of Veteran Services for the State of Ohio which gives me a huge smile.

What happened between Jim Hyland and me was on the diamond when I was his coach, but also off the diamond when he needed me as well.

Over the years, I have learned a lot about the privilege of coaching. Along with that, you must be firm, gain the respect of your players, and then teach.

Two years ago, one of my former players Curt Clevenger posted on Facebook about his experience while playing for me and also another Coach, French Harmon. The written attached post by Curt touches on the impact that Coach Harmon and I had on him when he was 15. Curt was a Babe Ruth All Star shortstop in 1985 and I was his manager. He had so much talent and skills I jokingly called him Willie McGee a reference to the Saint Louis Cardinals Shortstop.

1987 team finished 29-3 winning the Triple Crown The League, the Invitational Tournament and the Wet Virginia Shrine Tournament.

Willie became the National Leagues 1985 Most Valuable Player that season and Curt being a switch hitter, wanted to hit like Willie. He has never forgotten our time together on the diamond nor have I. Curt with all his skills, moved on in life, and today has become a very successful businessman which keeps him very busy demanding much of his time. However, his perpetual love of the game and coaching keeps him just very busy with his WALK OFF SPORTS ACADEMY in Columbus, Ohio. Hundreds of young players flock to this very successful venue to learn the fundamentals of the great game from Curt and a fine staff.

Curts past graduates have moved on to play NCAA college Baseball with their knowledge and skills. In fact, to show their gratitude sometime ago, his students presented him with a wonderful symbol of their gratitude.

The inscription reads to Coach Curt: A Good Coach can change a game, a Great Coach can change a life.

After reading it, a great satisfying feeling came over me along with a huge smile. I understood every word of it. Any Coach that ever there was will tell you, thats what its all about.

Mike Tussey has retired from a 60-plus-year career as a legendary play-by-play announcer for over 2000 football, baseball, and basketball games, including most recently for ESPN+. His career also includes a stint in law enforcement, teaching and coaching, and writing books, including the Touchdown Saints. He grew up in Eastern Kentucky and now lives in Florence with his wife, Jo. He has opened another Door of Opportunity and is now a regular columnist for the NKyTribune.

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Mike Tussey: Instructor, role model, confidant and friend but we ... - User-generated content

EAST LANSING After the pomp and circumstance of her formal welcoming the pep band, the speeches and interviews new Michigan State womens basketball coach Robyn Fralick had a fleeting moment Tuesday to say hello to some of MSUs other coaches, milling around in the Breslin Center Hall of history.

There, Fralick sought out volleyball coach Leah Johnson, whose 3-month-old daughter Rosalind had everyones attention. Nothing pauses the whirlwind of everything else like the presence of a baby.

Fralick and Johnson (and Rosalind) spoke for less than a minute, but there was a kinship, one that had already been formed over the phone last week, before Fralick even took the MSU job.

Six days earlier she had been coaching a different team at another school in an actual game. Her entire life existed in a different community. Fralick had reached out to Johnson as she weighed whether to uproot her family and move them to this community.

She was asking me a lot about family: Is this a place that your kids are happy? Is your husband happy? Does the community welcome you? Do you feel like you can have a little balance in your life? Johnson recalled.

Johnson had been through it all a year earlier choosing to leave a smaller Division I program in a nearby state for MSU. It might seem like a no-brainer decision, but Fralick at Bowling Green, like Johnson at Illinois State, had a good thing going and other options.

What shell find at Michigan State is camaraderie. A core of coaches relatively new to MSU, of a similar age and place in their careers and life. A group that will largely determine the trajectory of MSU athletics beyond football and mens basketball: Fralick, Johnson, hockey coach Adam Nightingale, softball coach Sharonda McDonald-Kelley and womens soccer coach Jeff Hosler, all in their late 30s and early 40s, all relatively recent hires, all but Hosler brought in by still-relatively new athletic director Alan Haller.

It'd be kind of cool if we can make this kind of a full revitalization of the athletic department, Hosler said Thursday. We all came in at the same time and could be here for the next 15-20 years.

MORE: Inside Michigan State's hiring of Robyn Fralick as its women's basketball coach: 'It still feels surreal'

Thats a long time. But thats the dream on days like Tuesday. MSU is a place you can build something and stay. It can be a destination job for successful coaches. Its up to Haller and Co. to make sure it always feels that way, in terms of priority, salary and resources.

Haller didnt hire Fralick, 41, because shes the same age as Johnson, a couple years younger than Nightingale and Hosler, and just a few years older than McDonald-Kelley. But he did want someone who brought energy to the program, to her players and to the athletic department.

If people want to connect that with age, thats up to them, Haller said. Tom (Izzo) brings a lot of energy and hes 68 years old. Youve got to balance (the ability to have) longevity (at MSU) with someone that has had success, thats trending up and is ready for a move.

MSU has a number of established coaches a decade or so older than this new wave, a group thats been around a while and enjoyed varying degrees of success. And then theres Izzo, who was MSUs head mens basketball coach when Fralick was playing high school basketball at Okemos. He was a star when she was a fan. Fralick was glad to get Izzos endorsement which Izzo gave Haller before she was hired.

You can see what Haller is trying to do with these recent coaching moves, all of which, other than Hosler, have occurred during his short tenure. The success of an athletic director is bluntly measured, first and foremost, by the success of the school's football coach. Haller led the hiring of Mel Tucker. Hes tied to him. At some point down the road, Haller might have to find Izzos replacement. That would be a large part of his legacy, too. But a successful athletic department is more than football and mens hoops. And being a healthy, well-rounded and competitive athletics operation has become a priority. Expectations have been raised. Resources enhanced. New blood brought in where vigor was needed. Womens basketball the latest program to feel that jolt.

Fralick fits the bill her career is on the ascent, having won big at Division-II Ashland (104-3 in three seasons) and having turned Bowling Green from Mid-American Conference doormat to contender in five seasons. Shes coming home. She grew up going to games at Breslin. She starred a few miles down the road at Okemos. She trained at the same club as Hosler (who grew up in East Lansing), though they didnt know each other personally. She seems like a great hire.

But Tuesday she was also a mother of a 9- and 6-year-old and a wife and a new employee trying to get her bearings.

We were playing six days ago, Fralick said, looking amazed and how quickly life had changed.

She and her husband, Tim, and children, Will and Clara, planned to begin trying to find a house Wednesday.

I know what its like, Nightingale said, coming off his first season as MSUs hockey coach.

He sent Fralick a text after she was hired, congratulating her, letting her know that he and his family and staff were available if she needed anything.

I remember I was in Germany for three and a half weeks for world championships, we lose the gold medal game, Alan calls me, I get the job. We fly back the next day maybe it was a week later, we did this, Nightingale said, Its crazy.

I think when you have kids ... and you see a young family, you know what their family has gone through moving and mom being away or dad being away. And so I think there's that bond right off the bat. This is a family commitment. And I just think the whole athletic department, it's unique here, like that it is a family and there aren't egos. And as Im growing as a coach, I can go and ask questions to any coach on campus and they'll come into our offices to do the same thing.

Johnson answered Fralicks questions about MSU as only someone whos been through it can. She knew Fralick already had the skills and understanding to juggle her life and create boundaries where theyre needed.

But its great to hear it reaffirmed, that those who support you, support that, as well, Johnson said.

Michigan State, part of the reason you come here is because of the camaraderie, she continued. Like when you see all the administrators hanging around and people don't want to leave (Fralicks introduction shindig), they just linger and chitchat. There's such a friendship and a kinship here.

I do think (theres a bond) especially with those of us who are going through the stage in our life with young kids, because we can celebrate and commiserate all together, and we know the challenges that you can't always explain to others with all the travel or trying to be both places or working through the guilt, but also being able to reframe it and see it as an exceptional experience you can give your kids.

"I'm excited about meeting Robyn's family and our kids playing together and going to each other's games, seeing them all in the stands. Like, its pretty cool.

Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.

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Couch: Robyn Fralick joins a core of new young coaches that'll help ... - Lansing State Journal

Story Links TUCSON, Ariz. Arizona Volleyball head coach Charita Stubbs has announced that Ryan Windisch will join the team as an assistant coach. Windisch joins Arizona's staff after spending the past five years at Irvine Valley College coaching the Women's Volleyball, Women's Beach Volleyball, and Men's Volleyball teams."I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to join Rita's first staff here at Arizona," said Windisch. "She is the true definition of Arizona Volleyball and I look forward to helping her vision come to life!"During his time at Irvine Valley, Windisch led the women's and men's volleyball teams to conference championships and state championship matches. Most recently, he coached the women's volleyball team to the 2022 Orange Empire Conference championship and was named the 2022 Orange Empire Conference Coach of the Year. He also led the men's volleyball team to a third-place finish at the State level in 2022.In 2021, Windisch coached the men's volleyball team to the Orange Empire Conference championship and earned the Orange Empire Conference Coach of the Year award.Windisch led both the women's and men's volleyball teams to State CCCAA runner-up finishes in 2019. In his first year at Irvine Valley, he coached the women's volleyball squad to the 2017 California Community College State Championship.Prior to joining Irvine Valley's volleyball programs, Windisch was the head coach at Balboa Bay Volleyball Club and the men's volleyball head coach at Golden West College. He is also the USA Women's National Team Volunteer Practice Coach.Windisch graduated from Long Beach State in 2015, where he was the starting libero on the men's volleyball team.

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Volleyball Adds Ryan Windisch as Assistant Coach - University of ... - University of Arizona Athletics