"Arkansas is a brutal job."-- an otherwise unidentified "industry expert" quoted Sunday by a writer for espn.com.

_

Here we go again, drunk as skunks on another hogaholic binge.

We drink heavily from the high-dollar bottle of hype. Then those contents age into a bottle of heartache. So, we pour them out. Then we reach for another high-dollar bottle of hype, something to restore the buzz.

This is the Arkansas Razorback way. It is what we do.

We were lured in the 1960s into the happy buzz of college football prominence. We've been unable for nearly six decades now to purge our systems of those old feelings and urges.

We were excelling artificially then, in times of racial segregation and in a little Texas conference that we could typically handle for eight or nine wins and a bowl game we'd probably lose to Alabama or Ole Miss. Every once in a while, we'd beat Texas. Horns would honk all night on Dickson and Markham.

It's not been the same since, though it has been nearly like that for fleeting moments, first with Lou Holtz and then Bobby Petrino. But those temporarily successful coaching eras ended in catastrophe, of course--in Holtz losing favor by getting political and letting down on recruiting, and with Petrino in an off-road motorcycle tumble with a former volleyball player.

It's been that way both in football and basketball, even with a national championship in the latter. The coaching legend who achieved for us that national basketball pinnacle, Nolan Richardson, wound up leaving amid his charges of racism in a federal court lawsuit.

It's not every sports-crazed culture that can mess up a national championship and turn against the icon who brought it home.

At least much of that has been somewhat reconciled.

In football, a coach got fired on the spot for losing one game, to The Citadel. Ken Hatfield, a playing legend from the happy '60s, had great coaching success but left in a huff because he couldn't co-exist with his old coach, Frank Broyles, by then the athletic director. Houston Nutt became a folk hero until he wasn't, caught up in a soap opera produced in Springdale. Bret Bielema had a moment, then gained weight.

Now we have the brief passer-through on the left lane named Chad Morris. He was supposed to be the answer--a master of high-octane offense and certain recruiter of Texas talent--except that his teams got worse the longer he was in charge.

Now he's quickly vanished--a bottle of heartache poured dry--and we're doing a nationwide tour in search of just the right new bottle of hype.

Through it all, truer words were never spoken than those quoted above by the unidentified "industry expert."

Football coach at the University of Arkansas is a "brutal job" because fan expectations are stuck in the Southwest Conference of the '60s while our realities are beset as a permanent weak sister in the modern Southeastern Conference, where we have descended to Vanderbilt's equal partner in doormat-ship.

It's because we are at a talent disadvantage as a relatively small school by SEC standards situated amid remote hills in a place that is lovely and prosperous with a high quality of life but wholly detached from the fertile football recruiting territory of the teams we play.

There are far fewer elite football prospects in the high schools of southern Kansas and Missouri, eastern Oklahoma and all of Arkansas than there are in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida, from New Orleans over to Atlanta and down to Miami, where our conference bullies are located.

As for the talent wealth in Texas, you have the University of Texas, Texas A&M and a dozen other in-state teams competing better than Arkansas for those players, not to mention Oklahoma, which dips down and does well enough to be highly ranked nationally year after year.

Hiring a guy who'd been successful coaching high school in Texas was not the answer, as evidenced by the fact that his recruits in Texas who started de-committing Sunday on news of his firing were three-star recruits.

The recruiting gurus impose a five-star system to rate prospects, and Alabama and Georgia and Ohio State and maybe LSU get the five-stars. Most of the other teams in our conference get the four-stars. Arkansas frets that a three-star might bolt for Rice.

It's a "brutal job" indeed, except for buyouts upon firings, which pay well at Arkansas.

Please understand that I'm merely explaining, not complaining.

I grew up in the '60s adoring Jon Brittenum, Harry Jones, Jim Lindsey, Bobby Crockett, Ronnie Caveness, Loyd Phillips, Bill Montgomery, Chuck Dicus and on and on. One of the three or four highlights of my life was getting invited to a joint reunion of the 1969 team and the Texas team it famously played for the national championship.

I'll even share something I'm ashamed of: When a rumor broke during Petrino's era that he might go to Florida, I sent him an email pleading with him to stay. I confess it. I did it. A grown man, at least by the calendar. I'm not proud. I'm just honest. I'm just pure Arkansas.

And the live-tweeting irreverence I do during Hog football games ... it's a defense mechanism deployed to cope with the frustration to which I've long become accustomed.

It helps keep me sober through the hogaholic binges.

John Brummett, whose column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, is a member of the Arkansas Writers' Hall of Fame. Email him at jbrummett@arkansasonline.com. Read his @johnbrummett Twitter feed.

Web only on 11/13/2019

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BRUMMETT ONLINE: It's the Razorback way - Arkansas Online

Singles Day, the annual holiday championing those that are unattached, has become the worlds biggest online and offline shopping event since it originated in China in the 90s.

The day of recognition is said to have been coined by a group of student in Nanjing University in 1993, as a celebration of being uncoupled effectively, an anti-Valentines Day.

Chinese e-commerce platform Alibaba later capitalised on the day as a shopping occasion.

The holiday has grown in popularity in the UK over the past few years and today reports predictSingles Daywill generate 1.3 billion in UK sales. Numerous retailers slash prices to mark the annual event, including ASOS, Amazon and Sports Direct.

Meanwhile, Singles Day is still going stronger than ever for the southeast Asian market: in its first hour of trading alone today, Singles Day has raked in 11 billion on Alibaba.

READ MORE: Are single parents right to put their children before dating?

While Singles Day has evolved into whats predominantly considered a shopping event, the idea of being happily single is by no means over.

It was recently addressed by Emma Watson, whodescribed herself as self-partnered in a British Vogue interview.

To celebrate the single and proud philosophy behind Singles Day, we spoke to three women on why theyre happy with their solo status.

Katilena, 50, hasn't had a serious relationship for 11 years. [Photo: Supplied]

Katilena Alpe, 50, is a widow with 12-year-old twins. Shes been single for 11 years.

Alpe says she has truly enjoyed being single, a state she associates with freedom and not having to be with a man and look after his every wish.Alpe, a PR executive who lives between Athens and London says she finds it liberating being single.

She has a close circle of friends half single, half married whom shes known since she was at school and are a big part of [her] life.

She has also made a number of friendships through her tennis club and her life-coaching group.

Despite loving her present lifestyle, Alpe never expected to be single. She was happily married for 22 years until her husbands untimely death from a heart attack when she was 39.

The pair met when Alpe was just 18, and enjoyed a whirlwind romance, marrying the same year. They enjoyed their independence as a married couple - something that shes never been able to find with any partners since.

READ MORE:Diane Keaton reveals she hasn't been on a date in 35 years

I dont know if I could be in a long-term relationship right now, she says. Im so comfortable with my life with my kids.

Some five years ago, Alpe dipped her toe in the dating waters but found the notion of being answerable to someone else suffocating.

I kept being asked, Why are you spending so much time with your friends? Why havent you called in five hours? It was suffocating, she explains.

Since then, Alpe feels no rush to get into a long-term relationship.

People say to me, You have to lower your standards, but Im not prepared to do that, and thats my choice. If someone comes along who fits my lifestyle, I might consider it. But for now Im perfectly happy.

Rosie Dutton, 35, has been single for eight years. [Photo: Supplied]

Rosie Dutton, 35, who lives in Tamworth, Birmingham, has been single for the past eight years ever since splitting up with her husband, and father of her daughter, in 2011.

The separation was not her decision and she admits it took her a couple of years to move on.

When I came out of the relationship, I realised Id devoted everything to it and I struggled to transition to being alone, Dutton says.

This was especially true as she had moved from her hometown in the north of England to Birmingham in order to be with her husband, saying: All I knew was him, his family and his friends so I had to start a new life.

However, for the past six years, she says she has not been interested even in the slightest in getting into another relationship.

Ive spent the time getting to know me, she says. I love my own company.

During this time, Dutton has thrown herself into her career, starting her own business teaching mindfulness and relaxation to children in her local area. Shes also launched a blog,Mum in the Moment.

While Dutton has no single friends, she says she feels no qualms about going out with a number of couples.The way I see it, theyre all just my friends, she says.

READ MORE:Marriage makes men happier than women

Still, she faces some pressure from well-meaning acquaintances who pity her single status.

I tell them Im happy at the moment, but theyre all trying to set me up with their friends, she says. They want me to be in a relationship more than I do.

Then theres the questions from family members and even from strangers. Weddings, christenings I go to pretty much any social occasion and people ask, Why are you single?

She says her mindfulness practice, as well as being part of her career, has helped her deal with anything negative feelings associated with being single.

I started going to mindfulness after my divorce and its really helped me to learn to be with myself, she says. If I get lonely or bored I can help myself out of it.

Rebecca Shapiro has been single for four years. [Photo: Supplied]

Rebecca Shapiro, 26, who is from London and lives in Toronto, Canada, has been single for four years. Her last serious relationship was in 2015.

Since then, she says shes had long-distance romances, travel flings, and one night stands, where sex and feelings have been involved. But, nothing shed consider to be a formal romantic relationship.

Shapiro, who works in marketing for the travel industry, says she considers her life happy and full.

My focuses are career, travel, friends and family. Im not half a person. Im not looking for someone to complete me, she explains.

She has travelled to more than 40 countries and believes her single status has allowed her to have the mental energy to focus on her travel and career goals. I likely wont be able to have this focus forever, she adds.

READ MORE: Science explains why people stay in unhappy relationships

Does she face pressure to settle down? Certainly. She says: Im Jewish, so loving family pressure to settle down with a Jewish man is always going to exist.

However, shes managed to convince her elder relatives to come around to her lifestyle. Ive reached the point of stressing my independence where my grandparents get excited to see pics of my recent solo trip to Japan and not to hear information about my dating life, Shapiro says. Same with my parents.

While many of her friends in Toronto are single, Shapiro says most of her closest friends, whom shes known since her school days, are in long-term relationships.

Yet, she feels they are happy to support her lifestyle. My friends are more explicit and liberal in wanting whatever is best for me - traditional lifestyle or not, she explains.

Her attitude towards single although consistently positive has changed over the years. While she once enjoyed the sexual freedom that came with it, she says shes now jaded of so-so casual sex which comes with its limitations.

The worst is when youre tired/ down and want to be looked after but you know the casual sex/ cuddles wont fill the emotional intimacy void, she says.

Yet, for Shapiro, the trade-off for now is more than worth.

As for future romances, she says she wouldnt get into a long-term relationship unless it was someone she thought she might spend [her] life with.

Theres interested men, sure, but Im pretty specific with what Im looking for, she adds.

Visit link:
Singles Day: Three women explain why theyre happily self-partnered - Yahoo Lifestyle

Seven Central Michigan players earned First Team All-Mid-American Conference honors.

Led by Herb Deromedi, the 1979 Chippewas finished 10-0-1 overall and won the MAC championship.

Quarterback Gary Hogeboom recorded 1,404 passing yards and nine touchdowns while rushing for 417 yards and nine scores. He was selected as the MAC Offensive Player of the Year.

Hogeboom finished his four-year career 208 of 395 through the air for 3,088 yards, 19 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. He carried the ball for 957 yards and 16 scores. The quarterback went on to play 11 years in the NFL.

Those First Team All-MAC members were Hogeboom, offensive tackle Marty Smallbone, wide receiver Mike Ball, running back Willie Todd, defensive tackle Bill White, defensive back Robert Jackson and linebacker Tim Hollandsworth.

The 1979 season came just five years after Central Michigan jumped from Division II to Division I, and it marked the turn of the program at college football's highest level.

"It was Central Michigan's first football championship in the Mid-American Conference," Deromedi said. "It was an impressive football team."

The Chippewas picked up wins against Western Michigan (10-0), at Bowling Green (24-0), against Miami (19-18), against Ohio (26-0), against Northern Illinois (31-11), at Ball State (31-30), at Kent State (44-21), against Eastern Michigan (37-14), at Northwestern State (28-0) and at San Jose State (34-32).

Central Michigan's only blemish was a 7-7 tie against Toledo on Nov. 3 at the Glass Bowl.

"We kicked a field goal at the end but according to officials, we had an illegal number on the field," Deromedi said of the tie to the Rockets. "We had the right number of people, 11 people, but we didn't have the right 50-79 (numbered jerseys). We made that field goal, got penalized 5 yards back and missed."

The opponents Central Michigan faced were outscored by a combined total of 291-133.

"Defensively, the team had four shutouts, but it also held two teams to only one touchdown," Deromedi said. "That's six of 11 games."

That memorable campaign created a brand and continued a dynasty that formulated under prior coach Roy Kramer and continued through Deromedi.

Forty years later, the gang got back together in Mount Pleasant to be inducted into the CMU Athletic Hall of Fame. Central Michigan Life spoke to members of the 1979 football team to discuss the legendary season, what made them special, Deromedi's greatness and more.

Central Michigan Life: What did the 1979 team mean to you?

Herb Deromedi, head coach: "We didn't have a lot of time to worry about how far we'd go, but our first game was against Western. We just played one after another. There was an emphasis on toughness."

Gary Hogeboom, quarterback: "We had a team that was tough. We loved to work, and we loved to have fun. We were really close. We had fun doing it, and we had a bunch of studs. Man, we had some tough dudes. The coaches recruited great. We wanted to win, so we just went out and did it."

Tom Grobbel, defensive tackle/offensive guard: "For the guys that went through the service and war, that's what these guys are to me. These are the guys you invite to your wedding and will be the pallbearer at your funeral. You wish their kids marry your kids so you can be closer. When we get together, you start a conversation we finished 20 years ago picking up where you left off."

Mike Ball, wide receiver: "Forty years later, it's amazing that it's been that long. You can't help but smile."

Marty Smallbone, offensive tackle: "Forty years goes fast. We really came together as a group. I know that's cliche, but we were pretty tight."

Tom Grobbel hugs a teammate Nov. 1 at McGuirk Arena.

What was the atmosphere like during that era of Central Michigan football?

Deromedi: "We wanted to make the athletes we had better. Fundamentally, we were sound. We might not have been as complicated as some, but that's because it was more about doing things right."

Hogeboom: "The whole atmosphere was fun. We had great fans, and the band was killer. I don't have great memories of a lot of things, but when we walked from our dorms across the parking lot and to the stadium, everyone was going crazy. It's something you can't replace."

Ball: "We had a lot of great players and great depth. We had a lot of guys that played together and we were all friends. When you play for each other, it makes a big difference. Chemistry is a big part of what you do. It's part of who we are."

How did the triple-option wishbone offense produce that season?

Deromedi: "Gary Hogeboom was not your typical option quarterback except he was smart and could read it. He had all the skills, but he wasn't the type of person that you'd think of if you were going to be an option team. We became very physical, but the option helped us to be physical. Hogeboom was so efficient. He did so many things right. He also was a pinpoint passer. We probably didn't take advantage of that as much as we could've."

Hogeboom: "To play quarterback (at Central Michigan) was a little easier than at other schools. Our offensive linemen we're studs. We ran the triple option. I threw the ball like 10 times per game, so we ran the ball a lot. I was a runner, but I wasn't fast just fast enough. We never ran out of bounds or slid. It was just a different era of football. My teammates were phenomenal. We had a blast together. There were no problems, and it showed in our team."

Ball: "Being a wide receiver, I would've loved to play in today's game rather than back then, but that's what everybody did. You defended against the triple-option and ran the triple-option. My goodness, our quarterback played in the NFL for 12 years and held the CMU rushing record for quarterbacks until Dan LeFevour came around. What a great quarterback. He could throw the ball, but he also ran the triple-option."

What were some of your favorite memories of the 1979 season?

Deromedi: "The '78 team was beaten soundly by Ball State in our own stadium, so that was a big game for us. We went down there on their homecoming and were down 24-0 in the first half. We had the ball one last time before the half, and we said we had to score. We did. We came into the locker room, and in that moment, we basically said we had the chance to have the greatest victory in the history of the school. We said how we were going to do it. Amazingly, it worked. We won on a field goal from Novo Bojovic."

Hogeboom: "We played Ball State and were down by 24 points, came back and won. That was big. We had a really big game against Miami (Ohio) here at Kelly/Shorts, and that was an exciting last quarter to win the game. Those were my most memorable times."

Grobbel: "Everyone just got along with each other. There were no fighting or clique groups. Hogeboom was our quarterback, and he was a great leader. Everyone followed his lead. That's how the seniors took care of the freshman every year."

Ball: "We came back from three touchdowns against Ball State. We had a tight group of players that played for each other. That's what was so cool about it. That's the thing I remember most. The whole season, being undefeated week after week, was a big deal."

Smallbone: "I don't think we were picked to win the MAC. We lost a couple of games the year before. We had some tight games, but we got to the point where we just expected to win. That carried us through the season, but it's probably the same thing that got us the tie against Toledo. They were inspired, and we figured we would win. We knew we had something special after the Ball State comeback. It wasn't like there was a whole lot of panic. Confidence carried us."

The 1979 Central Michigan football team waits to receive its CMU Athletic Hall of Fame honor Nov. 1 at McGuirk Arena.

Does the name Herb Deromedi hold a special place in your heart?

Hogeboom: "I'm glad he came in. He was a good guy, and we had an open line of communication. We'd meet every Sunday and talk about what I thought went well or what didn't. He was young but confident in what he could do, and we did it."

Grobbel: "I thank God for what he did to allow me to come here and play football for the four years I had. Herb came to my high school when I was a sophomore. He said, 'I can't talk to you until you're a senior, but you're a big kid and have been in the weight room a lot.' I said, 'Yes, coach.' He said, 'You have the potential to play college football.' Well, nobody ever told me something like that before. Herb then said to me, 'If you don't work on your grades, you aren't going anywhere.' I was smart, but I just didn't give a hoot. He turned the lightbulb on. He drove me back from my recruiting trip because his parents lived two blocks from mine. On the ride back, I said, 'Coach, what do you expect of me?" He said, "As a freshman, you probably won't play a lot, but you'll start as a junior and senior.' My family didn't have any money, so I said, 'If I can get a full ride, I'd love to play here, but if I can't get that, then I'm going to enlist in the Marine Corps.' Sure enough, I got it. I'm sure there were guys that had more accolades."

Ball: "Herb's a coaching legend. We were unique because we got him halfway through. We had another legendary coach in Roy Kramer. Herb stepped right in and never missed a beat. He did a great job back then and for many years following. He's always been a good guy."

Smallbone: "He was such a motivator. To follow his career after we left was inspiring. The College Football Hall of Fame was well deserved."

What set the 1979 team apart from others?

Deromedi: "We had coaches that connected well with the players. There was a genuine appreciation. The offense appreciated the defense; the defense appreciated the offense. We could take the clock (down) seven minutes. We were a good, sound, physical football team that displayed skills. Our offensive line was solid. You didn't want to be Western when you played our teams."

Hogeboom: "Football is the ultimate team sport. I'm all about (the) team. We were the ultimate team. We were close, worked hard, fought and had fun. When you get that combination of young athletes, you're successful."

Grobbel: "It was so good to come to a tradition of winning, and everyone expected it. Everyone was a team player. All 11 players were doing their job, and that's how we excelled. You don't make mental mistakes. We were more scared about letting our teammates down than having the coaches scream at you in the film room."

Ball: "We had a bunch of leaders on that team, you could name a dozen guys. We had guys that played in the NFL for several years, and they were all team players. Gary's the most humbling guy. Robert Jackson was a stud, and he played for the (Cincinnati) Bengals for many years."

Smallbone: "We all hung out. There were rules, but the drinking age was 18 (years old) back then, but we were not allowed in bars. When we would get together after a game and party, we were all together. Everybody stood up for everybody."

What does Central Michigan mean to you?

Deromedi: "What a great opportunity I was given. I was a high school coach and met Roy Kramer when I was a high school coach, and he gave me the opportunity to come here. I was with him for 11 years. I was his defensive coordinator for nine of those 11, but I started as the offensive line coach. There are a lot of people that love this university, and I had a chance to be a part of where our thinking could take us. This place has meant a lot to me. I feel like I've been a part of where we are today. It's not done yet."

Hogeboom: "Means a ton to me. My four years at Central were a great four years. I had a blast and developed a lot of character as a young man growing up."

Grobbel: "I had the privilege of playing here. It wasn't a right. It was a privilege to play football, go to school and get a degree from Central Michigan. It's done nothing but give me steps up for the next phase of my life."

Ball: "We raised our family here, and our kids graduated from Mount Pleasant High School. Central Michigan means a lot to be beyond sports. I made lifelong friends, and we get together with our families and now our grandchildren. It's one big family."

Smallbone: "I had other offers, but I was set on Central Michigan. I have no regrets. I met my wife up here. Central Michigan is everything to me."

What was the best team in Central Michigan history?

Deromedi: "We used to play that game, but you can't do it. The players will do it, saying, 'If we played you, we would've beat you.' But I just can't do it."

Hogeboom: "Everybody knows '79 team."

Read more:
Q&A with Central Michigan's 1979 football team: On Herb Deromedi, continuing a dynasty, building a brand - Central Michigan Life

Reina is entering his 22nd season at the helm By Tyira Bunche 8 hours ago

After coaching at Penn from 1986-2005, Roger Reina returned to lead the program in 2017.

Forty years ago, freshman Roger Reina stepped foot on Penns campus as a starting member of the wrestling team. That was only the beginning of his lifelong commitment and dedication to the sport that has made him a legend in the wrestling community.

After graduating in 1984, he served as head coach Larry Lauchles assistant at Penn for two years. In his time as an assistant coach, Reina was thinking about his future, which at the time did not include wrestling.

I had no intention to coach full time," Reina said. I was taking some final classes I needed to take to apply to veterinary school, and thats what I thought I was going to be a veterinarian."

After Lauchle announced his retirement in 1986, Reina was presented with what he thought was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: to become the head coach of his alma mater. He jumped at the chance, and with that move he became the youngest Division I wrestling head coach at age 24.

I was young enough to have absolutely no fear, so I probably shouldve had some fear, but I was too young, and maybe a little too bold. It was tough because there were guys on the team who were teammates of mine, Reina said. It was a really special opportunity to be able to contribute to the program that I came through and to future generations of Penn wrestlers.

In his first coaching stint with Penn from 1986 to 2005, he notched a program-high 205 wins and a .649 winning percentage. During that time, he led the Quakers to eight Ivy League titles and four Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association championships. Along with overall team success, he also recruited outstanding individual talent, including NCAA champions Brett Matter and Matt Valenti and Olympic gold medalist Brandon Slay.

While 2005 was the end of his first stretch leading the Quakers, his engagement with the wrestling community at large continued. He next helped launch the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center, a wrestling program whose "mission is to create an ecosystem for elite student-athletes to strive toward national and international success in wrestling and in life." He still serves as the program's board chairman.

Reina would return to Penn in 2015, but in a different role. Until 2017, he served as Senior Associate Athletics Director for External Affairs for Penn Athletics. In 2017, Reina was once again presented with the opportunity to coach at Penn and couldnt turn it down.

I got asked to consider coming back to take the program over and here was a twice-in-a-lifetime kind of thing," Reina said. I was like, Holy smokes, how did this happen again?'"

Throughout his long career in wrestling, Reina has been lauded time and time again for his accomplishments and dedication. In 2008, he was inducted into the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame, then one year later was inducted into the EIWA Hall of Fame. Credit: Yosef Robele

Coach Roger Reina

Most recently, in 2017, he was also inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fames Pennsylvania chapter. While the accolades are a tremendous achievement for him personally, the presence of having a Hall of Fame coach in college is not lost to the Penn players.

Seeing his passion for wrestling and Penn and the broader community in Philadelphia just really inspires all of us to A, give back, and then B, compete at our best, and really perform under his reign, fifth-year senior captain A.J. Vindici said.

For Reina, the intricacies and details involved in wrestling are what drives his passion to stay involved in the community as much as possible.

Wrestling always captured my fascination, the individual aspect of it combined with an overarching team aspect, Reina said. The intensity that comes with our sport, I really appreciate that and the people that tend to choose this sport. That community I think is a really special community of people.

Get our newsletter, Dear Penn, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.

When he is not involved in wrestling, Reina likes to get out of the gym and enjoy the outdoors.

I climbed Mount Rainier once, when I first stepped down from coaching the first time in 2005, Reina said. Im set to do that again next August, so thats kind of my target.

Now entering his 22nd season overall as the programs winningest coach with 219 victories, Reina hopes to continue to guide the Red and Blue to continued success, while simultaneously building on his Hall of Fame career.

Originally posted here:
From student to coach, Roger Reina has lived and breathed Penn wrestling for 40 years - The Daily Pennsylvanian

(WTNH) Time is critical when life dangles. Its a foggy reality for people caught in the opioid crisis.

Substance abusers eventually make their way to emergency departments of hospitals like Saint Francis.

The Suboxone gives us a chance to start somebody who fits the criteria and so we can start that in the ED, said Dr. Steven Wolf. The problems with ERs is that we are all limited with what we can do for treatment, for substance treatment in the ER.

While the lifeline is cast, Michael Serrano is on standby for the warm handoff.

We want to have a connection made with a coach so a patient understands the importance of treatment, said Dr. Wolf. Theyve just been revived and normally we would take more time in the medical things but as soon as they are coherent, we try to get our coaches in.

Serrano is a recovery coach trained by the Connecticut Community For Addiction Recovery, CCAR.

Related: Saint Francis offers one-on-one coaching to help people start recovering from addiction

I was using prescription pills, abusing them and alcohol, both were my addictions, Serrano said.

He added,Ive seen a lot of people where theyre covered and their faces are covered in the sheets and as soon as I tell them that Im a recovery, they take their sheets off and they want to see who I am. Most likely they want to see what recovery looks like.

I always tell people to ask themselves three questions. How is this working for you? Is change possible? And are you worth the change? Im not asking the questions. Im asking them to ask themselves, Serrano said.

Not everyone listens.

Serrano said, Im open minded to the outcome but I cant get attached to the outcome because if I get attached to someones outcome, the next person that Im going to see in a room, Im not going to give him 100 percent.

Getting back to living life comes from within.

It doesnt matter what it is you connect with as long as you connect to something, you have a fighting chance, Serrano said.

Dr. Wolf said, We have this moment that we can connect with the patient but we dont have the ability to keep on connecting with the patient and so this gives us that opportunityand save lives.

I wish I had a coach because for two years of my life, I isolated myself and it wasnt fun, staying away from people and not living life, Serrano said. Living life but not leading my life and I needed to lead my life.

Michael Serrano just celebrated five years of recovery last month.CCAR now has five recovery community centers in Connecticut.

Read more:
Saint Francis and CCAR working together to help navigate victims of opioid epidemic - WTNH.com

Looks like Voice coach Kelly Clarkson will be singing "Viva Las Vegas" come 2020.

The American Idol winner announced on her talk show last week that she has scored her very own Kelly Clarkson: Invincible residency in Sin City at the Zappos Theater in Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. Her 16-show residency is slated to run from April 1-September 26.

"Not only am I getting to perform, I'm gonna get to play all the Wheel of Fortune slots, which is really my reason for going there," she joked during a "Kellyoke" segment of The Kelly Clarkson Show. "The gambling, the shows, the all-you-can-eat buffet and crab legs, I love all of it."

On social media, fans exploded with excitement and started declaring their intent to buy tickets for the show. "I finally have a reason to go to Vegas!" one fan wrote on Instagram. "You so deserve this! You are such a gifted singer and I love listening to you take on all the songs on your show. You still give me chills girl," another said on Twitter.

Speaking of tickets, sales officially began on Friday, so hurry up and head to Ticket Master to snatch up seats before they sell out.

Sounds like Kelly is going to be quite the busy bee next spring. Assuming she decides to stay put on The Voice, she may have to juggle her coaching duties on the hit NBC show with this new residency not to mention, also filming her talk show (unless the program goes on hiatus). But a crazy schedule that doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? Or, something like that.

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'The Voice' Fans Are Losing It Over Kelly Clarkson's Big Career Announcement - GoodHousekeeping.com

The 2019 calendar for the U.S. womens national soccer team is over, but for new coach Vlatko Andonovski, who has strong ties to Kansas City, the work is just beginning.

Andonovskis coronation by U.S. Soccer as the new coach of the womens team was held, Oct. 28, in New York. He won his first two matches with the team, beating Sweden 3-2 and Costa Rica 6-0. The international friendlies are helping prepare the team ahead of the Olympic qualifiers.

I knew coming into it that it will be extremely important to win all the big tournaments, said Andonovski, 43, during his introductory news conference.

The way everyone sees it, thats the way it should be. Andonovski is charged with the duties of keeping the U.S. team in its place as the worlds No. 1 ranked team. The U.S. Women won their fourth World Cup title this summer in Paris, half of the eight since the womens World Cup started in 1991.

Andonovski, who was born in Macedonia, first came to Kansas City in the early 2000s to play professional indoor soccer for the Kansas City Comets.

A legacy of winning

Andonovski succeeds Jill Ellis, who stepped aside after the team completed its victory tour with matches around the country on the heels of winning this years World Cup over the summer in France.

What this team has done and what Jill (Ellis) has done is, I think, absolutely amazing, said Andonovski. Jill was hired to win one World Cup and she won two. It pushed the standards even higher.

Defender Becky Sauerbrunn played for Andonovski on FCKC, the National Womens Soccer League team in Kanas City between 2013 and 2017. During that time, FCKC won the NWSL championships in both 2014 and 2015. Sauerbrunn, a starter on the U.S. national team, said shes pleased with Andonovskis appointment as the new national team coach.

I had him five years in Kansas City, so I know what he can do, she said in Columbus last week. I know how much I developed with him as my coach. I got really excited for the players I played with on the national team.

Before last weeks match against Sweden, Sauerbrunn had a meeting with Andonovski, and she was reminded of her FCKC days of how he guided the team. to a championship level.

He basically showed (me) on his computer that he had these work-ups on every single player, and he had all these characteristics and things he wanted them to work on and also things that make them special, said Sauerbrunn, who now plays for the Utah Royals FC in the NWSL. Its just a little detail of how much he puts into it.

Hes a coach

For the past two seasons in the NWSL, Andonovski was the head coach of Reign FC, which was in Seattle before moving to Tacoma, Washington, this year. During a break in the Reigns schedule last summer, Andonovski returned home to Kansas City to coach one of his three kids at a soccer camp held at Rockhurst University.

He (Andonovski) loves to do it. Hes a coach, said former FCKC technical director Huw Williams, who ran the camp at Rockhurst. Long before their FCKC days, Williams knew Andonovski from his youth coaching around the Kansas City area.

We saw each other on the soccer fields and I actually hired him for my company (Global Sports International) and I really didnt have a job for him. I just knew that he was a good guy and somebody that we needed, said Williams. GSI is a locally-based youth sports managing company.

On the first day, he came over and asked, What am I doing? (I said,) I dont know. Well figure something out, said Williams. Then he became our director of our winter league. That was our first connection together.

Theyve remained close since.

A surreal trip

When the rest of Andonovskis family joined him in Columbus for his first match as the national team coach, it was Williams who drove them there.

As the national team traveled to Jacksonville, Williams was back on the road to Kansas City for the return trip, which he called surreal.

They are very proud of their dad and husband for sure, said Williams. Its stressful for B. (Biljana), his wife, in particular, because it changes their life, too.

Olympic qualifying between North American and Caribbean nations begins Jan. 28 in Texas and concludes Feb. 9 in California. But while the U.S. team will be idle until then, Andonovski will be figuring out a way to maintain his squads top ranking over the long haul.

Greg Echlin is a freelance sports reporter for KCUR 89.3.

Continued here:
Meet The Kansas City Coach Hired To Win Olympic Gold For The U.S. Women's Soccer Team - KCUR

When Jim Boylen, the University of Utahs head coach at the time, was in San Antonio in the spring of 2008 looking for an assistant coach, one thought kept on creeping into his head: He needed to hire Stan Johnson.

(Johnson) just rose to the top of those guys, Boylen said. Every time I talked to a different person, I kept on thinking about Stan. I kept thinking about how he would be (working) with me.

Boylen interviewed 17 candidates, including assistant coaches at PAC-12 and Missouri Valley schools, but Johnson, an assistant at a school that had never won a Division I postseason game, stood out.

Standing out is nothing new to Johnson, who is now in his fifth season as an assistant coach at Marquette and third as MUs associate head coach. His recruiting prowess has helped Marquette mens basketball rebuild itself into a borderline top-25 program.

Hes one of the best recruiters in the country, said Ryan Silver, the head coach of Under Armour-sponsored travel team West Coast Elite.

The reason? His personality. Just ask the people around the 40-year-old coach.

Hes just a people-person and enjoys talking to people, Long Beach State assistant coachBobby Braswell said. That put recruits and parents at ease when you have a guy like that on your staff.

At a cafe about 10 minutes away from Los Angeles International Airport, Johnsons recruiting prowess was on full display. There, he met Silver, who coaches for West Coast Elite. The club has produced some of the best talent in the Under Armour summer basketball circuit.

Members of last years WCE team have committed to Arizona, South Carolina, Buffalo and DePaul. Alumni from the previous class went to Oregon, Utah and Ole Miss. When Johnson walked into the beach-themed cafe, Silver listened.

He builds trust with the kid because he cares about their lives, Silver said.

Boylen, now the coach of the Chicago Bulls, pointed to one specific aspect of Johnsons personality: his character.

Character is what really matters in these positions, Boylen said. If you have character, you can learn. If you have character, you can build relationships. If you have character, you can honor the head coach.

At Utah, Boylen said Johnson served as an excellent recruiter and basketball coach, fulfilling two important needs.

I needed a recruiter and a coach, Boylen said. I wanted (an incoming player) to go into (an assistants) office for basketball too. Sometimes when the recruiting process is over, he might not go into that guys office.

Boylen said Johnsons selflessness stood out during the interview in San Antonio.

He didnt talk about himself, Boylen said. It was what we were going to do, how we were going to do it. He was very we and us.

Johnsons personality meshed well with Boylens personality. While Boylen prided himself on being great at closing the deal, Johnson helped set Boylen set the table.

Much of this came from Johnson being great on the phone, as Boylen described it.

He was way better of an over-the-phone guy than I was, Boylen said. He just has a feel for it. He asks the right questions.

After Johnson found out the three or four factors influencing a recruits decision, he would focus on those for the rest of the recruitment. That way, he said, it goes beyond just, How are you doing?

Whos involved with you? Boylen said. Who are you leaning toward? Whats important to you? Whos going to make the decision with you? Whos going to make your decision for you?

By the time Boylen came to a recruits school or house, Johnson already told the prospect relevant information about Boylen. Boylen said thats not always a guarantee in the college basketball world.

If the dad asks a question like, Did you ever coach in the pros? Well, yeah I did. He should know that already, Boylen said. I never had that situation (with Johnson), where a parent or a coach didnt know who I was as a head coach.

Boylen was certainly not the only one to benefit from Johnsons time at Utah. Johnson described the experience as the cattle pull to his career.

I took so many things away from (Boylen) that today are maybe some of my strongest beliefs, Johnson said. It has been one of the great blessings of my life.

Johnson also said coaching alongside Boylen taught him how to prepare for games. He compared Boylens preparation to that of a football team with late offensive countermoves and a solid, firm foundation on defense.

How to prepare offensively for a game, how to prepare defensively for a game, Johnson said. And how to take that preparation that you have as a coach and make sure your guys understand it. Its not what we understand (as coaches). Its what your players understand.

Coaches saw Johnsons character much before his time with the Utes. Braswell was one of the first coaches to see it, hiring Johnson in 2007 for an assistant coach position at Cal State Northridge. It was Johnsons first Division I coaching job.

He just impressed me with his work ethic and just overall how he carried himself, Braswell, now an assistant at Long Beach State, said. Being the first guy in the gym watching games and being one of the last guys to leave.

Johnson also brought much-needed positivity to Northridge, a program that Braswell admitted does not necessarily sell itself.

One of the other assistants, Louis Wilson, looked at him and said, Man, why are you so positive? Why are you always smiling? Braswell said. He brought in a positive energy that was infectious, to say the least.

Johnson also remained realistic at Northridge, even if a recruit or fellow coach did not necessarily want to hear it.

Stans a guy thats not always going to tell you what you want to hear, but hes a guy that is going to tell you what he thinks, Braswell said. As a head coach, you always appreciate that.

Johnsons impression on Braswell was in spite ofa relatively short stay at Cal State Northridge. One season after getting his first Division I coaching job, Johnson got the call from Boylen for the Utah job.

Braswell said the staff jokingly calls Johnson Bagger Vance, a reference to the 2000 sports drama starring Will Smith and Matt Damon.

I tease him and say, Do you have your bag ready? Braswell said.

There are no hard feelings between Braswell and Johnson, though.

He wanted to be there longer, but shoot, that was his dream job. He grew up in Utah, and thats where his family was, Braswell said. I wouldve been angry at him if he didnt go after that. It was Gods plan.

All jokes aside, even in just one year, Braswell said Johnson recruited the necessary talent for Northridge to win its conference and appear in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

Braswell said he is hardly surprised to see Johnson at a program like Marquette. He said he knew Johnson was a special coach in their first month together at Northridge. Now as he turns on his television 12 years later, he sees the assistant he hired at age 27 go on 12 years later to coach in March Madness games.

Im so happy for him because I know how hard hes worked, Braswell said. I knew he was going to be successful.

Fast forward about a decade, and that character helped Johnson bring senior guard Markus Howard to Marquette. Howard is now a consensus second-team All-American and Big East Player of the Year.

Howard initially committed to Johnson at Arizona State before reopening his commitment. When Johnson took the Marquette job, Howard was his first call.

(Johnson) was the main reason why I committed (to Arizona State) so early in my recruiting, so hes like family to me, Howard said at his first media day at Marquette. Even as Im here now, hes really been that one guy I can go to with anything I have.

Johnson said his relationship at Arizona State with Howard was key to re-recruiting Howard.

Ive known him forever, Johnson said in 2016. Dating back to my time at Arizona State, we developed a great relationship to the point where he allowed us to recruit him when I got to Marquette.

Freshman forward Brendan Bailey said Stan Johnson played a big role in his decision to come to Marquette.

Stans like family, Bailey said. Stan is also an amazing guy. I know that he would do anything for us in the program, and thats something that I always look for.

That helped with Baileys particularly unusual path to becoming a Golden Eagle. After graduating high school in 2016, he went on a two-year Mormon mission. He heard from coaches via email, the only allowed form of communication which he said helped through the process. He said it was good to come back to the same support he had two years ago.

Johnsons close misses also tell a story about his ability to recruit. In the pursuit of five-star guard Nico Mannion, Johnson used his long relationship with Mannion to keep Marquette in the running with Arizona, Duke and Kansas.

He built a relationship with Nico when Nico was really young, Silver said, and just maintained that relationship all the way through.

Mannion emphasized this in an interview with the Marquette Wire a couple months before making his decision.

Im actually really close to Stan, Mannion said last August. I talk to him all the time. Sometimes not even about basketball, hell call and check in.

Mannion eventually picked Arizona, but Marquette put up a much better fight than almost anyone expected.

Stan, you are a great coach but you are a better person! Nicos father Pace Mannion tweeted at Johnson. Thanks for recruiting Nico and pushing to the end! I know it didnt work out but our respect for you and Marquette will always be there. I wish you and Wojo all the best. Class Program!!!!

Johnson said he does not like being described as an excellent recruiter.

I just dont really love the label, Johnson said. Being a good recruiter is something that all of us have to do in college basketball, but for me, its always been important in my career to be a coach. Thats the title I want. Being a college coach.

Looking forward, Johnson is well-positioned to eventually take a head coaching job.

I believe hell be a head coach soon, Silver said. Hes just a really good guy and a fantastic recruiter.

The guy who chose the then 28-year-old coach in San Antonio 11 years ago does not have many doubts, either.

Hes an unbelievable head coaching candidate He doesnt have to jump at a job, but if the right one comes along, I think hed be great at it, Boylen said. His opportunity is coming, and in the meantime, Marquette is really fortunate to have him.

Johnson said becoming a head coach has been on his radar and something he has dreamed about since he was a kid.

Maybe thatll happen. Maybe it wont. Only God knows that, Johnson said. I pray every day that God will open the right door, wherever that is, but my purpose is not to be a head coach. It is to be a coach.

Johnson is not in a rush out the door partly due to how special Marquette is to him. He said the quality of people and support from administration at Marquette is unmatched by other schools hes worked at.

I can be a little more selective, Johnson said. I love being here. Every year, there are always opportunities that come by, like it does for any other assistant around the country. This is home for me. This is home for my family. It would take something unbelievably special for us to leave what we have here.

If a situation like San Antonio emerges again, theres even less doubt about what Boylen will decide.

The biggest compliment for a guy is if you want to work with him again, Boylen said. Hes a guy that would be great to work with again.

This is the first part of a three-part series profiling Marquettes assistant coaches.

Originally posted here:
Personality helps Johnson stand out on recruiting trail - Marquette Wire

Murinzi (second name withheld on request) was expelled from school under unclear circumstances. He says his antisocial nature raised suspicion, as many times, he was found hanging out on his own. Unfortunately, rumours of drugs and other bad habits followed, as no one understood why he always wanted to be alone.

He had been bullied for the first year of high school, something that may have had an impact on his character and conduct.

I felt like everyone was against me, and that I was going to end up alone, he says.

After his expulsion, one of the very few people Murinzi talked to approached him and recommended a life coach, or a modern-day mentor.

With four visits a week, it was a life-changing step, Murinzi says, referring to how he regained confidence. And he attributes the change to the increasingly common path in society mentorship.

Initially, I was sceptical about it. I thought that everything I was going to share with the mentor would be revealed to my previous school and I didnt want that to happen. I guess it is because I wasnt happy with the way things had turned out, he says.

But after a couple of months, she (the life coach) started getting through to me, breaking it down for me and showing me where I could have done better.

She also made me realise that there was no need to compare myself to other people, or search for approval or acceptance, he explains.

She encouraged me to complete school, and even go to college. She highlighted the benefits I stood to gain and how success was within my reach.

The 23-year-old is now pursuing a bachelors degree in general veterinary at Kigali Christian University.

Many people associate the life coach service with people looking to advance their careers, but Murinzi is of the view that it is extremely helpful to anyone in need of it, especially the youth who are easily misguided.

According to Vanessa Gakuba, a school co-counsellor, it is important in life to find someone skilfully trained to help people maximise their full potential and reach their desired goals.

She adds that a life coach, or personal mentor, encourages and counsels people on a range of professional and personal issues.

Life coaching is not just advice, it is consulting, counselling, mentoring, and administering therapy. They are normally consulted regarding professional projects, personal goals and transitions.

Also, a life coach helps you grow by analysing the current situation, identifying limiting thoughts, and various potential challenges to help someone achieve specific outcomes in their lives, Gakuba says.

Norbert Sugira, a 25-year-old mentor, is of the view that life coaching is a widely important approach.

He says people that use a personal mentor or life coach are often short of confidence and find themselves devoid of achievement.

Their self-worth is low and the challenges they face are deemed too high. A life coach essentially seeks to reinstall an individuals faltering confidence and ensure they have it within themselves to live up to their full potential, Sugira says.

Needless to mention, life coaching can help with virtually any aspect of someones life. Whether it is in their professional or personal life. Sugira says.

Elias Kurgat who has been a coach for more than five years at Nu-Vision High School says that many young people seek this kind of coaching due to the influence of social media.

Todays generation leans mostly on social media as their means of connection to the rest of the world.

I had a client once who had over 4,000 followers on Instagram but she didnt have anyone in her life to confide in when she really needed it, Kurgat says.

One of the most common questions, Kurgat says, is what should I be in life?.

I laugh when young people come to me asking how they should live their lives because you hardly know anything when you are still a teenager.

He adds, Your lifes purpose is meant to evolve overtime, and that question should be asked more than once. Many young people feel dispirited when they dont get what they want in a specific period. They forget life requires patience.

Kurgat is one of the few local coaches who approaches his clients with a deeper understanding of the issues they face. And in particular, focuses on young people since he once had similar concerns.

He also believes that coaching should be unregulated. Although I personally have qualification, I think that anyone can be a coach. And should be willing to help a friend in case they see them struggling with a burden.

I always tell people who approach me that they should not be deterred by age.

When I started I had clients who were much older than me, but age has nothing to do with it. It is about your experiences and what you have learned. They didnt care how old I was and neither did I.

We live in a society where people are in need of help. If you can help lessen the problems, I believe they will change and also do the same for others.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com

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Life coaches: What is their role in modern day society? - The New Times

Michigan State's Cassius Winston and coach Tom Izzo embrace as Winston leaves the the team's NCAA college basketball game against Binghamton, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019, in East Lansing, Mich. Michigan State won 100-47. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)(Photo: Al Goldis, AP)

EAST LANSING Ten days before he'd leave this world, Zach Winston spun around in the Breslin Center stands to see where Cassius ran off to again.

The oldest Winston brothers team just beat his younger brothers' team in a game of basketball, but this one felt bigger than all the others.A 15,000-seat arena was their playground this time.

Theres one reason, and one reason only, that a reigning Final Four team like Michigan State would hostan exhibition with Albion College, and it was spelled out by the backs of the black T-Shirts in the crowd:

Winston vs. Winston.

This was the one and only time that Cassius would get to play a college basketball game against his brothers, Zach and Khy. And though Zach was merely a spectator due to a pulled hamstring, he cracked a smile from the stands when the buzzer sounded at the end, for now the party could begin.

Family and friends were huddled in a pack outside the locker room when Cassius opened the door. He was in a white hoodie, and they handed him one of those custom black shirts, where the front had a basketball design split in thirds one each for Cassius, Khy and Zach.

Michigan State senior point guard Cassius Winston (middle, right) poses with brothers Zach and Khy in addition to members of the basketball team at their alma mater, University of Detroit Jesuit High School.(Photo: Nate Atkins | Lansing State Journal)

The three boys crammed together, flashing peace signs as they cracked jokes on one another.

Children, children! Wendi Winston said, readying her phone to snap a photo.

Youve gotta get in the photo, Cassius Winston said to her. Its family.

The oldest Winston boywanted them all to be a part of thismemory, so the parents squeezed around thethree sons and flashed their signature toothy grins for one final photo together.

Just a week and a half later, the photos are a way to remember Zach. Its perhaps the closest Cassius can come to reaching his younger brother again.

The middle Winston posted one final set of photos to his Instagram account on Friday night. In them, hes smiling and flashing the peace sign again. His caption reads, I know the truth is you wont love me til Im gone. And even then the thing that comes after is moving on.

Two days later, Zach was gone. He died Saturday night after he was hit by an Amtrak train near the Albion campus.

The news hit Cassius soon after. He was in the team hotel the night before a game when Tom Izzo found him, holed up in an assistant coachs room and surrounded by all his teammates.

The news shook them all, given how close Zach was to being a part of the team. Matt McQuaid used to find him in his stall in the locker room after games because that was the closest he could get to Cassius.

Now, Cassius wished he could sit by his side one final time.

Often a screamer and a motivator, Izzo didnt have many words for this. He just knew his captain could use some space, to be with the brother he hadleft, and so he took Cassius and Khyon a walk away from everyone else.

He let Cassius do much of the talking. Cassius told Khy that they had to accept that their brother was in a better place now.

Back in the hotel room, silence filled the air until the quietest player on the team stood up. Marcus Bingham had only played with Cassius for one year, sharing the court for a handful of minutes, but he had a little brother he played basketball with, too. And he told his teammates to think about theirfamily members, to not just think but go back to their rooms and give them a call.

The concept of family is not just a basketball trope at Michigan State. Steven Izzo's dad is the coach. Kyle Ahrens and Xavier Tillman both have wives. Tillman has a 2-year-old daughter namedAyannawho will climb into Cassius' arms after the games.

Zach and Khy Winston have always seemed like little brothers to them.

Cassius would have given anything to have that last conversation with Zach. He was the closest brother in age, the one he walked 280 steps every day to middle school and toughened in King of the Court games out back, all so he could pass those traits to Khy. Their father, Reg, always wanted his first-born son to resemble a warrior, but he knew Cassius needed a tender side to keep a friendship going. So whenever the games at home would get too rough, the brothers would have to hug it out or share a car ride holding each others hand.

Basketball was a way to blend the toughness with love. Cassius might get up in your face one game and then pass you the game-winning assist on the next. He did plenty of both with Zach, including for two years on varsity together at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School. They celebrated their final game together by winning a state championship in the Breslin Center.

Then Khy got to play with Zach as Cassius went on to Michigan State, where he spread the Winston name around the country. He became the Big TenPlayer of the Year, a second-team All-American and a captain on a Final Four team, and yet none of therecognition comparedtowhat he saw in his brothers' eyes whenever theyd come to a game.

Their opinion means everything to me, Winston said a couple weeks ago. If they feel like Im doing a good job, then I truly feel like Im doing a good job.

It was a mutual bond.

He was always that big brother figure to me, Zach Winston said last spring.

Michigan State point guard Cassius Winston (center) poses for a photo with his brothers Khy (left) and Zach (right).(Photo: Photo courtesy of Zach Winston)

And so that's much ofhow the younger Winston brothers wound up at Albion College, a school of 1,500 students in a town of less than 9,000 people, located 50 miles south of East Lansing. That closeness meant staying in each others' busy lives. Cassius could finish a scrappy Big Ten battle and find Khy and Zach waiting for him in the locker room, and the younger brothers could run out for warm-ups in Albions Kresge Gym and spot their All-American big brother smiling from the crowd.

Cassius credited his brothers for taking him from the kid who cried after basketball losses to the one commandinga huddle in an NCAA Tournament game, where an entire team needed someone to look up to.

Now, Zach isnt looking up, and Cassius cant fill that void in his life anymore.

Sometime after 4 a.m. the night he lost him, Cassiuspulled up Zachs final Instagram photo and typed a reply.

I love you w everything in me gang. Wish I could wear yo pain on my shoulder.

When the sun rose the next day, Cassius pulled on his green warm-upsweats and headed back to the Breslin Center.

The Spartans were 15 minutes into their pregame shoot-around when the oldest Winston brother pushed through the doors. He soon told Izzo that he was wanted to play against Binghamton, but he didnt say why.

Khy came out to the gym, and so did their father, Reg, their first time back at a game since the photo with Zach in the lobby. The three remaining Winston boys then shot jumpers like old times.

Grief counselors arrived to help Izzo through what he called the toughest day of his coaching career. They spoke about how grief affects everyone differently and how the majority of it sets in later, like aholein the heart.

The hardest part of life that Im learning is it never stops. It keeps going. Someone dies and someone is born, Izzo said later that night. I think I knew that all my life, but then it hits home a little differently.

Hes coached in 22 NCAA Tournaments and eight Final Fours, but hed never gone to a place like this.

And so rather than pretend to have a game plan to follow that day, Izzo embraced the unknown. He asked his team to play with a broken heart. He told them to let the tears flow if they came, because this wasn't just a game and their point guard needed more from them than buckets tonight.

Michigan State's Cassius Winston, center, stands with teammates during a moment of silence in honor of Winston's younger brother, Zachary, before the team's NCAA college basketball game against Binghamton, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019, in East Lansing, Mich. Michigan State won 100-47. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)(Photo: Al Goldis, AP)

Those teammatesstood with him in a lineas a packed arena held a moment of silence. Cassius shook in place and pulled his hoodie up to shade his eyes while fellow seniors Kyle Ahrens and Joshua Langford rubbed his back.

He needs to know that hes not alone,Ahrens said. Hes our brother. Hes family.

Cassius was the final starter introduced, and he ran out into a huddlehis teammates formedwith their arms, as if to shade him for just a moment from the world.

Then the sweats came offand it was time to play.

On the first possession, Cassius assisted a three-point basket. On the second, he nailedhis own. Michigan State built up a leadfew will remember against an opponent thats easy to forget. Like the scrimmage against Albion, all that mattered was the people who played.

Cassius turned in a nearly flawless game, totaling 17 points and 11 assists with just one turnover. He went to check out near the end of theblowout, but Izzo told him he could haveone more chance to take some shots if he wanted, and that toothy grin cameout again. Cassius went back on the court, crossed over a defender and gently laid the ball into the net for a score.

In one game, Cassius made something difficult on the inside appear easy on the outside. He bottled it in like Zach would have, and that had him typing one final message to his brother that night.

You fought every demon w everything you had in you, Cassius wrote to Zachon Instagram after the game. You went to war w yourself every single day not knowing if you could win that battle. And you won time after time.

The next time I run into someone in your situation ima save them, cause thats what you would want me to do.

RELATED:How being the 'perpetual older brother' prepared Cassius Winston to be MSU's team captain

RELATED:How 'crybaby' Cassius Winston evolved into Michigan State basketball's iron man

MORE MSU BASKETBALL:Become an LSJ subscriber for as little as $5 total for 3 months, well into Big Ten basketball season and an interesting MSU football offseason. Already a subscriber? Thank you.

Contact Nate Atkins at natkins@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.

See the original post here:
How Cassius Winston wore pain on his shoulder and honored his brother's life - Lansing State Journal