I would like to start by saying, “I am sorry that I am not here to deliver this to you personally, but this is my 39th Wedding Anniversary Weekend and I chosen to spend this time with my wife”.
I begin with this vignette. It said, “There are still places in China where plagues of locusts periodically descend in biblical proportions. The farmers in the region fought back, by gathering an army of 10,000 chickens in anticipation of the invading hordes. The bird soldiers were trained for two months, and when the showdown came, they acquitted themselves admirably”. It went on to say that this vignette is an apt metaphor for the challenges you’ll face in the year ahead. It concluded by urging us to “assemble our own personal equivalent of a chicken army.” I have always done this and my chicken armies are now numerous.
For me Coaching has been more than just winning. It is has been about observation, it is about motivation, it is about patience, and it is about being human. It is the most satisfying job I have ever done in my life. Rowing has begun to be a metaphor for life itself and as far as I am concerned.
I have found that the secret to success is in consistency, and the willingness to be flexible. A common goal is essential along with the leadership to see it through. You must also have people that recognize and accept their roles. We must remember that we face challenges everyday. We face competition on a regular basis. Having a Plan is essential, and having a back up Plan is another essential, because some days you will win and other days you will lose. It is up to us to figure out what went wrong and how to go about changing it. Sometimes you need to slow down just to go fast. You need to let things happen and not force your needs above your goals.
The power you have been given will strengthen you and empower you to strive for greatness. It will make you grow and enrich your life. To every single rower I tell you, "Being satisfied with mediocrity is just not an option." Life is a constant challenge and you must wake each day and face that challenge head on. Remember, “There are no guarantees”.
I would like to thank the parents of the rowers for allowing me to have a small part in your children’s development. I would like to thank the Coaching Staff for allowing me to work with the rowers and do what I feel I do best, which is trying to teach rowing as a metaphor for life. I don’t think we will always agree on everything, but ultimately I believe we all respect each other for what we have tried achieve here. I would like to thank my Father, wherever he may be for helping be to strive to be a better man. And ultimately, I would like to thank my wife, Sugar for allowing me to do what I do.
I will leave you with these last comments:
Always remember, wanting and committing are two different things. I hope you have learned to make that COMMITMENT. I hope that because you have made that commitment you have learned to BELIEVE. I hope that because you believe, you will DREAM. You will TRUST that because you have made these changes in your life, the only option that can happen is SUCCESS. Remember, that through hard work and perseverance you can stand tall and say we you are a WINNER.
It is this journey that we will all remember, and it is this journey that has bound us together as a TEAM.
To the Seniors, “Thank you for staying and your unwavering commitment to the TEAM.
I say to you, Aloha! Because,
Aloha is…love, affection, compassion, mercy, sympathy, pity, kindness, sentiment, grace, and charity.
Aloha is a…greeting, salutation, regards, sweetheart, lover, and a loved one.
Aloha is being…beloved, loving, kind, compassionate, charitable, and lovable.
Aloha is to…love…be fond of…show kindness, mercy, pity, charity, affection…venerate…remember with affection…greet…and hail.
"Aloha!" is…"Greetings!" "Hello!" "Good-by!" "Farewell!" "Alas!"
This one word “Aloha” is the summation of my emotions and feelings about having been a part of everyone’s life. It is this greeting, hello, farewell, goodbye, alas that is a constant for me.
On two; One, Two everybody, “Wiki, Wiki”
"And all the way, to guide their chime, with falling oars they kept their time." -- Andrew Marvell
