Always Accused, Often Answering, Always Presumed

Indiana is a choice state when it comes to attending public schools. You may attend any school you want as long as there is room and they let you in.

If you are lucky enough to be located in a suburban area in the middle of a county close to an urban area and somewhat at the center of the wheel when it comes to other suburban and rural schools, you should feel good. And your school has a good reputation academically and extracurricular wise, you will get many transfers into your school.

If you are good at sports and athletes transfer in, WHETHER THEY MOVE INTO YOUR DISTRICT OR NOT, you will catch grief.

If you are a semi-personable person and the parents you are around ask you about your school and your culture, you will be called a recruiter...if you actually like the place you work and tell them about all the success you can have at that school. 

I have gotten multiple flyers from other schools and corporations "recruiting" my two student-athletes. I throw them away, you're wasting your money with me, but I get it. You are trying to get students into your building to help pay for things (money follows the student in Indiana).

In fact, there are many people who are not happy with all the transfers we get at our school and tend to point out things they don't like. Yet, when you ask a simple question where they have done the same thing (maybe not as many, but you can find them), they act as if they're innocent and have followed the rules.

Yes, so have we. 

So stop.

You're wrong.

And I do expect that if this article is found, you will spread it around on your good ole boys text group and bad mouth me and my school, then smile when in public.

Finally, any time you would like to hear the truth and not the assumptions of your opinions, I would love to speak with you.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday...The Cross, The Sadness/Doubt/Fear, The Empty Tomb

Today is Good Friday, it is the day that is remembered as the day that Jesus was convicted, tortured and sent to die on a cross. 

It was a horrific death, if you don't know, you might think it was just being nailed to the cross that was the pain, and that was awful, but usually someone on a cross died from asphyxiation. 

They would lower their diaphragm and could not breathe, so they would have to pull themselves up on the nails to get air into their lungs. 

Eventually, you would become so exhausted that you died from that asphyxiation. A terrible death. 

If they death took too long, Roman soldiers would stab you to finish you off quicker.

That's just a small explanation of what Jesus went through on Friday.

We often celebrate or remember Friday and Sunday in the Christian faith. Sunday, the tomb is empty, Jesus has overcome death and has taken on the punishment we deserve. He died for us.

But Saturday has kind of intrigued me the last few years.

Imagine your leader in many ways being murdered on Friday and yet unaware that Sunday is coming.

Imagine the sadness, the doubt, the fear by His followers on Saturday.

The absolute sickness and depression that would have engulfed them, I think we can only imagine.

The Sunday comes and the happiness and fulfillment that Jesus is back, He is alive.

Now imagine that without lives?

How often have we been so sad, so full of doubt, so fearful and yet, we make it through often with the help of The Holy Spirit?!

If you're reading this, you have overcome every single bad day or time of your life and are living and hopefully thriving.

So use this time whenever you feel lost!

You can be mad, sad, depressed, upset, whatever....but Sunday exists and it is coming.

Is it Ok for Athletes to Cry After a Loss?

Short answer: Yes.

Longer answer: Yes, because...

Crying after a loss is not a bad thing, in fact, I believe it's a good thing. 

It shows a few things, one, you care. 

Two, that you've put in a lot of time and not getting the reward you think you deserve is...ok. 

Third, you must be able to get that emotion out without throwing things, hitting anything, or hurting yourself.

Tears are ok...they're good. 

My kids have played a lot of different sports, my wife and I did, too and we all did or have competed. We have given it as much as we can, and we care. We wanted to win, not because losing would make us losers (ok, maybe that's one of my problems, but anyway), but because they are keeping score and if they do then it matters to win.

That gets me to point two. We put a lot of time and effort into sports, really anything, it doesn't have to be sports. By putting that time and effort into it and then competing during the event, if you do not win, it hurts. And it shows you are a competitor, not a baby.

Finally, with point one and two, when that time comes that you lose, it is better to cry than to hurt yourself, break something and show everyone how NOT TO deal with adversity.

Cry...cry it out.

Then get back to work so that you don't feel that again, which you probably will, but it's time to get back to work to improve. 

And show that you are mentally tough that you can be down, but you will get back up again, and again and again and again....

Poland...I made it home. Final thoughts.

Well, I have had a couple days to think...I have tried to keep names out of my writings, some were ok to mention.

But some highlights and lowlights of my one week trip to Lublin, Poland.

I was flagged in Detroit heading to Warsaw, questioned about my intentions on my trip.

Polish is a hard language to learn/know.

I lost my passport.

I got off the train in Lublin one stop too early which isn't a big deal because Uber will find you, but I was by myself...in the dark...just waiting for something else bad to happen.

My coach friend was hard to do much at beginning of trip...he possibly had Covid.

I tried to help at the gym with Ukraine guests, and they got mad at me and wouldn't take my money to donate.

Went to the Old Town, the Nazi Concentration Camp.

Watch two pro basketball games and a practice.

Meet with a church, put the into contact with other churches in US.

Go to the Poland/Ukraine border and visit a Guest camp.

Made two new contacts for future basketball camps.

Donated $700 to organizations helping Ukraines on the ground in Lublin.

Figured out how to mess with the train, planes and Ubers in Lublin and Warsaw.

Sat on a Paris runway for 3 hours before taking off on our 8 hour flight.

Saw my wife and kids and remembered that no matter what I do to help in this world, those three are the most important people in my life and I need to make sure I take care of them first.

To all those who donated and prayed, I am so thankful for your help. You were able to help me help others in small ways and in large ways.

I am glad to be home, but cornerstonehoops.org is not finished by a long shot in trying to bring joy and hope using basketball to anyone and anywhere that will help us.

 

Poland: March 31, 2022

I woke up at 5:45 AM to take my home Ellume test for covid...it was negative!!!

I took a train to Warsaw, met Marcin face to face, walked around Warsaw, went to the US Embassy, hung out with Marcin and went to bed. 

Oh...saw one of the places where the Warsaw Ghetto from WWII was located.

I am exhausted and Friday will be a long day of travel. 

I leave at 6 AM, so I need to be there by 4 at least.

 

March 27, 28, 30

Monday, I met with the Priest in Lublin and have put him contact with another Catholic church in the states. This church in Lublin is working with and dealing with the Ukrainians. They're doing a wonderful job. 

I also was able to donate about $700 that will directly help these guests from Ukraine. All those that donated money, you can trust to know that it is being used for good.

I then was able to watch a Men's basketball game here in Lublin. I was a VIP fan.

Tuesday, I was able to visit the border.

Two weeks ago there were thousands of people, today....very few.

The priest was able to get us into a facility where guests are living and they gave us a run down of what they're doing. 

Poland has done a wonderful job!

I got to watch a Start Lublin practice.

Wednesday, I have my appointment with the US Embassy on Thursday in Warsaw, so today is my last day in Lublin.

Poland: March 27, 2022

I was able to come to grips that my passport is probably lost, so I will contact the US Embassy Monday for more information and what to do.

I visited with my friends that coach Start Lublin basketball team, went to a women's game.

Marcin has schedule me a meeting with a priest in Lublin who does work with the Ukraine visitors.

That is tomorrow.

 

Poland: March 26, 2022

Today was a slow day. I walked around Majdanek Nazi Concentration Camp here in Lublin, it was windy. Waiting to see if I can find my passport and contact with anyone to help.

It's one thing to go to a Holocaust Museum in the states and it's entirely different to actually stand and visit where the thing actually happened.

Really overwhelming and the crows...there are crows there and makes it even more ominous.

I went back to my room and watched a lot of the IHSAA state finals on my phone.

Poland: March 25, 2022

I got on the phone to see what to do about my passport....I lost it, I can't believe it.

Coach Spasev put me in contact with a person in Warsaw who has contacts in the airport.

Marcin is looking around and making calls. I feel much better having someone advocate for me in a foreign country. It's scary to be here and not have that passport. Marcin told me I can get around Poland with my US driver's license.

I went walking around the Old Town of Lublin. Pretty interesting to know that the town is over 700 years old. I did pass by the Ukraine consulate and there were quite a few people waiting outside to try and get visas etc. It is amazing what one persons decision can do to create chaos in so many people's lives.

Coach Spasev put me in contact with a woman who does humanitarian work for Ukraine's.

Yea...so she got back with me and wanted to know if I could find war type materials...I'm not that guy.

Poland: March 24, 2022

I arrived in Warsaw today. Interesting, before I got on the plane in Detroit to head to Warsaw, I was flagged and questioned by security.

Apparently, there are Americans who are involved in trafficking children and taking pharmaceuticals into Ukraine and making money in the Black Market.

I was asked quite a few questions, I wasn't nervous because I hadn't done anything wrong and didn't plan on doing anything wrong, but after about 5-10 minutes, I got on the plane and headed to Paris then Warsaw.

Landing in Warsaw, it was sort of late and I wanted to get a train to Lublin and be there before it was too late. Before I went out through security, I stopped to use the bathroom and then headed out to get a taxi to catch a train to head south. I usually keep all my documents in a book, so I don't have to keep pulling it out of my pockets. Well in that bathroom in the Warsaw airport is the last time I remember having that book.

I lost my passport.

And I felt like I was going to puke.

I ended up getting my train ticket and making it to my AirBnB that night and the next morning I called my friend, Tane Spasev to let him know and what I could do for help.