I'm All Over the Place

In Indiana, the IHSAA board passed our version of the Name Image and Likeness that allows college athletes to make money off of...them.

There are so many rules with it, it's very strict and narrow and any breaking of the rule makes you immediately ineligible for high school athletics.

I could care less.

What this post is about is the hypocrisy that follows us here in good ole Indiana.

Indiana is basketball.

It is THE basketball state.

But, smh...

A shot clock was voted down in the same meeting because we're a "traditional" state.

Yet, in the same meeting, this traditional state allowed for high school athletes to get paid for being an athletic, albeit making it real hard.

I used to be against the shot clock when I had teams that would make teams chase us.

But the last few years of being the chaser and watching my son play with a shot clock, and my experiences globally with young people using a shot clock and playing well, has changed me.

Follow me here.

We have people who are against class sports where each school is organized with other schools of its size and they're against the shot clock.

But...many of them to be supportive of the Success Factor rule.

You get so many points from winning in the post season, and if you do that within any two year window, you have to play up a class, we have four classes.

The support is funny to me.

"We're against  class basketball because all schools, it's still just 5 on 5" which is such a lazy argument.

And "Just get better".

"We're for the Success Factor because we don't want teams dominating their sport" Good gosh. Where is the "Just get better" crowd now?

The Success Factor rule is one of the worst rules we have.

You're penalizing a school for being good.

You're penalizing classes who aren't often as good as those that won to play up against bigger schools.

It's not fair to those kids.

It's not fair to those schools.

And the largest class can continue to win and win and win with no class to go up to.

Yea, I rambled, I know.

Yes on Class Basketball, but slowly wondering if one class wasn't better. Again my perspective is changing.

Yes on a shot clock.

No on the Success Factor.

But, as always, a huge yes to Indiana High School Basketball.

There is no second best to us.

I Have Too Long of a Memory

 A little tape on the wrist.

No, it is/was more than that.

While working out, B had a slightly torn ligament in his foot, and was feeling better.

He jumped up, dunked it, slipped and came down on his wrist.

We thought it had to be broken.

Severe bone bruise.

He sat out one tournament with his AAU team, but decided to play in the first Live Period.

The Live Period is when college coaches can attend and watch games.

He played, not for more offers because he has some really good options.

He played to be there for his team.

And he was in pain.

Yet, he competed, every game.

And though they lost all four games, it sure seems like it was lost on the "new" voices.

But the old ones have been consistent.

And that's all that matters.

Those teams that have been consistent have watched him multiple times live, and on film.

The new voices haven't.

And it will be remembered, if not be him...

By me.

Vote, or Don't

During my younger, idealistic life, every voting day came around and I would try to get out the vote.

And then I would look at the percentage of people who don't vote and it's a lot.

Most voter eligible Americans don't vote. 

It seems it's always around 50% of eligible voters.

But...

As I realize how much fake social media is manipulating us, and I read what many people actually post online, and I watch video after video of how uninformed people are...

I've changed.

Don't vote.

I'm not as upset when I see those low voter turnouts because if you cannot even get to the polls, you probably shouldn't be pulling the levers of the voting machine.

So don't vote.

Unless...

You're informed.

You're willing to question what you think is true.

You're going to understand that it's a choice, usually, between two or more people that aren't much different from each other.

Never forget, you hate them more than they hate each other.

So vote, or don't.

I really don't care, and probably wish  you wouldn't if you're not going to do some basic work and be informed. 

And it's really not our fault because we believe that the other side is evil, it's intentional to win elections, but they're not.

They're not.

Insanity

Free people in the West, specifically the USA are slowly spiraling into the end of Western Civilization.

We support terrorists over democratically elected people.

We support dictators when it fits our  purpose.

We support groups that go against our very values.

We can't define words that have been around for thousands and thousands of years.

We will allow our most innocent to be exposed.

And if any of this is brought it, you are being bombarded with propaganda, when in reality, it is them.

Just because I don't support what you do, doesn't mean I lack empathy.

It probably means that I am empathic with the logical, common sense side of the issue.

And I'm not supporting evil people who would love to use the Useful Idiots. 

Another Day in Paradise

You cannot continue to not give someone a raise compared to the cost of inflation, and expect them to be "happy".

You cannot take away planning time for teachers, AND add work to their already busy, stressful schedules and expect them to be "happy".

I'm not saying that I agree or disagree, I tend to think teachers have it pretty good, but the shock of administrators when there is push back from teachers is always catches me off guard.

How long has it been since you were in the classroom?

How motivated are you to do your job every second of every day?

How tired do you get those from above are adding more to your plate?

And why in the world do we have so many administrators and their support staff, and what do they do?

Because every cent that is paid to them is not going to teachers.

But what do I know?

Maybe I'll retire and run for school board...

There's probably a better chance that I'll work and watch and become too cynical to actually care about all the piles of b.s.

And I'll continue to worry and focus on the people who matter the most,

My students.

 

Notre Dame Walk Around and Adidas Circuit in Mishawaka Indiana