Over time, I have come to a better understanding about this game.  

To me, it  is a mission that needs to be centered upon developing the individual that resides within the player. One capable of true authenticity and selflessness, girded by a faith in what can ultimately be accomplished together in true fellowship.

The student of life within the athlete. 

Only then can all facets of the individual act to positively impact the athlete. 

Class is not held solely on the field or the weight room.  It is in the right here and now, with each other.  Together you get to learn, grow and develop in ways many others cannot or will never be able to in their entire lives. 

But by no means does that place you above anyone.  

It is purely a gift to be embraced as such, and held with  an attitude of gratitude.

Within this gift is the opportunity to create and build something much bigger than yourself.  

By yourself, I take that as two iterations. First, you as an individual get to.  And then, you together as a team gets to. The makings of a genuine  fellowship.   

As such, you get to be a part of many, many lives and families, embrace diverse backgrounds and cultures all while  building true  friendships that can literally last a lifetime. 

You get to represent a heralded college and every player that first strapped it on as a Green Knight in 1931 –  as well as  everyone that ever attended as a student, taught as a professor or administered to the needs of operating a  college. 

If you can open yourself up fully and honestly to see this as such, that you get to be a part of this, then you will be in a position to fully invest yourself in making the most of it.  

All of which is contingent on how much you are willing to open yourself up,  draw others in close to one another and then grow together. For some, this will be a task ten-fold more challenging than two-a-days. I get it.  But like two-a-days, it is meant to be a test. Determined to  reveal something you never thought was in you.  I can assure you,  from experience, there is strength to be found in vulnerability. And when all is said and done, you will wonder what took you so long to just let it happen.   

Some time ago, I happened upon a  German adverb that defines this level of connection perfectly. 

Ineinander.

Meaning “into each other, into one another. Or, interlocking.” To me, it is choosing to become woven together.  Creating something together that has the ability to withstand all of the tension, twists and turns of all adversity while remaining unified, unfrayed and unbreakable. 

In preparation for sharing this gift with all of you, I collaborated with a teammate of yours.  We talked some and came up with some thoughts and reflections about what we all need to be able to be.  What we need to ask of ourselves and each other, in an honest and transparent manner. 

I hope I don’t let you down with what is to follow, buddy.

So after some contemplation about what he and I shared and my presence within the game these many years, I arrived at four tenets of development that I believe will serve us all well. 

So for our time remaining now, it is going to be more so about opening up and revealing some holes than it is about  x’s and o’s.  

So take advantage of the opportunities to reflect. 

 This is just the start in many respects. 

I sincerely hope there will be more beginnings than endings as you continue on this journey forward together.

Ineinander.