Entry #38 - 1/13/05

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and enjoyed this special time with their families as much as I did. As with any household with children under the ages of six, the holidays are very fast paced. Every day is an adventure. Tilo (5 years) and Jack (2 years) were so much fun. Taking them shopping and trying to answer the plethora of questions which they send my way is always entertaining. A couple of days before Christmas, Tilo wanted to know what happened if Santa Claus had to use the bathroom while he was in the midst of his deliveries. I told him Santa would just use the bathroom in whichever house he was in at the time. So on Christmas Eve, not only did Jody have to bake cookies for Santa, leave carrots for the reindeer, but we also had to make sure the bathroom light was left on and there was a fresh roll of Charmin at Santa’s disposal. Wow! What a new holiday tradition?

This year was actually the first time in my life in which I did not wake up in my parent’s house on Christmas Day. Jody and I have always traveled to Atlanta and spent Christmas Eve with my family there, and then driven to Knoxville to be with her family on Christmas morning. But this holiday was unique in that we planned to celebrate my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary with a long weekend in Atlanta after Christmas. Can you believe 50 years of marriage? My parents have an unbelievable relationship. It was a great celebration. Our entire family (17 of us) was in town for the weekend as we painted the town red with our parents. It was so much fun to have everyone together.

The beginning of January for college baseball coaches is an exciting time because it signals that the season is just around the corner. Our coaching staff is prepared and I’m hopeful that our players will have maintained their physical conditioning and all of them return healthy for we can begin to prepare. It has been a very long break for our players and I am excited to get them back on campus.

Before Christmas I had a great experience I would like to share. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to get an inside look at the Duke Basketball program. Jose Fonceca, who was our baseball trainer a couple of years ago, is now the head basketball trainer at Duke. I have always admired Mike Krzyzewski and how he has run his program. I have studied his program and read all of his books, so of course I was excited to get an inside look. When Jose invited me for a game I could not get there fast enough.

From the outside, when you look at a successful program or organization, it is easy to think that maybe the leader of that organization has all the secrets or maybe has some “magic dust” which he sprinkles on his players or employers which enables them to be successful. I know I figured that is what Coach K must be doing. But when I got an inside look at the Duke program, I was amazed. What an organization he has built. There is no “magic dust”, just very high standards and expectations. Basically they do the fundamental things better than everybody else. After visiting it is easy to see why he did not leave Duke for the Los Angeles Lakers. I was amazed and inspired by many things during my visit. But the thing that impressed me the most was the quality of kids he has in his program. After the game was over I was sitting in the training room with Jose as the Duke players came in for final treatment instructions and to sign for their meal money. Jose and I were the only ones in the training room at the time, so as these players came in I figured I would put them to the test. Of course the players had no idea who I was, but as they walked by me, out of the blue, I would make a comment to each one of them. It would be something about the game, their performance or something about what they were wearing. After every comment I made, every single player stopped, introduced himself, shook my hand and spoke to me. It was very refreshing to experience that at such a high profile program.

In our baseball program here at ETSU, obviously we are not as high profile as Duke Basketball, but the thing I am most proud of is definitely the quality of young man we have playing baseball here and the quality of young men who have played before them. We hold our players to very high standards and they live up to them every day. Very rarely does a day go by, when I don’t receive a compliment from someone on campus or in the community about how one of my players, or former players or how our ball club is conducting themselves away from the field. I can’t tell you how much those things mean to me.

Ever since I became a head coach it has always been a priority to have good kids in my program. We recruit young men who other people enjoy being around and young men who can communicate with others. There is no doubt that at Duke they do the same thing. So as we go into this new season, with very high expectations amongst our coaching staff and players, I know our players will continue to live up to the standards we have set for them off the field, but it is now time for them to live up to the standards we have set for them on the field as well. I am excited about this ball club and this season. I think if we continue to work hard we can do some special things. We have a long way to go, but it sure will be nice to get back on the field again.

Before I sign off I wanted to share something which one of my player’s parents had sent me. You may have read it before, but as a parent raising two young boys I thought it very appropriate. It is definitely “old school” and sure makes a lot of sense. Here it is:

The other day, someone at a store in a small town read that a methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farm house in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question, “Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?" I replied, "I did have a drug problem when I was a kid. I had a drug problem when I was young; I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather. I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn't put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me. I was drug to the kitchen sink if I uttered a profane four letter word. (I know what Lye soap tastes like) I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flower beds and cockleburs out of dad's fields. I was drug to the homes of family, friends, and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some fire wood. If my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the wood shed. Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, and think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin, and if today's children had this kind of drug problem, America might be a better place today. "

Pretty good stuff. Until next time.....

Coach Skole