Coach Rod Cole » 4 Points in Addressing HS graduation

Home > blog archive > graduation speaker

Please let us know how to send you our updates. Our solid promise is that we will never, ever, under any conditions sell or give away your private contact information. We will use it only to stay in touch with you on news and views that can help you grow Ever Stronger. Send your email address, and any comments or questions for Coach Cole, to:
WEBATT@CoachRodCole.com

THE COLE HARD TRUTH

Launching "Ever Stronger"

After 24 years in coaching, 18 as a collegiate head strength coach, I have launched my twofold "Ever Stronger!" consulting - personal workout programs, and clinics for school S&C programs. MORE

A football high: out-physical the opponent

Our six-man team, in its first two games, brought back memories of dominating wins over big powers in college football by demonstrating how an off-season strength and conditioning program pays off. Never mind it wasn't Nebraska or Texas; satisfaction still runs high over a job well done Feb-to-Aug leading to success in the fall. HERE'S HOW

Scant Equipment, Big-Time Workout for Kids

Details of the makeshift equipment and big-time football workout regimen, out behind a church....TUGGING STARTS HERE

You don't need fancy

A dozen youngsters, 11-18, a football/soccer field behind Steep Hollow Baptist Church, rigorous workouts. Not impressive. But the workouts are.....READ WHY

Please send questions, suggestions, or comments to WEBATT@coachrodcole.com

Footer Information Here

4 Points in Addressing HS graduation

May 5, 2008

Last weekend brought a wonderful opportunity. It was a pleasure to address the Manhattan CHIEF High School Graduation on Saturday, May 3. CHIEF stands for Christian Homes-In-Educational Fellowship.

I left with them with four points of encouragement:

Never stop learning.
Have courage to pursue your plans and dreams.İ
Play the movie.
Don't play fair.

Letís look at each of these points one at a time.

Their high school education is now ending, but education never ends. Education is kind of like mowing the lawn and doing dishes ñ you may do a great job, but over time there will always be more grass to mow and dishes to clean.

The Bible is full of characters such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Paul, and, most importantly, Jesus who had to have great courage to fulfill God's plan for their lives on earth.İ

One example of courage in a different way was the college student who went to take his philosophy final, all ready to write an essay in his blue book.İ The final consisted of one essay question, "What is courage?"İ After several moments of serious thought he wrote "This is." That was it. He handed it in. He not only showed an understanding of courage, but exhibited that very character trait in his answer. He got an A for his answer and his courage.

This point comes with thanks to Dr. Henry Cloud in his book Nine Things You Simply Must Do To Succeed In Life and Love. Whenever we are faced with a big decision, we need to "play the movie" of all the possible consequences that result from any decision.

We had some fun with Dr. Cloud's example of a man on a park bench who refused to tell a young man the time of day because he feared he would strike up a conversation with him, take a liking to him, and invite him to his house for dinner. The gentleman was afraid that the young guest and his daughter would hit it off, start dating, and ultimately get married. And he'd be hanged if he'd let his daughter marry someone without either the money or the common sense to buy a watch! The guy might have been a bit extreme, but his dilemma underscored the point of foreseeing the consequences of his decision.

This one is again thanks to Dr. Cloud. He illustrates in his book how ìplaying fair, which weíve all been taught, would include cheating someone back when they cheat you, returning evil for evil, and good for good. Christ calls us to return good for evil, to turn the other cheek, to give grace instead of get revenge.

God is not fair; He is gracious, and He is our example. We deserve to flunk out of the Christian life on our own merit, but because of the grace offered through Jesus dying on the cross, conquering sin for us, we can all graduate from life with honors when we receive Him in our hearts.

That was my message to an eager group of home-schooled graduates in Kansas. Hopefully, we can all draw something useful from these points.

Ever Stronger

Coach Rod Cole

THE TURKISH GET UP IS AN ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR FITNESS & WORKOUTS.

To add a new wrinkle for your workouts, I'd like to give you a quick and easy self- assessment. You don't need a workout gym for this, or a weight room. Just a little corner of any room, a book, and a few minutes of your time. You don't even have to put on workout clothes.

First position to start the Get Up exercise

Standing up to complete the Get Up drill

The photos with this article show my son Kade, who is 15, performing a Turkish Get Up with a 30-pound dumbbell. He has three years left to prepare for college, where he wants to play football or baseball, or possibly both. He did this demonstration when I consulted with a small college recently. (By the way, photo credits go Kade's sister, Kressyn, who is 13 Head shot of Kressyn the photographer and loves photography. This is Kressyn.)

Just follow these instructions carefully. A few minutes later you'll know all you need to know about your balance, coordination, flexibility, shoulder strength, and even your core strength.

Grab your Webster's Dictionary from the bookshelf, or any hardback book about that size.
Go to an open space in your house.
Hold the dictionary in one hand at arm's length while lying flat on your back on the floor.
Now, get up! And get up this way:

Keep the arm with the dictionary locked out.
Hold the book overhead as you work your way to a standing position.

Do this, then come back and read the rest....

* * *

OK, how'd you do? You've just performed an exercise called the "Get Up," or, more specifically, the "Turkish Get Up."

Many strength coaches or personal trainers would have given you significantly more instructions on how to get up. I refrained, because I like the problem-solving dimension of the drill. I feel it is important for you figure it out.

Had I been coaching you, I would have helped you along with tips whenever you struggled. For the most part, though, this drill can be figured out with a little persistence and practice.

I have used this drill many years as an assessment. It works not only for the average person, but for athletes. Big athletes, not so big athletes; elite athletes, average to middlin' athletes; all athletes. It's especially effective when they are just coming into a program, as a freshman or a transfer.

After administering five minutes of Turkish Get Ups, I can look at a group of newbies and tell who is the most flexible and coordinated, who has the best core strength, and who has the best shoulder strength and flexibility.

All from lifting a book with one hand. (Well, not quite. College athletes would perform Turkish Get Ups with a dumbbell, something between 30 and 60 pounds, not a dictionary.)

The mental side of the equation is always interesting, too. Some individuals take to new things and catch on quickly, while others fight it, complain, and are quick to give up. It's amazing what a few minutes of work can tell a coach.

If the Turkish Get Up with Noah Webster's masterpiece seemed fairly easy with your dominant hand:

Try it again with your other hand.

And then again with two hands on the book.

After that you are ready to try it again one-handed with the opposite hand not touching the floor as you get up! (That's the way my wife, Stacey, did it the first time she tried it.)

After all that, graduate upward. Make all the lifts all again with a 10-pound dumbbell or weight plate, and then continue working up in weight.

Special note to young athletes: If you are a scholastic athlete and aspire to compete in college, when you can do the Turkish Get Up with a 50- or 60-pound dumbbell, you might be ready. Keep practicing just in case.

In working with college athletes, our staff would revisit the Turkish Get Up every so often in workouts. That way we could measure the overall improvement that our program was giving us in functional movements.

I recommend this exercise once a week or so, just to see if it is getting easier as time goes on. If it's not getting easier, you may want to rethink your program.

At that point, I'd be pleased to help you do that.

The Turkish Get Up is just one minute tool in my kit of various methods as I work with athletic programs, and I thought you might enjoy giving it a try.

If you'd like some consulting for your personal workouts, just send me an email, webatt@coachrodcole.com and we'll set something up. Consulting can take place by telephone, by email, or in person.

My workout tool kit has a lot more tools to help you reach your goals, too. Let's work together on the central theme: Ever Stronger!