Using your celebrity wisely

The time I would have devoted towards blogging last week, was very happily spent writing my next article for Baseball Player Magazine.  I am very excited about this one, as it will be discussing how to attack that intimidating batter.  No matter how accomplished we are as pitchers, there are always a few batters who are a little imposing, but no hitter is ever unbeatable.  

I have still been doing "pyramids" workouts in my lifting regimen.  I do like these a lot, since they begin with light weight and continually get higher.  It is a nice way to warm up the muscles before doing heavier weights (though I find it unnecessary to ever do very heavy weights).  Sunday's workout was the AIDS walk: 6.2 miles to raise money for research.  This ended up being the AIDS run for Frank and I, who felt that the pace wasn't quite fast enough for us.  It took us almost an hour to even get to the starting point, so we were a bit restless by then and just ran it.  There was an unbelievable crowd and also a lot of diversity among the walkers.  It was also a beautiful day in Central Park.  

This brings up a very important topic: the influence we have as athletes.  Athletes always have others who look up to them.  This is both a tremendous responsibility and a wonderful opportunity.  On one hand, the incident with the Ward Melville lacrosse team has made headlines lately.  Many of the players were suspended for a game due to the poor judgement that they demonstrated by drinking and then posting their exploits on Facebook.  Though they had to endure some consequences, the example they set for the young lacrosse players who look up to them is a very poor one indeed.  Behavior like this also tends to perpetuate a bias about what athletes are like as people.  On the other hand, we have many athletic teams that boast tremendous GPAs or do things for the community (my college coach made sure that we volunteered every year as a team).  Either way, you have to realize how others are influenced by these behaviors.    Many of my students don't realize how the younger girls talk about them like they are celebrities or how even their peers regard them highly and with much respect.  For this very reason, we should always be an example of good sportsmanship, but in addition, we should look to help others and our admirers will look to do the same.  

Helping others comes in many forms, both large and small.  I know that many of my students are involved in teaching younger girls how to pitch.  This is a wonderful way to educate others about proper mechanics, help prevent injury, and hone your own skills.  There is a wonderful ripple effect that is created when you choose to do something of this nature.  Your students will then go on and share their expertise and so forth.  Helping others doesn't have to involve pitching, though.  It is more about sharing your special gifts with the world.  Maybe you read to elderly people at a nursing home or perhaps you help tutor your neighbor in math.  One of my students did a walk for cystic fibrosis this weekend.  Many of you are involved in autism research, youth groups, and community projects.  Doing this is not just a way to boost your college resume, but it is also a way to set an example for others. I have some of my own favorite charities including North Shore Animal League, Sloan Kettering, and Heifer International.  Use your skills outside the circle to help a greater good.  You will feel good about helping others, but you will encourage many to do the same.