I am busy getting my garden ready for the summer and, while I was doing some research, I came across a little item I found interesting. Some one asked a tree expert, "When is the best time to plant a shade tree?" The answer was, "Twenty years ago, the second best time is now." This answer reminds me that now is the best time to prepare for for the future.
Please ladies, get ready for next year now. We have made some great improvements this year with our sports teams. We have many talented young players who will be returning next year and, with some good incoming first year students, our teams should continue to improve. Don't become satisfied with simply improving; let's win! I know many people say that winning isn't that important. Most of those people are losers and it makes them feel better about themselves to say winning is not important. Winning is important. Whether you want to win a game or win a job, the object is to win. I am not talking about cheating or hurting others to achieve victory. I am talking about doing the things that are in your control to make yourself the best you can be. You need to set a goal and work to reach that goal. Our speaker at this year's sports banquet gave an excellent talk. She is in the MBC Hall of Fame and is a very successful business woman. She spoke about setting small goals to reach larger goals. Start setting your goals now. Let's not look at winning one more game than last year. Let's look at winning the USASouth Championship. If you just read that last line and are saying to yourself, "Yea, right". I ask, why not us? Are you saying you are not good enough? Do you think that little of yourself?
I know many of the coaches and I believe that you are capable of greater things, but do you believe it? I read an article in the paper by a opinion writer. He stated that his friend was always asking him, "Why can't I lose weight?" After hearing this for several years from his friend the man responded, "because you really don't want to." That may sound harsh, but there is truth in that statement. I have had the same girls come to me year after year and ask for workouts. I give them a workout, I explain what they need to do, and I get the assurance that they will come back next year in great condition. When they come back I can see that they have not done the workout they were so excited about a few months ago. They always have, what they consider, a good excuse. But, I believe they really don't want to. We need to break that mindset. Getting into condition takes time, sweat and hard work. Stay in touch with your teammates over the summer. If you can workout together, do so. If you can't, challenge each other with your texts, tweets, and the other stuff you people use to stay in touch. If your teammate slacks off, call them on it. Don't let them get away with hurting the team. But if you plan on calling them out, you better have your act together first. You will not fool anyone when the fall sports start if you didn't work out.
When one of you asks me how I'm doing you know my response will be, "Wonderful, here at Mary Baldwin College, Home of the Fighting Squirrels." I mean that. I love it here. I have great people to work with and wonderful young ladies to take care of. I want you to do well here at Mary Baldwin and later when you leave here and continue with your life. You will not become successful all of a sudden. There are no "overnight" successes. If you have not planted your shade tree yet, the second best time is now.
