Physical & Academic Excellence

By: Jan Mazotti Issue: Sports Section: Collaborator Profile

The Kunsberg School at National Jewish Hospital

National Jewish Hospital is an exceptional respiratory hospital that is known as one of the best in the nation. In fact, since 1998 U.S. News & World Report has ranked the hospital as the number one hospital of its kind in the country.

You may be asking what a respiratory hospital has to with sports, teamwork and leadership. I will tell you. Hidden within the hospital is a school, the Kunsberg School, that caters to kids with severe respiratory issues and who can’t attend public school. Other than that, it is a school like any other, kids milling through the halls going to and from classes. A place where kids can be kids and where they can interact through studies and through sport. The only thing is…for some of these kids, if not taken care of properly, they could die from respiratory crisis at any moment.

The school hosts students from the inner city who are unable to attend public school due to their health issues and has three onsite nurses, who at any time, are within 30 seconds of any classroom.

Ultimately Kunsberg’s goal is to help students achieve academic and physical excellence while preparing each student to excel in self-dependence, self-reliance and self-care practices.

Kunsberg has kids from grades K-8 with a maximum student capacity of 90 students. There are 15 qualified and dedicated teachers at Kunsberg, many of whom have experience in dealing with medical issues and asthma. Each day, the medical staff checks each child for outstanding health issues, give them their medications, and then monitor their health throughout the day. Kunsberg believes that with the right mix of monitoring and guidance around the student’s asthma and chronic illness, absences can be reduced.

Ultimately Kunsberg’s goal is to help students achieve academic and physical excellence while preparing each student to excel in self-dependence, self-reliance and self-care practices.

Outside of the regular academic schedule, the students are also engaged in art and athletics. During physical education class (PE), students are taught the specifics of any given sport, but more importantly they are taught sportsmanship and equality, while improving their physical fitness.

Kunsberg’s athletic department is as advanced as any, even though its students are challenged by health issues. In most public schools, the students of Kunsberg could not participate in PE. They would have to sit out. But in the Kunsberg gym, class is open to everyone. To meet the athletic needs of the students, Kunsberg has found a special teacher. He has worked there for over 24 years and plans to, as he says, “work here till I die.” His name is Coach Jim.

Dressed in orange almost everyday and armed with an attitude that screams dedication, Coach Jim serves as a role model and father figure to many of his students. He loves his job! He has seen every kind of case come through the School, and unfortunately, has seen some of his former students pass away.

Coach Jim’s gym classes are the student’s favorite. In a public school, kids with health problems are often told to sit out of gym class – but not at Kunsberg. Jim teaches the kids teamwork, unity, and a sense of self-gratification. There is no room for competition and competitive dominance in his classes.

He knows that many of his students, “come from environments outside of school that deal with negative experiences,” so he tries to exclude that type of attitude. Bullying is not allowed. He does not keep score in games. And, he picks the teams to ensure that everyone has equal time to play. He teaches everything from dodge ball to swimming.

While we visited the class, one of the 4th graders fell and hit his head. What we noticed was that all of the kids ran to him and checked on how he was doing. They all helped him to his feet and one girl ran to get a nurse. We observed, first hand, the unity of all of the students. And we noticed that after the accident, that the baseball game they were playing was not important. The incident showed us that sportsmanship and unity are interwoven through sport.

Kunsberg is one of those places where sport is coveted. But, while sport plays a role in the daily interactions of each of the students, it is not the drive to win that keeps the students going. It is a sense of camaraderie, of sportsmanship, and of health that drives the students and staff to excel each day.

Brendan The Hybrid Schaub

By: Luke Wyckoff Issue: Sports Section: Collaborator Profile

Five Minutes With An Ultimate Fighter

Where did you get the nickname The Hybrid?

I got the nickname from the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) staff and the producers of Spike TV. Your typical heavy weight is a big huge guy who is a little slower, and often not as technical as I am. In my case, I don’t look like I’m a heavy weight. Actually a lot of people think I’m a light heavy weight. So really, I’m a hybrid. I’m a fighter with knock-out power who moves like a light weight.

Have you always been competitive?

Yes. Growing up my older brother and I would compete against each other in everything. My dad was a black belt in karate and taekwondo and got us into martial arts when we were younger, so I was always competitive whether it was football, basketball, baseball -- everything.

What are your goals over the next few years?

Anything less than becoming a world champion would be a failure for me. My standards are pretty high. In order to be the world champion, what do you need to do today, next week, and over the next year?

I prefer to take it one day at a time. I have to focus on training and getting better every day. I cannot overlook my next opponent. It’s as simple as that.

Why do you think UFC has become more popular than boxing?

Boxing is a dying sport. In my opinion, they have two fighters left that any one really cares about - Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. The UFC is really exciting with the outstanding athletes that they have today. The promoting strategies of the UFC make it the biggest fighting stage in the world right now.

What do you think the allure is to UFC compared to boxing?

We wear four ounce gloves, and a fight can go anywhere. You’ve got guys who are world-class athletes, competing with four ounces gloves. So, you’re going to see a lot more vicious knock-outs and head kicks, as well as punches.

So what motivates you?

I am motivated to make a living by becoming a prize fighter. For me, fighting pays the bills. Getting a knock-out literally puts food on my table and helps me pay my rent.

How do you prepare for a fight?

I usually fight between eight and nine o’clock at night, so it can be a long day. In the morning, I’ll wake up and I’ll do a lot of visualization. I’ll go through a fight a thousand times in my head, put myself in the worst-case scenario, visualize myself winning in every scenario. And then I’ll eat breakfast with my corner-men and a couple of my teammates. I usually just hang around all day, watching movies and relaxing - actually trying to take my mind off the fight. But once I walk into the arena and I get to the locker room, I’m focused and ready to go. Nerves just go out the window.

You’re already in the ring; you’re one minute before the fight - what’s going through your mind?

I’m going over the game plan that my coaches have created for me. I’m going back over all the things I’ve worked on and what I’ve got to be aware of. It’s just a check list. I’m in the zone - it’s almost cruise control

when I get in the ring. I’ve prepared for the fight. Now it’s the fun part.

How do you connect fighting and business?

I care about the business side of professional fighting - the way I look, my image, doing charity work, and other philanthropic activities. A sponsor is more to me than a paycheck - it’s about creating relationships and helping one another out.

What do you think business leaders could learn from the UFC?

Business leaders could learn about the work ethic it takes to get to be a top level contender. You can’t find it anywhere else. The dedication and discipline it takes just to sign a contract to be in the UFC is ridiculous. We’re a different breed.

If you could fight anybody in corporate America, who would you want to fight?

If I could fight anyone in corporate America, it would be whoever owns T-Mobile because of the international roaming charges they charged me. I would wreck that guy!

Five years from now, what’s happening in your life?

Five years from now, I will definitely be holding the UFC belt.

What, if anything, when you’re done being a UFC fighter, do you want to do?

I think I’ll get into real estate. My brother and my dad are in real estate, and I’ll probably fall into their shoes and somehow get into the family business.

Now that would be one very competitive real estate agent!

Stealing Time With Atlanta Braves Third Baseman

By: Emily Haggstrom Issue: Sports Section: Collaborator Profile

Chipper Jones

He has been with the Atlanta Braves franchise as a third baseman and team leader for almost two decades. Within that time, Larry Wayne “Chipper” Jones, Jr. has become one of the Braves most coveted team members and arguably one of the greatest players in major league baseball. His all-star status coincides with his batting average and his uncanny ability to slug baseballs right out of the park.

Jones also distinguishes himself off of the field as well as on through his own organization, aptly named the Chipper Jones Family Foundation. Though the foundation has a diverse giving base, almost all of the organizations affect the communities that Jones grew up in and where he currently lives. These various groups range from local little league program sponsorships to charitable donations affecting 30,000 Americans through the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Regardless if it’s on the field or off, Jones continues to make dreams come true by inspiring children and adults alike with his baseball abilities and his charitable ingenuity. Before one of his many baseball games, he sat down to answer a few questions about life, leadership and teamwork.

Who inspired you growing up?

My mom and dad. My dad and I went to the backyard on Saturday afternoons and we would imitate the line up from the game of the week and that’s where I learned how to switch hit. My mom was a professional equestrian and the most mentally tough woman. I got a lot of my mental toughness from her. And, I was a huge Dodgers fan and whenever Mike Socha or Rick Monday batted they hit left handed. Both were huge influences, as were my parents.

Youth sports have become a full-time job for both children and their parents, creating a competitive drive that often results in a “win at any cost” mentality. Through your competitive and professional experiences in teamwork what would you suggest to alleviate this aggressive behavior?

Sports parents have a very fine line to walk. There are times when they need to push their children and there are times when they need to step back. In my opinion, playing baseball year around is a bit much and I believe the kids can get burned out. A change of season and sports keeps the game fresh - whatever game it is.

I would like to see kids change seasons and play recreational football or basketball and mix it up - and take a break from the sport that they want to succeed in while still staying active and competitive.

Knowing when to do that is what makes a good sports parent.

As a leader in your profession and the communities where you’ve lived, what message would you convey to people about living out their dreams and not giving up?

Learn from your mistakes and don’t continue to make the same ones. I have skeletons in my closet but it's made me a better person, father and husband. It’s something that every player deals with and how you come out of it that makes who you are.

As a rookie did you know you wanted to get involved in philanthropy or was it something that you felt compelled to do later in your career?

That was exactly how it was. My parents gave me morals at a young age, they taught me never to forget my roots or where I came from. In 1997 I met this boy with cystic fibrosis and he passed shortly after that. Instantly I became an instant supporter of kids that had cystic fibrosis.

You meet lots of people through your charity work. Do people ask you to dedicate games to them and do you?

Very seldom. But in one case I did. Last year a kid named Buddy who was a big fan, had a bad accident and was in a coma for 2 weeks. He had to learn how to walk, speak and eat all over again. When I met him, the first words out of his mouth were my favorite player is Chipper Jones, my favorite baseball team is the Braves and you have to hit a home run for me tonight. “I’ll do it,” I told him, and sure enough third at bat I hit a home run and I said, “Thank you Lord, for making that happen for that kid.”

Will you dedicate more time to your foundation once you retire?

I will always remain involved in charity work to be an example for my kids and to be a good role model. But my boys and my wife have sacrificed a lot for my career, so after baseball I want to spend some time with them. But I’ll still remain doing what I love - and that’s helping kids.

Emily Haggstrom has a B.A. in Journalism and Media from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is a member of the Level One Society in Denver, Colorado and sits in on various charity committees. In an effort to impact her local community she also volunteers for Whiz Kids Tutoring, Inc. as well as Denver Health Medical Center.

Enhancing A New Paradigm For The New Millennium

By: Peter A. Witt Issue: Sports Section: Collaborator Profile

Providing Quality Out-of-School-Time Services

Youth are our future! Thus, it is important to invest in young people as they move towards becoming fully functioning adults. While the educational system is critical to helping young people fully develop their potential, what young people do during out-of-school-time (OST) is also critical to their development. Specifically, what are the supports, opportunities, programs and services (SOPS) that can contribute to helping young people grow to become fully functioning adults? For the purposes of this article, a fully functioning adult is one that has developed the knowledge, values, attitudes, skills, and behaviors necessary to a) function in the world of work; b) form meaningful and productive relationships with other adults; and c) be a good community citizen.

First, it is critical to understand that OST programs are far more important than “keeping kids busy and off the streets” or simply viewed as “fun and games.” While having fun is an important hook for drawing youth into constructive engagement in OST activities, and keeping kids off the streets where they might get into trouble are important, there is much more possible through the involvement of young people in meaningful activities with caring adults.

To see the importance of OST programs, it is critical to understand a fundamental change in the rationale for youth services among service providers and funders over the past 15 or so years. Until recently, the rationale for a lot of programs was to eradicate behavioral problems like dropping out of school, using drugs, or getting pregnant. This was a deficit-based approach to a service provision with the goal being to decrease negative outcomes. However, the question arose, if an individual is not undertaking negative behaviors, is this enough to move them towards the development of the positive traits necessary to be successful? Thus, if one is not dropping out of school, does that imply engagement in school and undertaking the types of learning necessary to be successful in later life? The answer is obviously “no.” Karen Pitman of the Forum for Youth Investment summed up this line of thinking with her phrase, “Problem free is not fully prepared.”

So, how do we move from a sole reliance on conceptualizing youth services as “problem reduction” to one that encompasses a problem remediation and positive development stance? In other words, what would the parameters of a fully prepared approach look like, especially as these apply to OST settings such as those offered by youth sports organizations, parks and recreation departments or non-profit organizations such the Boys and Girls Clubs?

There now exists a rich conceptual underpinning for understanding how to promote positive development. For example, the Search Institute has identified 40 assets that are critical to young people avoiding negative behaviors and undertaking positive ones. Their list includes both external assets (e.g., the availability and involvement of an adult mentor in a young person’s life) and internal assets (e.g., decision making or resistance skills). Others have talked about Protective Factors or elements in a young person’s life that enable them to be resilient in the face of adversity. Quality schools and positive OST SOPS have been noted as crucial. This type of research has been based on looking at young people who grow up in difficult settings, yet manage to grow into fully functioning adults, while some of their peers do not. How did they become successful (resilient) in the face of adversity? The answers to this question help us develop quality OST programs for young people in the future.

The shift to a more developmental approach is moving services “back to the future” as envisioned by Jane Adams in the late 19th century. She helped create Chicago’s Hull House as a multi-service 'community' center incorporating education, health, family services and recreation in a single complex. Today, we include well-rounded youth program elements such as sports, the visual and performing arts, outdoor/adventure activities, leadership development activities, after-school tutoring, community service involvement, and job training. Agencies that don’t conceptualize themselves as part of an overall system to meet youths’ needs are likely to position themselves as peripheral elements in the overall system, marginalizing their potential contribution to alleviating problems and enhancing development, thus decreasing the likelihood of enhanced funding.

Changing the Mission

Changing from an orientation that emphasizes the negative to one that focuses on the positive may require that we rethink our casting of young people as being at-risk.

Changing from an orientation that emphasizes the negative to one that focuses on the positive may require that we rethink our casting of young people as being at-risk. While the political process operates best when it can throw money at problems and characterize individuals as needy or at-risk, a more productive terminology would encompass seeing all young people as having potential and as being of promise. Even though youth may come from high risk circumstances, given the right combination of SOPS, they may still grow into fully functioning adults. Our news media needs to tell stories of the positive elements that are active in young people’s lives and the resiliency young people show everyday even in the face of extreme risks.

OST programs have responded to this challenge by moving beyond fun as the goal to using fun as the hook to drive program involvement. They have created safe places for youth as a platform to launch engaging programs that can lead young people toward a fully functioning adulthood. The following are some of the changes taking place in developing a workable OST service model that can contribute to overall youth development.

Building Relationships

The goal of serving youth is shifting from the simple provision of activities to seeing activities as settings or means through which relationships between leaders and youth can be established. The emphasis is continuing to shift to mentoring and establishing long-term, consistent adult-youth relationships that are the essential catalyst for behavioral development and change. Successful mentoring is dependent on moving away from short-term programs to programs that are continuous and long-term. Thus, for example, a one-day per week basketball league offered over eight weeks or a one-week camping/outdoor recreation adventure will have little or no long-term impact on behavior unless they are elements of a comprehensive year-round integrated effort.

Expanding Who Defines Needs and Plans Services

There is increased emphasis on developing a community wide plan for OST programs. Communities such as Boston, Chicago and New York have high level commitments through the Mayor’s Office or the School District to assess community resources for OST programs, and implement plans to fill gaps in service provision (e.g., by area, program type, or demographic.)

In addition, youth, parents, and other community members are increasingly being recognized as partners in the process of identifying both the needs of youth, and the SOPS through which needs should be met, rather than these decisions being made exclusively by OST professionals or volunteers. The role of youth summits, councils and committees is also becoming more prominent. These shifts are designed to fully recognize the value of empowerment and consultation.

Segmenting Markets

In many communities, teens have become more vocal about the need for “places of their own” (note the similarity to the development of senior centers and day-care centers). The emergence of teen centers, often run for and by youth, is a testament to the recognition that process and involvement are important to youth development.

Empowering teens helps overcome their feelings of helplessness, alienation, and disconnectedness from society and its expectations and standards.

In a number of cases, teens have been asked to grow very quickly through assuming a number of childrearing responsibilities especially in families where the parent(s) has to work. Teens need time and places where they can “just be kids” and deal with their own developmental needs. Thus, there is increased recognition that separate programs, with companion efforts for their younger siblings, might meet this need. Differences in developmental needs of boys and girls are also being recognized through separate programming. At the same time, efforts have been made, beginning with the implementation of Title IX to expand opportunities for girls, particularly in providing access and support for participation in sports activities.

Financing Program Efforts

Much of the funding for OST programs is short-term, relatively unstable and often confined to narrowly defined programs. However, funding needs to be continuous and support more than the start-up and demonstration phases of programs. Youth are adversely impacted by unstable funding (especially in a bad economy) because it engenders their distrust of involvement with caring adults and programs. The withdrawal of funding when trust and a mentoring relationship have been established becomes another broken promise in their lives. How many times has government or foundation funding been for a demonstration project, with the expectation that someone else will pick up the funding after the initial funding period has ended? This process does not develop the kind of stable programs necessary to demonstrate our long-term commitment to the full development of our young people.

Other funding issues include the inadequate remuneration of youth workers. Low pay, often for part-time, and seasonal positions leads to high turnover rates and the disruption of mentoring relationships. The national movement to raise teachers’ salaries has not extended to other professionals working with youth, thus relegating many youth workers to second class status. Too often the best face-to-face workers have to be promoted to managerial positions in order to secure salary increases. Too many youth workers quit the field when they are confronted with the need to choose between their idealism and the reality of earning a higher salary to support their own families.

Evaluating Program Outcomes

To date, program evaluation has been largely focused on determining program attendance and user satisfaction. However, funders of youth programs are more concerned with program quality and outcomes. The critical questions are not "How many were there?” but “What happened to each of the specific children as a result of their participation?” and “What return did the community receive on its investment of resources in this program?” As a result, means are being developed to meet funders’ expectations that both individual capacities to achieve the status of being a fully functioning adult are improved and risk behaviors decreased.

Measuring program quality is also becoming a bigger issue. If SOPS are to be offered at a high level it will be necessary to demonstrate that programs are using best practices and are in a mode of continuous improvement. The key questions include: are young people physically and psychologically safe during their participation in a program? Are programs being planned and implemented using identified youth program best practices? Are sports coaches qualified to provide positive leadership for young people? And, are the facilities well-designed and functional to the intended program purposes?

Getting from Here to There

The youth development movement is growing, with strong involvement from schools, voluntary sector agencies, the police, and health and social service organizations.

OST programs are positioned to make substantial shifts in the public perception of their value and contributions as key elements in the process of enabling young people to grow up to be fully functioning adults. Both youth and society are generally all the ultimate winners in this endeavor.

Peter A. Witt is a Professor and the Bradberry Recreation and Youth Development Chair, Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX 77843-2261. Contact Peter at 409-845-7325or via E-mail at [email protected].

Brad Lidge

By: Lana Jefferson Taussig Issue: Sports Section: Collaborator Profile

Pitching In For Hope, On And Off The Field

He throws 95 mile-per-hour fastballs and his sliders range in speed from 85 to 87 miles per hour. Known as “Lights Out,” pitcher Brad Lidge has built his career as one of Major League Baseball’s most successful closers. In the 2008 World Series, Lidge secured the Philadelphia Phillies’ championship with the final out, a strikeout, in Game 5.

In practice sessions and on game days, Lidge works diligently to improve his game. He also makes sure to build relationships with younger players as they enter the major leagues.

“Every year, there are several new young players joining the Phillies, whether they’re called up from the minor leagues or traded from another team,” said Lidge. “Hopefully they’ll be playing baseball for a long time, but either way I try to help them toward fulfilling careers, which takes commitment on and off the field.”

Off the field, Lidge is a dedicated philanthropist. Along with his wife, Lindsay, Lidge supports several humanitarian causes, including Strikeouts for Troops, a national nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of wounded troops being treated at military hospitals nationwide; the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation, which endorses health, education, and inner-city services for children all over the United States; and the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association, promoting baseball and sports nationwide while raising money for other charitable causes.

Lidge carries deep personal interests for the mission and programs of each organization that he supports, and for him, philanthropy stretches beyond monetary donations.

He regularly advocates for teammates and other players in the league to join him in supporting worthwhile causes, and he looks for opportunities to make lasting contributions.

About five years ago, Lidge’s father, Ralph, introduced him to an organization that would become a significant influence in his philanthropic efforts. Project C.U.R.E., a nonprofit humanitarian relief organization that delivers donated medical supplies and equipment to people in need in developing nations, welcomed Lidge’s interest and support and recently invited him to join the board of directors.

“After speaking with Doug, [Project C.U.R.E.’s president and CEO], Lindsay and I knew that we wanted to donate and become active participants in its programs,” mentioned Lidge, when discussing his reasons for joining the organization. “We were impressed by the reach of Project C.U.R.E. and its direct approach to make an immediate impact for people who really need help.”

Project C.U.R.E., which collects donated medical supplies and equipment from medical manufacturers and distributors, hospitals and clinics, and individuals, is the largest organization of its kind in the world. Every week, volunteers help to send out two 40-ft. containers, each filled with approximately $400,000 in medical relief. Since June 1, 2009, the organization has delivered more than $21 million in medical supplies and equipment to people in more than 30 countries.

Lidge started his relationship with Project C.U.R.E. by helping the India Projects Fund of Denver’s Catholic Foundation to deliver medical supplies and equipment to Fatima Mission Hospital in Dindigul, India. The hospital, where it is estimated 700 babies are delivered every year, had no tools to provide intensive care for those babies who were delivered prematurely. It lacked basic diagnostic equipment and supplies for expecting mothers.

With Lidge’s help, Project C.U.R.E. delivered a 40-ft. ocean cargo container to the hospital. The semi-truck sized container was packed with infant incubators, bili lights for newborn babies, anesthesia machines, surgical kits for deliveries, X-ray machines and diagnostic equipment, and supplies for examinations.

In addition to this work, Lidge continues to support Project C.U.R.E.’s efforts to deliver aid, in the form of medical supplies and equipment, to doctors and nurses and the patients under their care in developing countries all over the world. He recently pledged funds to send two containers of medical relief to Haiti following the recent earthquake.

And in the 2010 season, Lidge will devote his efforts to increasing participating in Pitching in for Hope, a program allowing MLB players to contribute varying amounts to Project C.U.R.E. for each strikeout, RBI, hit and/or homerun.

Lidge commented on the program. “I’m looking forward to involving more players in the Pitching in for Hope program, especially to benefit people in Latin American countries where many players call home. With Project C.U.R.E., each dollar stretches so far to assist people in need. It’s a 20-to-1 return.”

Whether on or off the field, Lidge makes a lasting impact – in the catcher’s mitt following an opponent’s strike or in the health and well-being of children and their families in the United States and around the world.

Lana Jefferson Taussig manages communications at Project C.U.R.E.’s international headquarters office in Centennial, Colo., and supports community outreach programs in the organization’s collection and distribution cities nationwide.

Teamwork Can Help Us Achieve Our Dreams

By: Rob Cohen Issue: Sports Section: Opinion

There is a fairly famous story that has been circulating in the sales world for years, and it goes something like this…

The story is of a lawyer who argued a case for his guilty defendant, on trial for murder.

The one challenge in the prosecution’s case was that the body of the victim had never been found. However, the abundance of expertly presented circumstantial evidence was more than compelling. Everyone in the courtroom, jurors included, knew the man was guilty. So, in his closing argument, the clever defense attorney decides to go for broke.

He pointed grandly toward the courtroom doors and declared, “Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, in exactly 60 seconds, the so-called corpse, the man you believe to be dead, is going to come walking in right through those very doors. We can begin counting now.”

The time ticked by: one second, two seconds, three seconds, ten seconds, 20 seconds, 45 seconds, 55 seconds, 56, 57, 58, 59… and then, at exactly the one minute mark, in walked…nobody at all. Certainly not the corpse.

The lawyer addressed the puzzled jury: “Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize. I told you something that obviously did not come true. However, the mere fact that you looked at the doors as you did showed me – and shows you – that you had some measure of doubt. And, of course, if you have any doubt – any doubt at all – you must return a verdict of not guilty.”

And with a triumphant flourish, he returned to his seat.

The jury went into deliberations, and just five minutes later came back out to render their verdict. The foreman stood up, faced the judge, and said they declared the defendant… guilty!

The defense attorney was enraged: “How could you?!” he demanded. “I saw all of you watching the door!”

The foreman replied, “Yes, sir, you are correct. We were in fact watching the door. But we were also watching you and your client, and you did not watch the door. Your client did not watch the door, not even for a moment, and that was because you both knew there was not a chance in the world that anyone would be walking through it."

The moral of the story is, “don’t expect anyone else to believe something you don’t believe yourself.” “don’t expect anyone else to believe something you don’t believe yourself.”

The Power of Dreams

What I want to explore in this article is the power of dreams, and more importantly the power of unwavering faith and belief that we can make dreams come true.

We all have dreams, but we know that the majority of people never act on their dreams, let alone have a chance to make them a reality.

I first began dreaming when I was in high school – I had a coach who pushed me harder than I thought I could be pushed. He told me, “If you have a dream, write it down, because if you write it down, it will become a goal. And if you have a goal, share it with others, because if you share it with others, it will become a passion.”

I have a passion for sport and the role that it plays in our community. This passion is shared by others who have come together to “Elevate Sport and Energize Lives” within the Denver community.

We are achieving that through teamwork and leadership, by bidding on and hosting events which will help create economic and social vitality for our community. This passion has led us to set lofty goals such as a desire to one day host the Winter Olympic Games in Denver. We have learned that in order to accomplish this dream, we need to build relationships and be patient because hosting the Olympics is a long-term worthy goal.

Some might ask, “Why should a community strive to host the Olympics?”

Clearly, hosting events – and especially the Olympic Games – have real economic impact. For instance, the 2006 NBA All-Star Game generated approximately $60 million in direct economic impact; and the Women’s Final Four, which Denver will host in 2012, is estimated to generate $30 million of economic impact. The Winter Olympic Games have been estimated by some to generate close to $1.5 billion in economic impact.

In addition, there is no value that can be attached to the number of times a city’s name is used in connection with the events they host. We see that clearly if we simply think about how many times we have heard Vancouver referenced in relation to the 2010 Games.

But the real reason to strive to host the Olympics is on the soft side of the issue, and that is what the Olympic Games stand for. It has been said that the Olympic Games hold a special place in our lives – that they lift us up and bind us together. They are the source of many memories that have become permanently etched in our collective thoughts –moments of a team’s shared glory – a moment we live again and again convincing us that we do indeed believe in miracles.

We find ourselves riveted by the Games because what we see in them are the simple truths of our common humanity, and that no matter who you are, where you are from, or what you look like, with hard work and dedication you can achieve your dreams.

People often ask our team how we set such lofty goals for our community, such as believing that we could actually do something such as bring the Olympics to Denver.

And we say to them – show us any Olympic Games – anywhere – that didn’t start with a small group of people within a city that they love who said, “Why not us? Why not our city, our state, or our country?”

It is indeed a lofty goal to want to do something like bring the Olympics to Denver. But like any lofty goal, it is achievable, if we don’t let ourselves get paralyzed by the magnitude of the goal; if we can break it down into bite-sized chunks, and if we can celebrate the achievement of each success, while at the same time beginning to reach for the next one.

When I was a young boy, my mom gave me a quote that I still carry with me to this day.

"If I am not for myself, who will be for me? Yet if I am for myself alone, what good am I? If not now, when?"

So it is my hope that we all:

• Dare to dream, and that we will write our dreams down and make them goals. Then we will tell others of our goals so they become our passion.

• That we have unwavering faith that in the end we will succeed.

• And unlike the attorney and his client, we will indeed believe….

If not now, when?

Rob Cohen is the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Metro Denver Sports Commission as well as Chairman and CEO of The IMA Financial Group, Inc. To learn more about the Metro Denver Sports Commission, visit www.denversports.org.

Pride and Politics

By: Gayle Dendinger Issue: Sports Section:Inspirations

A Lesson in Continued Growth and Perseverance

Dale Eisler – Consul General of Canada

Everyday I am reminded of personal ingenuity and the will of people. A sincere uncontrived desire people have to push themselves to their limits, to better themselves and those around them. We are all people with faults and hidden scars but at the end of the day it is what we do for others that brings out the one innate human quality that constantly perseveres - goodness.

ICOSA is a team. We are constantly changing issues and meeting new players in a quest for knowledge, connection and collaboration. We seek players who inspire us with their vision and take our team to the next level.

So when we decided to focus this issue on sports I tried to think of a leader who inspired me. A key player not only out on the field, but on the frontlines in the game of life. Someone who spends their days to better themselves and those around them. The person who came to mind might seem like one of the most unlikely of players for this issue but is an inspiration nonetheless. That person is Dale Eisler.

Dale Eisler’s life and career is a juxtaposition of sorts. He is a leader but he is also a servant. Whether he has chosen this life or it has chosen him, his placement between the two is where he resides. His position reminds me of a story a member of my staff recounted to me about a group of elementary school children trying to understand the idea of eternal reward. They were reading a morality piece which said, “Whoever wants to be first, he must take last and be the servant of all." The kids couldn’t understand how being last could be fulfilling, or how living life as a servant, devoting time and service to others, could bring true greatness wrought in humility. The kind of humility learned over time, and brought about through wisdom and experience.

But experience is a funny thing, if you don’t understand how to use it for good it is a waste of time spent on fruitless hours of learning for the benefit of no one, and what good is that? If you can use your experience to benefit the whole you are a wealth to society, a key player. To understand Dale and his experience as a leader, you have to first understand Dale as a servant. He’s spent most of his life writing about politics, policy and government as it pertains to his endless devotion to the province of Saskatchewan, its people and its way of life.

He’s lectured at his Alma mater, the University of Saskatchewan, bringing his experience back to students at the same school that ushered him into the life he now leads. He has written for the local Saskatchewan newspapers as a voice for the people of the region. Dale’s also written books that have instilled political vigor in the province and inspired an understanding into the history of its past, not only as Saskatchewan’s but as Canadians. His writing’s have used politics as a motivation for the people. He knew that to be a public servant you needed to inspire a community to dream that the policies to be laid out before them were something that they could believe in.

Dale’s always been at the core of anything Canadian. His sense of pride for the people, the province and the country is incredible. I truly believe the second half of Dale’s life was born out of his love for his country and the idea of its true potential. When he was hired to occupy communication spots within the highest levels of the Canadian government, he once again became a public servant. Except this go round was much different then his day’s writing of politics and myths. For the first time Dale got a chance to root himself into the one government he knew so much about.

It was shortly after he was hired that Canada established an on-going effort to grow the nation; innovating Canada to be one of the world’s best through, knowledge, technological skill, financial growth, positive labor trends and immigration.

A list that could be daunting to some countries but not to Dale and not to Canada; it’s a program being taught and accepted daily by the people. It is a blue print economic and social model that if implemented correctly, could prove to be an ostentatious advantage to the Canadian people. I believe it is a blueprint that could be studied and replicated.

I am awed by Canada’s sense of pride and determination. It is incredible. The effort they are exuding to be a competitor and collaborator on the world stage is motivating. Even while being an ally to the United States and our number one trading partner, Canada’s sheer ability to gain autonomy throughout the world, and setting precedents for the Western hemisphere is noble. It is indicative of the nature of the people to stand behind a government who supports its people and rallies behind their well-being.

As the appointed Counsel General of the region, Dale is granted the privilege of helping the Canadian government team up with local U.S. businesses like ICOSA and some of our partners to bring assistance to the war theater of Afghanistan, to once again serve the people of Canada and further relationships within the U.S and to set in motion a sustainable regional relationship that can be replicated across the country.

Dale consistently works hard for his citizens. Whatever team Dale plays on, he plays to win. He motivates his team with the hopes of winning and attaining a final goal, a goal that will ultimately better everyone. Whether you have worked with Dale directly, or been a part of a team where he has served, you know this man is not just a mere servant to the people - he is their confidant, their friend and their leader.