The Right Playbook vs. The Right Personnel

In the NFL there has been a handful of teams that have dominated the league in the last 10 years. Teams such as the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianpolis Colts etc...There are many factors that have contributed to the success of these teams over the years. Some would argue that they have some of the best players in the league, the most knowledable coaches, an outstanding front office, an unrivaled playbook, or a combination of it all. For whatever reason these teams have continued to dominate the National Football League and the impressive part is that the dominance has and continues to be consistant over the years.

As I continue to attempt to draw comparisons of the Cabrini Connections program to an NFL team, I wonder what truly does lead to success. Does success come from having great players that perform a step above the rest and the playbook is secondary; or if put in the 'perfect' system with an extensive playbook the players will come together in a way that leads to success of the team? Many people will argue both sides.

As a former athlete, but a current Head Coach here at Cabrini Connections I'd have to say it is a combination of both. This tutoring/mentoring game that we are playing is constantly evolving and the outside factors that affect our players such as poverty, underachieving schools, lack of parental invovlement at times, should cause a chain reaction to the thoughts and approach that the coaches and front office respresentative have to take to prepare our players for success Meaning that the playbook that we use should change as well. Just like in the NFL, something that worked in the 50's may not work or be as effective in the present and if you have a quartback that can't throw over 20 yards it wouldn't be smart to keep calling for the Hail Mary.

Since this is one of our bye-weeks for the holiday season, I studied all of the plays in the current playbook for the Cabrini Connections' program and there were a lot of plays, packages, and schemes that were either outdated or did not look like a good fit for the current personnel. With the current personnel there are some great talent in the players and coaches that has led to some huge wins in the past two seasons. At at recent Award's Banquest the Cabrini Connections' TEAM was honored as the #1 TEAM for Mentoring across the 6 Regions of Chicago, which is like winning the Super Bowl in this sport.

But there will be no parade through the streets of Chicago, no trip to Disneyworld, no car for the MVP of the the big game. Due to our personnel, our playbook, our fan base, our lack of a marketing/advertisement department, or a combination of all four...our season and maybe even the entire franchise could be coming to an unfortunate end. So tell me sport's world which one is it, The Right Personnel or The Right Playbook that leads to success?

Is Cabrini Connections Heading in the Same Direction as the Arena Football League?

For any and all who have been following the Sport's Concepts entries throughout the year, you may be a little confused at the new comparison for this week. I have and will continue to work towards comparing our organization to an NFL organization, but this week I felt that this twist would fit just fine.

The Arena Football League has been in existence for well over a decade, providing players and coaches with an opportunity to showcase their talents, skills, and an opportunity to continue being a part of the sport that they know and love. The A.F.L. also provides its fans with sport's entertainment so they can continue to cheer on their favorite teams, players, and organizations.

True, the Arena Football League is not the NFL, but its still filled with extremely talented players, great coaches, and fans who truly love to show their support, but unlike the NFL that generates millions and millions of dollars each year to ensure that the league can continue, due to financial issues the AFL was forced to put this form of entertainment on hold until the necessary funds needed are in place to continue. In the last year or so the A.F.L. was able to get back on track and continue providing this great source of entertainment for fans and jobs the players, coaches, and all others that are employed as a result of the league being in existence.

Here at the Cabrini Connections' organization, we are trying to avoid that same fate. In our organization we have extremely talented players and coaches, and I'm 100% confident that we have fans who truly love our organization and all that we stand for, but with all that being said we need financial support for our league to continue! Just like the Arena Football League, I'm sure some players had no problems finding other places to continue playing the sport they love, but the majority were not provided an opportunity to go on to the NFL. And here I'm sure some players and coaches will find other places to continue playing this sport, and the fans will find other organizations to support, BUT we would like to keep our players, coaches, and fans in tact here!!!

And in the latest news on the Arena Football League it looks as though the the league has everything back up and running now and should continue in that direction now that financial support has been made available, which is GREAT news. But wouldn't it be even better if that financial support had been in place so that the league would not have been forced to close the doors at all?...

I truly believe we have standout players and coaches who just want to continue playing this tutoring/mentoring sport and continue pursuing those childhood dreams of one day becoming a professional.

Are YOU A Fan of the Game?

Each year as the month of July ends and the month of August begins football fans around the world get prepared for the football season, not the same as the actual athletes themselves, but these fans get prepared to cheer on their favorite teams, players, and organizations. Many fans read the papers, check the internet, watch Sportscenter, and even visit training camp to keep up their teams and with the latest happenings taking place around the National Football League. And as the weeks blow by, training camp ends, preseason wraps up, and the first week of the regular season kicks off...the fans step up their support for their team. From throwing game viewing parties in their homes and cheering with family and friends to being a season ticket holder and taking part in all of the tailgating and gameday festivities...these true fans of football go to nearly any length just to one day say "MY team won the SUPER BOWL!!!!"

Just think about it, how many people you know have purchased a big screen tv, NFL packages, and High Definition just to watch the games. How many people do you know have a closet full of jerseys, would stand in line for hours just to get an autograph, or will pay nearly any price for some great tickets to watch their favorite team play a game for a couple of hours. These are true fans of the game right and there are millions of them around the world.

We are looking and in need of some of those exact same fans for our game. The game that I, and many other people like myself are involved in, is the game of helping youth reach their goals, dreams, and future career aspirations. Our league is not titled the NFL, but the league that we participate in is called Tutoring/Mentoring. We have some great players, coaches, and facilities in this league throughout the world. And the Cabrini Connections' organization, just like many others, is hoping to one day reach our ultimate goal; not a Super Bowl, but a the goal that each and every student that enters our program receives the necessary resources, expands their network, and learn positive habits so that they are in a career by the age of 25.

Now these are the true fans that love the game that are needed! We need people who would go to any length to see our players, coaches, and organization reach our goals. We need those that would spend thousands of dollars a year to support their Bears, Saints, Patriots etc...to be those same fans to support our team and the personnel that makes up the team. Hopefully you and others that you know will buy season tickets to our games, wear your favorite Cabrini Connections' sweatshirt to show off to your friends, and just make an effort to support a team full of players that could one day be future lawyers, doctors, engineers, police officers, social workers, and maybe even the star player on your favorite NFL team in the future.

~Become a Fan in Our Stands~

Kicking Off the 2010-2011 Tutoring/Mentoring Season!

The 2010-2010 NFL season started with a great Thursday night classic between the Saints and the Vikings last Thursday and week one of the NFL season ended with a great game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Diego Charges. For many NFL fans, this past week has been like Christmas. For the players, coaches, and all of the National Football League employees this was the start of another season in which everybody involved are trying to reach their goals. All of the hard work in the off season, decisions that were made, and adjustments from last season lead up to that opening kickoff this week. We will continue to follow our favorite teams and players throughout their journey this season to see who will be crowned the Super Bowl Champion.

The Cabrini Connections' team in the Tutoring/Mentoring League is officially kicking off our first game this week as well with our Wednesday and Thursday night tutoring/mentoring sessions. Just like the players, coaches, and respective organizations of the NFL, we have made worked hard over the summer, made necessary changes and additions to our personnel, looked at the game tape, analyzed the player and coach's statistics from the previous season, and we too are hoping that we are not only prepared for a great season...but we hope to be in the hunt for a Super Bowl Champion at the end of the season.

One of the ways in which we worked on our preparation for this season was by meeting with nearly all of the returning players and coaches and conducting individual evaluations. We met with 98% of the coaches and 95% of the players, and we are excited about what we were able to take away from those summer evaluations.

We hosted a couple of preseason games last week with our coach's and player's orientations. Overall, the front office is satisfied with what we seen out there last week, but just like in the NFL, we could have been a little better prepared and you hear this a lot in the NFL and that is the phrase of "showing up." In the NFL it could mean showing up mentality, physically, and/or emotionally. And that translates to how we would like to use it as well when it comes to our preseason games last week. We had some players and coaches stand out during the preseason games, but there were a number of players and coaches that didn't "show up" for the first night. But that is preseason and we will continue to improve in all phrases and positions of the game so that EVERYBODY shows up and are ready for this week's kick off!

Coming off a season where 9 of our veteran players were selected to the Pro Bowl (high school graduation) and are all hopefully headed to the Tutoring/Mentoring Hall of Fame (college/university), we have high hopes and goals for this year's team. But just having high hopes won't get it done. It will take each player, coach, and fan doing their part to prepare week in and week out to be successful, and overall it will take a team effort!

None of the players, coaches, and fans can just "show up" and expect to be successful, it takes a lot of practicing, understanding your role on the team, learning from others that were a part of the team or on another team in the league, and collectively working together for the overall success of the team. And that goal this year and for the years to come is to turn Dreams Into Reality!

Support the 2010-2011 Cabrini Connections TEAM

Cabrini Connections' Coaching Clinic

In the NFL there are annual coaching clinics that new and veteran coaches attend to not only learn any and all new rules for the upcoming season, but they use this as an opportunity to learn and share skills and techniques that they can take back to their respective organizations. No matter what time of the year these clinics take place the information that is shared between the coaches and all that attend is beneficial for all, but especially for new and/or younger coaches. The experience and the wealth of knowledge that the coaches posses could play a huge role in that individual coaches success as well as the overall team in that upcoming season.

Last week here at Cabrini Connections we hosted our own version of Coaching Clinics in the form of Leadership Meetings. As the Head Coach of the organization and with Bradley Troast being the Offensive and Defensive Coordinator, we called meetings with some of our key position coaches to discuss the previous season here and to brainstorm ideas for the upcoming season. On Monday of last week we met with our Volunteer Coordinators who are all new to the role, but 3 out of the 4 have been in the organization in various roles for years. Bradley and I are confident that these 4 new Volunteer Coordinators will have an immediate impact on the organization this year and will assist with leading us to a great season. They all had very good ideas of how we can engage the students, volunteers, and parents and a variety of other ideas that should add to the overall success of the program. The 2010-2011 Volunteer Coordinators are Tonya Myers, Amy Stockli (Wednesday), Courtland Madock, and Melissa Iwami!!!

On Tuesday we met with our Club Coordinators. These coaches lead the variety of clubs that we provide the players of the Cabrini Connections' program. The clubs that we are offering this year are Video and Filmmaking Club, Art Club, Tech Club, and Writing Club. The practice sessions for this part of the organization take place on Monday-Wednesday evenings so that our players can take part in these opportunities as well as the regularly scheduled tutoring/mentoring practices on Wednesday and Thursday evening. The Club Coordinators' meeting also went very well with a lot of sharing of great ideas about future projects, collaborative efforts between the clubs, and just an overall excitement from these coaches that can and will lead to excitement amongst the players that join these opportunities this year. The 2010-2011 Club Coordinators are: Shu Ling Yong and Drew Hall (Video and Filmmaker's Club), Ankit Vader and Julia Vaughan (Art Club), Mike Trakan (Staff) and Chirag Patel (Tech Club), and Shannyn Nellet is planning on returning as the Writing Club Coach along with one or two new volunteers joining her in that role.

We completed our last day of the Coaching Clinic by meeting with our College Zone Coordinators. The College Zone area is a resource within the program where our players and coaches receive individualized game plans for the players' future high school, college, and career choices. College Zone coaches meet with player and coach pairs throughout the year to provide these resources along with assisting with standardized test prep, college visits, assistance with financial aid etc... During out meeting we came up with some great new plays for the playbook for the 2010-2011 school year that should continue put our players, coaches, and even parents in a position to have continued success this season. The College Zone Coaches for the 2010-2011 season are Carla Reyes and Sue Gill (Wednesday) and Iesha Wilson and new coach Lindsay Devick (Thursday).

The coaching clinics were a great success and we feel that as leaders in the program we are prepared to have a great season and lead both the players and coaches to a successful season. We will continue to communicate as leaders, brainstorm new plays for the playbook, lead by example, and work as a team to ensure we are putting the Cabrini Connections' program in the best possible position to make it to the Tutoring/Mentoring Superbowl! We are looking to take the lead in what takes place on and off the field, but getting more support from our fans and boosters of the program will equip us with even more resources and tools that can and will contribute to our overall success. We are not asking our fans to paint their face and chest, tailgate all day, or scream until you lose your voice...we are simply asking you to support us by making a donation, making an effort to come visit one of our games (tutoring session), and get some of those in your network to join the Cabrini Connections' bandwagon so they too can consider making a donation or joining you at the game.

With YOUR Support...WE Will Be Successful!

The BIG SCORE?

In the National Football League there are tons of big plays that take place throughout the season that are considered big plays, classic moments, and sportscenter's Top 10 Plays of the week worthy. There are plays on offense such as one of the many deep bombs that Peyton Manning throws to one of his many weapons, to plays on defense such as a interception from Ed Reed that is ran back for a touchdown, to one of the biggest plays of the 2009-2010 NFL season where the Saints of New Orleans dialed up a on-side kick in the Super Bowl that lead to a HUGE Super Bowl win! These are a few of the many amazing plays made by players that not only leave fans in the stands and at home in aww, but lead to players, coaches, and entire organizations making their mark in NFL history.

Non profit organizations all over the world also look to make amazing plays that lead to a BIG SCORE, but the BIG SCORE in non profit organizations may look a little different than in the National Football League. Because of the financial situation of the Cabrini Connections' organization, I'm sure many others, the BIG SCORE is not always enrolling dedicated and committed volunteers and students to the team, the big score is not always having alumni (student or volunteer) come back to the facility and share some words of wisdom to the current players and coaches, and the big score is not always putting together a great team building opportunity so the coaches and players in the organization can strengthen their bond. Because of the financial situation that Cabrini Connections, and similar program, are in the BIG SCORE is primarily receiving news that a grant has been approved, a potential donor is interested in investing and confirmed to support the franchise, and/or current players and coaches have brainstormed a great fundraising idea.

The Cabrini Connections' franchise has a goal that all of the players (students) that join the team and remain committed to the team (and the mission) will be in a career by the age of 25. And with that being the mission many would think that BIG SCORES would be the students graduating from high school, entering and graduating from college, and reaching that goal of entering a career by the age of 25. And it's true, that is and always will be the goal and what each member of the organization should be working towards in the many roles in the organization, but due to the lack of resources the image of the BIG SCORE may look more like Bank of America becoming a team sponsor, $100,000+ generating at the annual golf outing, or future Hall of Famer Orlando Pace becoming our #1 Booster Club member.

Hopefully we are able in the near future to obtain the necessary resources in the Cabrini Connections' franchise so that we are equipped to keep the team intact, the facilities open and in great conditions, and a continued pipeline of great players and coaches so the BIG SCORES will be noted as coaches coaching their players to great playing careers(tutoring/mentoring) and they will be entering the Hall of Fame by the age of 25.

Through Adversity Comes Success!!!

There are a few phrases in the NFL that nearly every coach and player have said atleast once in their career or has gone through it as a team or individually and one of those is "dealing with adversity." In the NFL that can mean so many different things to so many different people and teams; adversity could come in the form of an injury to a player, an interception late in the 4th quarter, or an unexpected coaching change. Quite simply adversity is usually when something unexpected happens that typically goes against the goals of a individual player or coach or the entire organization. And when those adverse situations take place teams and the members that make up the entire organization have to rally together, work harder, and fight through the adversity to reach success.

On Saturday August 7th the Cabrini Connections' team and several other tutoring/mentoring teams came together for an event...a one day tournament if you will. The name of the tournament was "Back to School...Make it Cool" and the goal of the tournament was for each team to come together and successfully inform, entertain, feed, and supply those that attended the tournament.

Just like in the National Football League the players and teams prepare by practicing, communicating, and doing all of the big and small things to prepare to be successful, and we all did the same heading into the event. But adversity struck on the day of the event. There were a series of adverse situations that worked against our teams and went against the goals we were working towards. About an hour before the tournament was suppose to start the location of the tournament was changed, supplies and materials that were necessary for the tournament was not in place (tables, chairs, performance stage, etc...), the power went out at one point, and some members of teams did not or could not show up to assist with the tournament and more. This is the adversity that we had to go through this past Saturday, but through adversity comes success and triumph!

The members of the various teams kept the faith, kept the end goal as the focus, took on different roles, supported each other, and continued to fight through the adversity throughout the day. We were able to to successfully feed each and every person who wanted to eat, we provided a wide range of games and activities for all in attendance, all of the scheduled performances performed successfully and entertained the crowd, each and every youth who needed a backpack with supplies got their backpack, and we did all of that and more with more than 5 minutes to spare before the 2pm ending of our tournament!!!

We know and understand that things will not always go as planned and their will be adversity on our route to success, but this is a great example of how various teams in the tutoring/mentoring league came together and successfully hosted the 1st conference wide Back to School event (tournament)! And very similar to the NFL we will look back at our individual and team preparation for the event and take a look at the game film to make the necessary adjustments to that we are even better prepared for adversity and even with the expected and unexpected adversity we'll be even more successful next year!

So What is the Winning Formula?

On February 7, 2010 the New Orleans Saints were victorious over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. This was the 44th time where an NFL team has put together the winning formula and became Super Bowl Champs. So what is this "winning formula" that these organizations have had over the years, that has contributed to reaching the ultimate goal and accomplishment in the National Football League? Is the formula having phenomenal players, a great coaching staff, a diligent front office, die-hard fans, top notch facilities? Is it a combination of all or is it a variety of those plus more that has contributed to the various NFL organizations who have hoisted what is now called the Vince Lombardi Trophy?

Sports critics would say that the New Orleans Saints had a great team with a prolific offense, a very tough defense, a league leading quarterback, great decision makers in the front office, and a city and maybe even a nation that (secretly) supported the New Orleans Saints football team and really the city that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. There are those who can and probably do argue that there were other factors that contributed to the winning formula for the Super Bowl Champs this year.

Here in the Cabrini Connections, Tutor/Mentor Connection's organization we are looking for that same winning formula as well. We are not only looking to be a championship team that wins a championship, we would like to be considered a dynasty; with the proper winning formula that would lead us to numerous championship title shots.

We are nearly completing our 2010-2011 season and at this point a 2010-2011 season and beyond may be a dream and not reality, and with that being said a winning formula is definitely needed! We have a pretty good history in this league, with many of our players retiring from the league and going on to do positive things in their life. Our facility is clean, safe, easily accessible to many, and equipped with what we consider are the necessities that our players and coaches need to be successful. The reviews that our organization gets in the media and from other organizations in the league is positive.

So what is the winning formula that our organization needs to be successful? Are there changes that need to be made in our playbook, changes in our personnel and fan base, and/or our mission and goals or is the problem solely in our financial status and fundraising tactics? We are continuing looking to find the winning formula that the Cabrini Connections' program needs to be successful, but we are looking for the winning formula for all tutoring/mentoring programs to be successful as well. Unlike in the National Football League where teams compete against each other to be number one at the end of the season, in this tutoring/mentoring league winning is when each and every player, each and every coach, and each and every organization in the league has the necessary resources that contribute to the winning formula.

We will continue to search for the winning formula for the Cabrini Connections' program so that we are not only in the league for the 2010-2011 season, but we will continue to search so that we are contenders for the championship at the end of the season and for years to come. One of the key components to this winning formula is DOLLARS that contributes to other resources within the formula, and Cabrini Connections is in need!!! We need more and more die-hard fans of Cabrini Connections to step forward and cheer us on. So instead of tailgating, painting your face, and yelling to you lose your voice...simply show support by clicking a button and donating to Cabrini Connections

"Go Team!"

Cabrini Connections Loses a Life, but Gains an Angel...

For any and everybody who has been following my Sport's Concepts articles this will be the first and I hope the last article of this nature in this series. The National Football League is made of hundreds of players, coaches, owners, and numerous staff that all come together to make up what is known as the NFL. All throughout the off season the players that make up the different teams of the NFL are looking at film, working out, running, and preparing for success in the upcoming season in which at the end...there will only be one team that can be the Super Bowl Champion. But there are moments in which the goals of the organization, the championship rings, the player stats, and the money are irrelevant; and that is when someone in the NFL family losses their life. Those in the NFL, and all others, know that death is inevitable, but I'm confident that all are shocked, saddened, and heartbroken when a coach, player, former player, front office personnel, and even when a well known commentator loses their life.

Just in the last 10 years the NFL has tragically lost players such as: Darrent Williams (Denver/Homicide), Pat Tillman (Arizona/War Causality), Corey Smith (Detroit/Lost at sea), Chris Henry (Cincinnati/Road Accident), and there has been countless others in the NFL who have suffered untimely deaths.

The Cabrini Connections organization is just one of the many teams that make up the Tutoring/Mentoring League and less than a week ago our league, just like the NFL, we have suffered the loss of a great player. Ms. Cierria Thomas of the Cabrini Connections' organization was a 4 year veteran to the team and was definitely on the rise on the team and in the overall league. Many of her Cabrini Connections' teammates remember her as being a pretty quiet and shy young lady, but her position coach (mentor) Tonya Myers and the Cabrini Connections' coaches and front office staff remember her infection smile, her quiet confidence, and her dedication to her church and her religion.

There was a turning point in Cierria's career when during the summer months, Cierria took part in the Story Catchers summer program in which the quiet and shy Cierria Thomas acted and performed throughout Chicago in front of audiences of all sizes. I think her mentor Tonya Myers and other Cabrini Connections' coaches would agree that as a result of her experience in that program her confidence grew, her voice became louder and stronger, and it was just an overall beneficial experience for her.

On on Sunday, April 25th a fire broke out in her Chicago home and Cierria Thomas tragically lost her life as a result of that blaze. Her brother, Charles Thomas who was a former member of the Cabrini Connections team, was able to escape without any significant injuries, and their grandmother, who was in the home as well, is still in the hospital recovering from injuries suffered in the fire.

When a life is tragically lost in the NFL, the entire league, players, coaches, media, and all that make up the National Football League, rally in support of their fallen "family" member to not only show their support and honor for that person, but to show respect, appreciation, and love for that person and all that person has contributed to the league. In the Cabrini Connections' organization we have begun to do the same. We altered our tutoring/mentoring sessions to discuss the tragedy and provide an opportunity for others in the league to share their thoughts, feelings, and emotions. We are encouraging all to attend the memorial services for Ms. Cierria Thomas, we are encouraging the entire league to find it in their hearts to support the entire Thomas family during these dark times, and we will discuss ways in which we can educate the entire organization about fire and overall safety. In the NFL flags are lowered, there are moments of silence before games, and other ways in which to show respect for the loss...and we will continue to brainstorm ways to show our respect for our fallen player.

Again, I truly hope that this is the first and last Sport's Concepts entry of this nature. If you would like to show your respect and your support for Cierria and the Thomas family, please view information listed here. The ENTIRE Cabrini Connections' organization would like to say we will miss you, we love you, and thank you for allowing us to be a part of your life!

Rest in Peace Ms. Cierria Thomas

11/10/1993-4/25/2010

Who Really Wants To Be #1

In the NFL and I'm pretty sure in every other professional sport's organization, every player, coach, and franchise wants to be #1. I'm sure throughout each individual's life they have dreamed of one day hosting up that championship trophy, plaque, and/or medal and while raising 1 finger in the air, they shouted "I'm number 1!"

But what does it take to get to that point; how does a player, coach, or organization go from dreaming about being number 1 to actually accomplishing that goal? What it takes is a lot of preparation, hard work, commitment, dedication, and sacrifice...and a little bit of luck! Drew Brees and the entire New Orleans' Saints organization would not have been crowned Super Bowl Champs this year if they did embody those qualities listed above.

As the Head Coach of the Cabrini Connections' organization, my hope is that every member of the team wants to be #1 as well, but just like in the NFL and any other league, career, or profession the individuals all have to buy into the concept and strive to be #1. And "buying in" for our organization is being present and on time for the weekly practices, being prepared to work hard from the beginning to the end of the practice, communicating effectively, striving to get "one day better" everyday, taking advantage of each and every opportunity, and spending time outside of the team practices to ways to improve individually.

Each and every day my Offense and Defensive Coordinator (Coach Troast) and I are evaluating the players and coaches on the Cabrini Connections' team and analyzing what they are doing on and off the field in our pursuit to be #1. And we will continue to work towards that goal. Next week during our Wednesday and Thursday practices we will be discussing this goal being a #1 organization and all that it takes to reach that goal. And for the remainder of the season and over the summer months we will continue to communicate the work ethic, attitude, and dedication needed by all on the team before the 2010-2011 season begins.