Sean M

The Fun of Spring

Ahh warm weather, the sun, being able to eat lunch on the Flik Patio.  All things that we've missed during the long cold winter at Sacred Heart.  Just like any other year, the warm weather starts to wet the palet with the taste of summer vacation and long days at the beach.  However, before I start to drift off with rosey dreams of the Jersey Shore, let me get to the main purpose of writing this blog.  Here at Sacred Heart Spring and Warm weather are great.  Even today as I write this blog, I look out my window at the small field across the way and see people playing wiffle ball and football and having a great time.  It's something so cool to see, just watching people play outside and take in the nice weather.  It helps you forget about the work you have to do or test that's looming a few days ahead.  The fact that the students at SHU are so eager to just be outside and our friendly enough to invite others to come join in makes it even more awesome to be apart of the SHU community.  Well I hate to cut this blog short but I kinda want to go out and enjoy the nice weather.  Take care

Growing Up

Albert Camus once wrote, "Blessed are the hearts that can bend, they shall never be broken. But I wonder if there's no breaking then there's no healing, and if there's no healing then there's no learning. And if there's no learning then there's no struggle. But the struggle is a part of life. So must all hearts be broken?"

This quote is the quinticential question many of us must ask during times of heartache.  I dont' necessarily mean strickly heartache in the sense of relationships, but in general heartache when we feel that all around us is crumbling.  Even in the darkest of times, when we are overwhelmed with work, friendships, relationships, family crisis, etc... there is something to be learned.  As Camus said, "The Struggle is a part of life".  We learn from these struggles, not only how to get past them, but how strong we are.  We learn that we have the ability to overcome the pain, the suffering, the stress and everything we think is going to break us.  I remember writing my high school graduation speech, and in it I said that leaving high school brings on the scariest of times.  We will be forced to face our problems by ourselves.  In the process we will become adults because no longer will we have our parents to fix our problems, or our friends to be standing right beside us, or our teachers to help us out.  Sometimes we're forced to deal with our problems all by ourselves.  We teach ourselves how to grow and develop and shape ourselves into the people we are. 

I'll be the first to tell you, college can bring about the best and the worst. We finally are granted our independence we so long seek.  No longer are we confined by the halls of our small high schools, and restricted by the rules of our parents.  We think that we have the whole world in front of us.  And we do have the whole world in front of us.  However, in this world we so long seek we're faced with the isolation and independence even during times of hardship.  Maybe Camus knew something we all don't.  Maybe what he's trying to say is that if we don't crumble under the pressure and break, then we'll never be experiencing all life has to offer.  The world ahead of us is a confusing place.  We hope that we can protect ourselves from all the barbs and pain the world can sometimes throw at us.  However, sometimes just when we think we've lost it, we've gained the most.  Struggle is a part of life, but just as Camus said, during the struggle we learn.  So what I'm tryiing to say is even now as you feel burdened by the ending of school, the process of college acceptance, the threat of change, realize it is during this time you learn the most about yourself.  Blessed are the hearts that break because they are the ones that learn they can put themselves back together

For Love the Game

As I begin to write this post I'm reminded of a great line from the popular TV Show "One Tree Hill".  In what is one of his last high school basketball games, Nathan one of the main characters states,

"You know it's been said that we just don't recognize the significant moments of our lives while they're happening. We grow complacent with ideas, or things or people and we take them for granted and it's usually not until that thing is about to be taken away from you that you've realized how wrong you've been that you realized how much you need it, how much you love it. God, I love this game."

Tonight at The William H. Pitt Center on the campus of Sacred Heart University, The Men's basketball team will play the biggest games of their lives.  They will enter into the Arena in front of thousands of fans and give it everything they have.  For the seniors it may be their last game, and in essence the last time they will play the game they truely love.  Reflecting back on this thought, I am drawn to my own experience with playing in the big game.  My high school baseball career ended with a loss in the State Championship Game.  Throughout the year I had been given a decreased role on the team and had become so angry that I had lost sight of the game I loved.  It wasn't up until the last out was made in what was my final high school baseball game that I realized how much I was going to miss everything playing a sport brings.  Would I miss the 8am Saturday practices? Would I miss the running and conditioning we did?  Would I miss hours upon hours of drills in practice?  I'm tempted to say no I wouldn't, but now looking back I can't honestly say that I wouldn't miss it.  It's funny you hear so many people tell you to chearish the time you have, and you always think you are.  However, sitting back now I miss all of it.  I miss bitching about the hard work and the running and all of it.  I miss being around the team, even if I wasn't best friends with everyone.  I miss getting prepared each and every game day to go into battle and come out with a victory.  I miss the butterflies in my stomatch, and the competitive drive that pushes any athlete to be better than they are. 

Sports are a unique thing.  So many people see them as just a game, as a way to have fun.  For the true athletes that see their sport as a passion, we know that it's not just a game, it's a love that we have for something so pure that we can not leave it all behind so quickly.  I know that there are club and intramural sports for those that just can't cut it at the big time schools, and yes they bring about a competitive spirit, but they'll never quiet be the big time.  Last week for Spring Break I went home and saw the first practice for my high school team.  The one thing that stood out to me among all the kids eager to earn their spot on Varsity was the absence of nine of the guys that I had played baseball with for my entire life.  Nine seniors made up my baseball experience, and I haven't talked to about half of them since our season ended.  I guess the hardest part of giving up any sport is that we miss who we shared the passion with. 

To bring this long drawn out article full circle, tonight the Pioneers play the biggest game of their career.  How will they decide to go out?  Will it be with everything they have?  Will they let the passion that make them the best show?  I think the best anyone can ask for from these college players are to play with a burning passion that all the athletes sitting in the stands tonight still have.  Play for them, the one's who can't just leave the game behind.