Week 1 - Why is education so important to you even though you are a part of the athletic field?

Growing up during grade school, middle school, and high school, I was an average student when it came to academic achievement. This was because I focused my time on athletics rather than academics. If I had put as much, or more, time into academics as I did athletics, I  probably would have been a straight-A student. Following these early experiences, I graduated from Western Carolina University and told myself that if I entered the teaching profession and the leaders of the school I worked for asked me to teach in athletics, I would require academic achievement from all of my athletes. 

When I started the Bouncing Bulldogs program in 1985, this standard remained very important to me. Three decades later, I am still consistent in my beliefs that all athletes should achieve at a high level in the classroom because I know they can. I always reinforce to high school seniors when they leave the program that, when they enter college, they should not make any excuses in the classroom because knowledge is so necessary, but when you really pay attention and receive it from experience, the more valuable lessons come from the things consciously and unconsciously fed into your mind. Also, we take our jumpers on international trips for this very important reason. The traveling experience carries over into the classroom because it broadens your vision and allows you to communicate with individuals from all walks of life. These experiences and the people you meet along the way help you become a well-rounded individual connected with your greatness. 

For these reasons, I read, on average, 50 books a year. I should have been reading more throughout grade school, middle school, and high school, so now I am playing catch up. I realize now that reading increases your comprehension which is an extremely beneficial skill in the classroom. I hope to be a positive influence to the young people in my life when it comes to good academic habits despite my late start to thorough and extensive reading. One of the greatest compliments I’ve received was from one of my grandchildren. They asked, “Why does Paw Paw read so much?” This warmed my heart because I am proud of the progress I made, and I have a good feeling that the jumpers recognize it too. 

Week 4 - What have you learned about being a good mentor? How can we be good mentors and influences for others?

“To whom much is given, much is required.” 

I am very blessed to be able to work with young people from age four all the way up to 18. I’ve come to recognize that young people are 20% of the world’s population and 100% of the future. The way I choose to carry myself seven days/week and 24 hours/day is with the knowledge that I’m under a microscope. And going back to the saying above, I do not take lightly that I’ve been a mentor for so many young people for close to four decades. Seldom can I go to any place of business in the Research-Triangle area without being confronted by one of my former student-athletes. Very seldom do I see one of them, and they will not greet me. That greeting is my “thank you.”

I like to empower young people. Implementing peer leadership and providing them opportunities to lead allows them to build confidence and grow from their challenges. As a mentor you’re there when they need assistance, and I’m more than happy to assist them, whether it’s a pat on the back or a positive comment. And from time to time I have no problem giving out tough love. Sometimes as a mentor that’s what you have to do. Don’t always tell them what they want to hear, but what they need to hear.

At the end of the day you have to live your life in a way where your actions speak louder than your words. I’ve been committed to helping young people ever since I turned 18, and I’m blessed that I found my passion at an early age.

More broadly, I had no clue the impact I’ve had on adults as it relates to the sport of jump rope around the world. One of whom was my friend and mentor, Patrick Harrigan, who I just lost recently. After Patrick passed away, it touched me when his daughter reached out to me. He was a mentor of mine and his daughter shared that he looked to me as a mentor. We were the same age. 

I’m also starting to receive communication from different parts of the world, because of my role in the leadership side of jump rope. I’ve been blessed to have traveled to over thirty countries with the Bouncing Bulldogs program and throughout traveling have developed relationships with many individuals who have become my mentors and vice versa.

I don’t think that’s something I set out to do. Being a good listener, I was willing to listen to people who didn’t speak the same language as me or have the same philosophies and beliefs. I listened because I cared about them and the words they had to share and recognized the positive impact they could have on the sport around the world. Many adults reach out to me for advice and many of those are my dear friends now.

You don’t go looking to be a mentor for a person, but when you listen to people and make them feel like a person of value, that relationship becomes strong and the trust gets stronger. That friendship has to be there first and the mentor relationship comes after. Mentorship is not something you set out to do, it’s just who you are.  

Week 3 - How would you advise a young person to find a mentor?

The three E’s (Environment, Education, and Experience) are essential to finding a mentor. If you’re in a positive environment throughout grade school, middle school, and high school, in most cases there’s going to be positive adult mentors. In your communication with your parents or guardians, certain names are going to keep coming up. Often those are the names of people you respect for the way they teach and conduct themselves. You can tell they care about young people. 

Once you’ve determined who you’d like to be your mentor, share the name of the person with your parents. If they’re in agreement, assess how much the person values education. Your mentor might not always be someone with a college degree, but they might be unbelievably gifted when it comes to common sense and street smartness. 

Next, evaluate how well they are respected in the broader community and observe the friends of the person. You’re looking for someone with very high standards. In most cases if your mentor has high standards, they’ll expect the same from you. And if they’re someone of high character, normally I look at the three to five people closest to this person. “Birds of a feather flock together.” If their peers and associates are people of high character, you get a true read of your potential mentor’s character. “Show me your friends and mentors and I’ll tell you who you are.”

Week 2 - Who has been a mentor in your life? What did you learn from their guidance?

My mother has been a central mentor in my life. When I go back to my childhood and start thinking about grade school, middle school, high school, and college, it’s my mom. Throughout my childhood, my dad was in the Korean War and in and out of VA hospitals. My mom provided for my sister and I, and we spent a lot of time with my grandparents. I think back to how she just took care of us. She would clean homes and babysit for people all the way from Cleveland County to Catawba County. And when I was in 5th grade, she started working for PPG. She worked there from morning to noon and from evening to midnight, and I never heard her complain. 

I’ve seen her go through challenges in her life, but she always made sure we had what we needed for school (including the best encyclopedia), and not once did she fail to provide for my sister and I. At the time, I didn’t realize that that was unconditional love at a high, high level. 

She taught us how to clean the house (the fresh smell of Pinesol filling the air), how to wash clothes (when I was in the 3rd grade), and how to iron, but the main thing she taught us was how to do things for yourself. That’s why now I’m a stickler for having jumpers learn to clean up. 

She taught us how to be self-reliant and emphasized the importance of treating people the way you want to be treated. From her example, I learned how to work with people from all walks of life. During sporting events, even if the officials were unfair, she would say not to complain. Do your job and work hard for your team, it will always work out. 

Things will always work out.

Now, I try to do everything I can to make sure she’s not wanting for anything. If I ever miss a practice, it’s likely to make sure she’s okay–whatever she needs, she gets. She’s special. There’s no one like mom.

Week 1- Why are mentors so important?

Throughout your childhood, middle school, high school, and even college you need individuals in your life that you trust and lean on for advice. No one person knows everything and you’re gonna face challenges in life where those mentors come into play. 

In order to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, you have to be able to trust your mentor. In return, that person will give you advice that will help you become the best person you can be. You need to trust that your mentors will help you and tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Sometimes the truth might hurt your feelings, but their ability to tell you the harsh truth means they care and want the best for you. You’ll come to realize that what they’ve shared is something you needed to hear. You need tough love.

You should know you can call your mentor seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. No matter what, they’ll be there when you call. Over time you’ll know their personality and they’ll know yours. They will be able to tell when something’s wrong and will offer to meet and talk. You can also rely on your mentor to keep things confidential. Know they’re going to keep information tight and won’t share it with others—they won’t repeat.  

Finally, be aware of life experiences. Often people think mentors have to be older than you, that’s not the case. The most important thing you receive from your mentor is growth and knowledge, no matter their age. And be sure to pay attention to the three E’s: environment, education, and experience. Observe whether their environment is positive or negative. Analyze whether they value knowledge and appreciate the importance of learning. And from those two components, recognize their life experiences. Most likely, you’ll go through things they’ve already experienced. Pull from their knowledge, because they know what you need.

Appreciate your mentor and truly value their presence in your life. If you find a good mentor, you better cherish that individual because they’re hard to find. 

Week 3 - How can athletes use adversity to their advantage?

Not too long ago, one of our current alumni jumpers faced some of the toughest adversity. During the 2018 North Carolina Rope Skipping Workshop Spectacular, this jumper tweaked her knee in a freak incident. At first, everyone thought she had injured her ankle and would be out for a few weeks, but unfortunately it was much worse; she had torn her ACL. This injury is specifically tough to be diagnosed with because it requires a 9 month recovery time. This jumper was in one of the top female groups in the U.S. at her time, but that was the least of our worries when we found out about the severity of her injury. Our top priority immediately became her mental well-being and road to recovery. The reason I chose this story is because this jumper was an amazing team member, leader, and athlete who was, and is today, respected by everyone around her. 

Circling back to the time of her injury, I wanted to see how she would respond, especially because of the length of her recovery. In my self-conscious mind, I knew she wouldn't let the team down. She continued coming to practice, she didn't whine about her circumstances, and she kept supporting her teammates and group. At the time, she was bringing more value to the program through her adversity than most people realized. To this day, I am grateful to this person because she taught the program how to face our challenges head-on by displaying grace and never giving up and becoming selfish. 

Let this be a wake-up call for those of you who are going through difficult times. You will be introduced to yourself through your fights against adversity and you will get knocked down. What matters is how you respond to the pressures the world lays on. Will you thank the pressures for making you stronger, or will you allow them to dictate your life for you? 

Week 2 - How do you channel change, small or large, into something positive? 

When the pandemic hit in 2020, the world turned upside down. As a program, we had to embrace many changes. One of the largest shifts we made was with our practice schedule. We had been used to practicing with the whole team altogether, but based on information given by the leadership team at the time, we knew we had to gather in smaller numbers. Now, our jumpers are able to practice with their grade divisions at every practice and still receive the instruction of their older kids. Changing our routine schedule after 32 years was not easy, but it was necessary, and I am thankful to the leadership team who helped come up with this new plan. As we move further from Covid-19, we have decided to keep this schedule because it has allowed our jumpers to spend more time with their age group and consequently build better relationships with those their age. 

A major schedule shift is just one way our program adjusted and grew from an abrupt change, but we also adopted a virtual program during the pandemic that turned out to be a huge success. As many people know, I don’t get along with social media, but I can’t deny the benefits of our virtual program. When the pandemic first hit, I had a parent call me and tell me that I had to take advantage of the virtual platform, Zoom. My response was that I wanted to “Zoom away from all things virtual” and that there was no way under the sun I would get into any part of the technology world. Now, I have great respect for Zoom because it allowed students who were unable to come in person to have the opportunity to jump and participate in the program. It also gave those leading the virtual program the chance to develop a unique skill set that will benefit them later in life as our world becomes more technologically advanced. 

Finally, the third unique adjustment the program made during the Covid-19 Pandemic was the “Learning From the Bulldogs” announcements. During a time of isolation, I wanted to find a way to continue communication amongst everyone who was a part of the program. With the help of many alumni, “Learning From the Bulldogs” became our way of reaching out to families and keeping our mission alive even when we couldn’t be in the gym. This system consisted of regular posts sent out to our members that had blogs about what our core values and mission meant to our alumni when they were on the team and throughout their life after graduating. Parents and jumpers learned a lot about the program through the alumni and they were able to hear personal experiences and other inside stories about the program that they likely didn’t know before. Overall, these posts allowed us to reinforce the mission statement, share the powerful and meaningful stories of our alumni, and bring the Bulldog closer during a difficult time. 
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So, how do you channel change into something positive? Well, you just “Embrace Change” and “Rise Above” the difficult times because they will make you and your program stronger in the end! 

What does a new year or new season entail for an athletic program?

The number one thing you should look for going into a new season is leadership. Over the past 35 years, the Bouncing Bulldogs program has had excellent leaders, and it all starts in the summer. During what many call the off-season–June through September for the Bulldogs–you should focus on the athletes who show up on a high level. You do this to discover who the high school leaders will be during the new season. Then, for the next 30 days, I search for captains; captains should be two strong, senior leaders who consistently reflect the program’s mission statement and 10 core values. Once your leadership and captains are in place, you should focus on team chemistry for around 90 days. Ultimately, your team’s chemistry is dependent on the strength of your leadership. During this process, I also like to plan at least one show per week. Doing this gives us time to get away from the gym and truly see the growth of individual athletes. Traveling any distance gives you time to see how your team members interact with each other during bus rides, sharing meals, and performing. All of these situations allow you to observe people’s personalities as well as the growth of your team’s chemistry. 
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Many coaches are challenged at the start of a new season because their athletes change drastically over the off-season. After watching teenagers change over numerous summers, I have learned to keep the mission statement and core values of the program close during the beginning of the season. I continually remind the jumpers that the program is designed to improve their physical, emotional, social, and academic well-being…not just their jump rope skills. Then again, I have to reinforce the core values early on to get the whole team on the same page. For me, everything starts with discipline. I learned the importance of discipline from many of my mentors, but I love how the great Dean Smith said, “Your freedom in life comes from discipline.” Once you’ve weaved in your core principles and made sure those in leadership roles hold the same standards as you, then you will have a solid foundation to make a great year. Finally, as integral as those first months of your season are, it’s important to use the winter break to evaluate your team’s progress in all of the above aspects as you head into January. 

We ended the 2017-2018 season with 150 team members, most of whom will be returning as we begin a new season. Each year, the Bouncing Bulldogs have a theme reinforced at every practice and class session.

Our previous theme was community outreach, and a big focus will continue to be on community outreach moving forward. The Bulldogs have been competing for a long time, but we also want to make more direct efforts to spread the sport of jump rope in communities with boys and girls who are interested in learning but may not have the resources.
               
Based on my experience as a PE teacher, it was instilled in me to teach boys and girls the value of skill development and movement education. My focus was on making sure that boys and girls were learning as many skills as they could learn throughout the early years of the program’s history. Now, my focus has shifted. My goal is to empower each jumper to gain the ability to take the skills they are learning and understand how to teach those skills to others. Weaving into skills with the rope, now our focus is to understand all the values you can learn from participating in a physical activity like jump rope.

A jump roper can teach skills all day, but it is also important to recognize and express the benefits of jump rope regarding physical literacy. I see a shift in our program where the thought process is becoming more about serving others with the knowledge we have, and we are open to the knowledge others will share with us. A person who picks up a jump rope and starts learning is going to enhance their physical fitness. But they are also going to enhance their character development over time when it comes to discipline, relationships and communication.

When choosing a theme, I have to ask myself as a coach, what is the personality trait of this year’s team? You have to be very aware of the values you are bringing into an environment, so how can we take all of the unique personalities within the program and bring them together with a theme?
With these considerations in mind, our theme for the 2018-2019 season is: bring your value.

​Every jumper possesses a unique value and possesses a responsibility to work to better recognize their own value and share it with the world. Jumpers don’t just come to practice to be present. Jumpers come to practice to discover their value, and they can go home and share with their families why they go to practice every day as well as what they learned. They can answer the question: what did you learn that will enhance your values and make you a better person?