My Thoughts on the NCAA Recruiting Rule Change

The recruiting season is in full swing! Recently, espn.com published two articles articles to discuss the recent NCAA rule changes which primarily deal with college coaches contact with prospective student-athletes. The first article published, player and family perspective; while, the second article showcased college coaches perspective on the new rules.

The rule changes were made in an effort to increase college coaches abilities to develop relationships with their prospects. However, I am wondering if this is the ideal way to develop relationships with teenagers. De-regulate the number of contacts, calls, and modes of social media? Lets delve a little further into this issue....

The full summary of the rule changes can be found on the NCAA website, but here are some of the main points:

• Coaches will be permitted to make unlimited calls and send unlimited text messages with recruits after June 15 following their sophomore year. 
• The deregulation extends to social media (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, etc.) where private messages will be allowed. 

Honestly, I believe this really brings up a bigger, social conversation about our 24-hour access to others. Before social media was the rage, people built in-person relationships with others, they had verbal communications... people actually wrote letters that could be cherished. With these new rules, we are, in my opinion, shifting (at a quicker rate) our society into one in which family is less important because people are "working" around the clock and when dialogue and communications can be taken for granted. Do you believe that stronger, more honest relationships will be formed because two individuals can text and leave messages for the other? I sometimes despise my use of text messaging. It is so difficult to "read" or gauge an individuals tone and true meaning from a text message. And let's not even discuss these young student's practice with writing logical sentences, etc. Secondly, we must remember that these prospects are merely 16 and 17 years of age! This fact is thoroughly mentioned in espn.com article which discusses the topic from the players and families perspective. It will be interesting to learn if more families/teenagers emulate the defensive strategies discussed in the article. 

Conversely, I do see the positives to having the ability to call a student on a more frequent basis. This in my mind would increase relationship-building and allow both parties to be genuine. In the past, Division I college coaches only had an allotted 1 call/month! Strategizing when to make this call was paramount!!! So for example, if a coach called a prospect and they did not answer the phone, they were out of luck! Yikes, this was very frustrating for many as we know how difficult it can be to "catch" someone when they are available to talk. 

What are your thoughts on the NCAA rule change?

How would/will you handle this if you have an eligible son?

Michelyn

Wedded Bliss Wednesdays: An Interview with my Wedding Dress Designer

What is the MOST important decision a girl decides for her wedding day?!!? Well, besides saying ‘yes’ to the ideal groom, I would say the WEDDING dress or dresses, if we are referring to myself!






I had the most AMAZING experience with Caroline Hayden, my dress designer….. Soon, I will discuss my inspirations for my dress but for now, let’s learn a little about Caroline.


1. When did you decide that you wanted to become a designer?

It was always on the short list when I was asked "what do you want to be when you grow up?"...along with concert pianist and veterinarian.

2. I know that you once competed in pageants in both Wisconsin and Minnesota, how has that experience shaped your work?

If you've ever seen a custom pageant dress hanging on a hanger, you know that there's quite a lot going on under the surface of the gown. Gowns have to fit very close to the body and be able to hold their shape with the heavy embellishments throughout, so I've learned a lot of tricks and technique to create the base of any type of gown.

3. Are you still involved in pageants?

I enjoy volunteering my time to help mentor local contestants in the Miss America Organization and I have a few custom clients each year for pageant gowns but no, I am not very involved anymore and the pageant gowns I do design are definitely not your 'typical' pageant gown.


4. What is your favorite silhouette?

We do a lot of at-waist seems and I love a full skirt.






5. Where do you find inspiration?

I am inspired a lot by shape and texture rather than specific time periods, places, objects, etc. When working with a bride, I listen to their inspiration and make sure the gown is still representative of my personal taste.


6. What designers do you envy?

I don't know if I 'envy' anyone else but I really admire the creative work of McQueen and Givenchy


7. If you could design a dress for a celebrity, who would you dress? Why?

Charlize Theron. She's gorgeous, fearless, and really knows how to work a dress.


8. What do you foresee in the future for your company?

I've been doing custom gowns for the past 8 years but in many ways feel like I'm just starting out! My next step is researching production options and trying my hand at ready-to-wear while continuing to design for special projects and custom clients. I hesitate stating any specific goals because I'm a firm believer in keeping your head down, heart open, and mind clear and seeing where life leads you.

Thanks Caroline for the interview. If you are interested in a custom-designed gown or to purchase any of her ready-wear check out her Facebook page or Website.

I can only sing praises about her professionalism and beautiful personality. I wish I was getting married again so I could have her re-design my gown... But, I wouldn't have her change one thing!





All Photos Courtesy of BellowBlue Photography!

Michelyn

5 Myths About College Coaching

I often chuckle when people inquire about my husband's job... I thought it would be fun to discuss 5 myths that I often encounter.

Myth 1: The job responsibility of Division I coaches consists only of coaching games!

Truth 1: College coaches have many responsibilities besides coaching actual live games, and I would say this is only a very minor portion of their day-to-day activities. Most importantly, coaches develop student-athletes which occurs during the off-season, individual workouts, and team development exercises. Before a coach can actually coach, they must recruit viable athletes that fit their respective program's philosophy and playing style.  Because student-athletes' first priority is graduation, college coaches also play a pivotal role in their academic development.

Myth 2: Coaching occurs during games.

Truth 2: 80% of coaching - to train or instruct - occurs during practices and not while the players are actually in the middle of a live, action game! I have realized that this is one reason why coaches, many of them, stay very calm during games. In my opinion, coaches typically become irate over "bad" calls by the officials, not always the players.

Myth 3: There is no strategy involved and the fans know best!

Truth 3: If this was true, then I would be the world's best basketball coach, ha. Let me tell you, I am one opinionated fan and coaches wife, but have NO IDEA what I am talking about. I have decided that many fans are more similar, in knowledge, to the sport of basketball than they would like to think. I have heard and read some obscene comments/feedback on various games which are simply comical. And the level of strategy and planning that occurs prior to the game is INSANE. "Watching film" is a nightly activity in our household, one of which I happily neglect to participate in.

Myth 4: Coaching is a profession for those who want to stay youthful.

Truth 4: This is a fact :) I swear, these guys never want to grow up! They have so much fun in this profession, working with the guys and seeing them develop.

Myth 5: The best coaches are at the biggest, well-known schools.

Truth 5: I am in no way discrediting college coaches at well-known schools, but it simply is a myth that these are the only great coaches.

What myths do you have of college coaches and coaching?

Michelyn

Re-dedicating to my Blog

Dear Readers (all 2 of you):

It has been over four months since I last blogged and I want to apologize for my absence... I had really planned to write some wonderful blog posts about my wedding (Wedded Bliss Wednesdays) and updates about the NDSU MBB season. But, I failed!

I failed because I have been really struggling with finding my purpose for the blog and my niche. I know this may sound crazy, but I wanted (and still do) want to (a) better define who my audience is and (b) what is my purpose. So, over these past four months I have not solidified either, lol BUT I have decided that sometimes writing will assist in this process. So, with all that being I am announcing my return to the blogosphere. Additionally, I have been struggling with desiring a proof-reader. I know this sounds crazy but the perfectionist in me does not want to mess up and write with many grammatical errors. Well, although I may have an advanced degree, I still struggle with the correct placement of commas, semi-colons etc. Yea, yea... that catholic school education and years of education did not nail all those funny rules in my head. However, I am not allowing that to stop me any longer. I am trying to learn that things do not always have to be PERFECT to be done well.

I must thank my husband for his continual support of my blog. He assisted me get all the tabs at the top   and gave input into the summaries that I wrote.

What are your thoughts on my niche? What do you want to know about?

Check out the tabs: About Me Coach Kemp Our Story or leave a Comment

Thank for the input!

Michelyn