While growing up, high school football was a big part of my life. I never played a down of organized football at all but found several different ways to follow my hometown Solon Comets. As a middle school student, I often went to games with friends and in high school, I helped the Solon Community Television station crew with televising the games by either serving as a cameraman or play-by-play announcer. Whenever the fall came around, being at a football field on Friday night was always a fun way to start the school year and another season.
In college, I didn't cover as many Friday night games but managed to work on the WOCC-TV3 crew for games or called them for WOBN-FM at Otterbein College. I didn't have as many Friday night games to cover and even though I was two hours away from home, being out in the crisp air helping to cover a game made me feel like I was at home again.
When college was over, I managed to make it to a couple of Solon football games but wanted something a little more. I enjoyed watching the games from the stands but I couldn't always find someone who wanted to go and it was much different then doing play-by-play or working on a TV crew.
About a year after leaving college, I decided to take my camera with me to a Saturday afternoon game Solon was playing to take pictures. The game was at Shaker Heights and with it being sunny, all I wanted to do was take a couple of pictures. Photography had developed into a passion of mine in college and I figured I might as well take some shots if I was going to the game.
Even though it wasn't a Friday night showdown, being on the sideline and taking the photos helped fulfill the emptiness and need to contribute. It helped me get into the game, learn the nuances of doing sports photography and I received a warm reception when I posted the shots on Facebook.
Not too long after that game, I traveled to Hudson for another Solon away game and brought the camera with me again. I managed to get on the sidelines for the game and had as much fun as I did the week before. The pictures received a warm reception again and I was asked if I could come to more games in the future.
In my third season as a photographer for Solon football, combining a childhood passion with my love of photography helped filled the void I had felt when I left college. Taking the pictures each week gives me something to look forward to, gives me an opportunity to do the photography I love and I have enjoyed meeting the players, coaches and parents. Taking the time to combine one passion I wanted to keep apart of my life with another I wanted to do more of has made the world of a difference.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Ten Years Ago
Ten years ago this very day, I was a high school sophomore at Solon High School. Nothing felt different about that particular morning. I woke up, had my breakfast and headed off to school as usual. At the time, it felt a normal day.
Hours after I walked through the doors of the school and to my first class, I would find out why I would never forget that day.
While sitting in third period French, my teacher overheard another classroom across the hall. The teacher in that classroom was talking about two airplanes, New York City and the Pentagon. How these correlated was unknown to me until my teacher walked across the hall to find out.
“Students, there has been an attack on New York City and the Pentagon.”
It didn’t register the first time I heard it. All I could feel was shock and the halls were quieter as I walked to my next class.
As I walked through the halls, I noticed every television set was on and the same horrific images kept showing over and over again.
“Could this really be happening?”
That was one of the thoughts running through my head as I saw the images of the towers, the Pentagon and heard the news of Flight 93 landing in Pennsylvania. The images and the footage were repeated over and over and the nightmare never ended.
I’ll never forget my hands shaking as I opened my car door to drive home. I wanted to be with my parents that night and knew the same images were going to be shown at home.
Lots of innocent lives were lost that day and the world changed forever.
As the days passed since 9/11, my dad made a suggestion:
“Jeff, how about we go to the hardware store and buy an American flag?”
Within minutes, he and I both were in the car and we picked out an American flag that has flown in our yard since the aftermath of that horrific day.
I’m ten years older now and have not forgotten the horror, the anger and the pain I felt that day. I’ll never forget the horrific images on television, the Internet and the paper and wondering how the attack happened. A lot has changed in ten years as I am old enough to vote, have graduated college, have purchased my first vehicle and have begun a career but the sadness I felt that day is a memory that always remains.
On the eve of the tenth year anniversary, I flipped on a special regarding the World Trade Center. My dog Sidney, who is a little over a year old, was sleeping nearby until the image of the towers falling came on. I froze within seconds of re-living the image again and Sidney came right by my side. Sidney wasn’t alive ten years ago but knew I was affected by the image.
I will also never forget how the nation came together, how the American flag became more then a symbol for me, and I still send prayers to those who lost their lives on that very day.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Missing The Shots You Don't Take
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." - Wayne Gretzky
As a hockey player, Gretzky knew that not taking a shot on net wouldn't help his team score the goals it needed to win games. Gretzky found different ways to create opportunities in front of the net with this motto and is one of the many reasons he is a legend in the hockey world.
Even if you have never laced up a pair of skates or never play the game of hockey, this motto can be used in your own life.
When searching for a job, you won't make any progress if you don't take the time to send your resume out, network, or meet others. A prospective employer will never consider you for a position if you never take the time to send in your resume to him or her. A networking contact will never meet with you if you never take the opportunity to introduce yourself. Taking the opportunity that is in front of you can lead to bigger dividends later on.
On a personal level, one example where I took the opportunity in front of me occurred over a year ago when Terry Pluto, the famed Cleveland sportswriter, was writing a book about the Cleveland Browns. I have been a Browns fan my entire life and saw Pluto was interested in having fans submit stories to possibly be used in the book.
At this point, I could have taken that attitude that the chances of my story getting used were too small and why bother putting the time into it. Instead, I figured that taking the small chance I had was better then not taking the shot at all. After taking several minutes to write what I wanted, I submitted in the story.
Months later, I received an e-mail from Pluto informing me my story was used. The chances of him using it originally may have been small, however, taking that shot paid off in the end.
When you have an opportunity in front of you, realize that the shot you don't take will not get you the result you want in the end.
As a hockey player, Gretzky knew that not taking a shot on net wouldn't help his team score the goals it needed to win games. Gretzky found different ways to create opportunities in front of the net with this motto and is one of the many reasons he is a legend in the hockey world.
Even if you have never laced up a pair of skates or never play the game of hockey, this motto can be used in your own life.
When searching for a job, you won't make any progress if you don't take the time to send your resume out, network, or meet others. A prospective employer will never consider you for a position if you never take the time to send in your resume to him or her. A networking contact will never meet with you if you never take the opportunity to introduce yourself. Taking the opportunity that is in front of you can lead to bigger dividends later on.
On a personal level, one example where I took the opportunity in front of me occurred over a year ago when Terry Pluto, the famed Cleveland sportswriter, was writing a book about the Cleveland Browns. I have been a Browns fan my entire life and saw Pluto was interested in having fans submit stories to possibly be used in the book.
At this point, I could have taken that attitude that the chances of my story getting used were too small and why bother putting the time into it. Instead, I figured that taking the small chance I had was better then not taking the shot at all. After taking several minutes to write what I wanted, I submitted in the story.
Months later, I received an e-mail from Pluto informing me my story was used. The chances of him using it originally may have been small, however, taking that shot paid off in the end.
When you have an opportunity in front of you, realize that the shot you don't take will not get you the result you want in the end.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
College Freshmen: Get Involved!
Moving away from home for the first time can be scary for a college freshman. Packing and moving away from friends, family and familiarity can be intimidating and nerve racking. Having to start over isn't always easy but isn't impossible. Taking the time to meet others and getting involved early on can make a huge difference to the beginning of your college career.
When I moved away for college at Otterbein, I'll admit I was a nervous and a little scared. I had lived in Solon, Ohio for a good majority of my life and was going to be moving away from that for the first time ever. I only knew two people on campus (two of my neighbors who grew up by me went to Otterbein) and was going to have to start all over. I was going to be two hours away from a place I had called home for so long and had a lot on my mind.
"Will I fit in at Otterbein?"
"What will it be like living away from home?"
"How am I going to meet new people?"
These were questions that ran threw my head the week before I moved down and on the actual drive down there to move me in. I knew I would be going to school but wasn't sure what I was getting myself into.
Rather then sit around in the dorm room after I moved in, I decided to wander the halls and managed to find open doors for other rooms. Being able to talk with other people who had just moved in calmed my nerves a bit and helped me get over some of the anxiety I was feeling. I knew I wasn't going to meet anyone by sitting in my dorm room so getting out and taking the time to meet others really helped.
As that first weekend rolled around, I managed to volunteer and take part in some of the other new student activities going on and as a result, I made some really great friends and met people I would hang out with for the next four years. As the school year got into full swing, I took the time to become involved in other groups on campus and it became a great way to meet people and make some new friends.
For those of you starting college within the next few weeks, take the time to get out of your dorm room and meet new people. Remember you are not the only one who had to move away and start over and many others will be looking for people to hang out with and make new friends. Starting over can be tough but sitting inside the dorm room all day won't help you meet new people. Take the time to participate with activities on campus, join some of the special interest groups many college campuses have to offer and meet new people. That will calm the nerves, provide some of the answers to the questions you may have about starting over and get your college experience off to a great start.
When I moved away for college at Otterbein, I'll admit I was a nervous and a little scared. I had lived in Solon, Ohio for a good majority of my life and was going to be moving away from that for the first time ever. I only knew two people on campus (two of my neighbors who grew up by me went to Otterbein) and was going to have to start all over. I was going to be two hours away from a place I had called home for so long and had a lot on my mind.
"Will I fit in at Otterbein?"
"What will it be like living away from home?"
"How am I going to meet new people?"
These were questions that ran threw my head the week before I moved down and on the actual drive down there to move me in. I knew I would be going to school but wasn't sure what I was getting myself into.
Rather then sit around in the dorm room after I moved in, I decided to wander the halls and managed to find open doors for other rooms. Being able to talk with other people who had just moved in calmed my nerves a bit and helped me get over some of the anxiety I was feeling. I knew I wasn't going to meet anyone by sitting in my dorm room so getting out and taking the time to meet others really helped.
As that first weekend rolled around, I managed to volunteer and take part in some of the other new student activities going on and as a result, I made some really great friends and met people I would hang out with for the next four years. As the school year got into full swing, I took the time to become involved in other groups on campus and it became a great way to meet people and make some new friends.
For those of you starting college within the next few weeks, take the time to get out of your dorm room and meet new people. Remember you are not the only one who had to move away and start over and many others will be looking for people to hang out with and make new friends. Starting over can be tough but sitting inside the dorm room all day won't help you meet new people. Take the time to participate with activities on campus, join some of the special interest groups many college campuses have to offer and meet new people. That will calm the nerves, provide some of the answers to the questions you may have about starting over and get your college experience off to a great start.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
College Students: Friends Can Be Made in the Most Unique Ways
For those of you who will be starting your freshman year of college soon, having to leave what is familiar and starting over can be a bit startling and overwhelming. Leaving the friends you made during your high school years and starting over can be intimidating and scary.
Even though you will be leaving the friends you made behind, you will have a huge opportunity to make new friends from the very start. There will be several other students in the same situation you are in so you will definitely not be alone.
While getting out of your dorm room and getting involved with campus activities is a great way to make friends in college, some of your best friends may be made in the most unexpectedly places.
During the first weekend I was at Otterbein, I met my two best friends, Hallie and Doug, in the most random spots. On the Saturday morning of that weekend, I met Hallie while doing a community service project (called the Community Plunge) during the early hours of that morning. The two of us started talking and the rest is history. Hours later, a bunch of guys were sitting in the lounge of Mayne Hall (my residence at the time on Otterbein's campus) watching the Ohio State vs Marshall game. I started talking with one of the kids watching the game and found out he was from the next town over. Not too long after that initial conversation, the two of us hit it off and that is how I met my friend Doug. It was in two random areas I met both Doug and Hallie but I made two of my best friends that day alone.
During winter quarter of my freshman year at Otterbein, I made some of my best friends simply because they took the time to show an interest in me. As a broadcast major, I was assigned to do play-by-play for the Otterbein women's basketball team and had fun calling the games from the very start. I had called games in high school but this experience ended up being a bit different. After calling a couple of the games, more of the players from the team started to approach me in the Cardinal's Nest (the cafeteria) and took the time to ask me how my day was going and learn more about me. I'll admit that I was surprised (in a pleasant way) these girls were taking the time to talk to me and they would always ask if I was coming to the next game to do play-by-play. I will never forget the kindness these girls showed me and by the time my senior year rolled around, some of these girls had become some of the best friends I had made on campus.
While a student at Otterbein, I didn't get a chance to meet many of the graduate students, however, one I met randomly became one of my best friends. During the fall and part of the winter quarter of my junior year at Otterbein, I had seen this one gentleman who was always in the library tutoring other students and riding his bike around campus. I had seen him often but never had the chance to introduce myself or cross paths with him long enough to do so. It wasn't until I was walking into Roush Hall on campus (which houses classrooms) that we finally got to cross paths. Mike and I hit it off at that point and I am still in touch and friends with him to this day.
Even though there are numerous stories I have on how I made friends at Otterbein, these always stick out in my mind for positive reasons. I did make some of my best friends in the most unexpectedly places during my college tenure and don't be afraid to let your friendships grow from similar opportunities as well.
Even though you will be leaving the friends you made behind, you will have a huge opportunity to make new friends from the very start. There will be several other students in the same situation you are in so you will definitely not be alone.
While getting out of your dorm room and getting involved with campus activities is a great way to make friends in college, some of your best friends may be made in the most unexpectedly places.
During the first weekend I was at Otterbein, I met my two best friends, Hallie and Doug, in the most random spots. On the Saturday morning of that weekend, I met Hallie while doing a community service project (called the Community Plunge) during the early hours of that morning. The two of us started talking and the rest is history. Hours later, a bunch of guys were sitting in the lounge of Mayne Hall (my residence at the time on Otterbein's campus) watching the Ohio State vs Marshall game. I started talking with one of the kids watching the game and found out he was from the next town over. Not too long after that initial conversation, the two of us hit it off and that is how I met my friend Doug. It was in two random areas I met both Doug and Hallie but I made two of my best friends that day alone.
During winter quarter of my freshman year at Otterbein, I made some of my best friends simply because they took the time to show an interest in me. As a broadcast major, I was assigned to do play-by-play for the Otterbein women's basketball team and had fun calling the games from the very start. I had called games in high school but this experience ended up being a bit different. After calling a couple of the games, more of the players from the team started to approach me in the Cardinal's Nest (the cafeteria) and took the time to ask me how my day was going and learn more about me. I'll admit that I was surprised (in a pleasant way) these girls were taking the time to talk to me and they would always ask if I was coming to the next game to do play-by-play. I will never forget the kindness these girls showed me and by the time my senior year rolled around, some of these girls had become some of the best friends I had made on campus.
While a student at Otterbein, I didn't get a chance to meet many of the graduate students, however, one I met randomly became one of my best friends. During the fall and part of the winter quarter of my junior year at Otterbein, I had seen this one gentleman who was always in the library tutoring other students and riding his bike around campus. I had seen him often but never had the chance to introduce myself or cross paths with him long enough to do so. It wasn't until I was walking into Roush Hall on campus (which houses classrooms) that we finally got to cross paths. Mike and I hit it off at that point and I am still in touch and friends with him to this day.
Even though there are numerous stories I have on how I made friends at Otterbein, these always stick out in my mind for positive reasons. I did make some of my best friends in the most unexpectedly places during my college tenure and don't be afraid to let your friendships grow from similar opportunities as well.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Small Manners Can Go A Long Way
As we were growing up, we were probably taught the importance of saying "please," "thank you," and "your welcome" when someone went out of his or her way to do something polite for you. As we got older, we also learned the importance of taking the time to say "thank you" via a card or e-mail to someone who may have helped us along the way. These manners are simple but minding them in key situations can go a long way.
When you have done a favor for someone, have you ever noticed what it feels like when the person you helped does not say "thank you?" Have you gone out of your way to assist someone with an event and not receive any gratitude at all? If this has happened to you, you probably would not be as inclined to help this person again because of the lack of effort shown to express gratitude for your help and assistance. All it could have taken this person was a small thank you note to show gratitude and you would feel different about the situation at that time.
Even when you don't think manners are important, put yourself in the other person's shoes. For example, if a guy was on a date with a girl, how do you think the girl would feel if the guy didn't open the door for her? On the flip side, how do you think the guy would feel if his date didn't say thank you for opening the door or gave him dirty looks for doing so? How do you think one would feel if the date completely ignored the other person and didn't show any appreciation towards the effort being given by the other person to be polite? In cases like this, the smallest of manners can mean a lot and can make a difference.
Below are some tips that can be used in multiple situations whether it is networking, business or even dating:
1) Be Polite To Those Around You - For example, when you are at a restaurant, there is a difference between asking your server for a glass of water and demanding it. You will catch more flies with honey if you politely ask, "Excuse, when you have a moment, could you please get me a glass of water?" then you will with "Go get me a glass of water!" This plus taking a couple of minutes to ask how someone's day is going can help a lot.
2) Opening Doors Can Go A Long Way - It sounds simple but I'll admit I don't feel right if I don't open the door for someone or at least look back to see if someone is behind me when I am about to go into someplace. Taking a few moments to open the door for someone (gentleman, pay attention) can really mean a lot to someone.
3) If You Choose To Spend Time With Someone, Do Not Ignore That Other Person- I know this one sounds bizarre and obvious but you would be surprised how hurtful it can be when someone you want to spend time with just blows you off or doesn't pay attention to you. For example, if you are a high school or college student and if you decide to take a date to a dance or formal, take the time to talk with that person throughout the night, spend time with that person and ask him or her to dance (this last one is key). Imagine how that person will feel if you don't take the time to talk to him or her or offer to take them on the dance floor during that night. Chances are, that person will feel hurt that you didn't spend time with him or her (trust me on this one) and will have the night ruined because of it.
4) The Importance Of "Thank You" - They are only two words and they are simple to say. Make sure to say thank you in situations where it is necessary and don't forget to show your gratitude.
When you have done a favor for someone, have you ever noticed what it feels like when the person you helped does not say "thank you?" Have you gone out of your way to assist someone with an event and not receive any gratitude at all? If this has happened to you, you probably would not be as inclined to help this person again because of the lack of effort shown to express gratitude for your help and assistance. All it could have taken this person was a small thank you note to show gratitude and you would feel different about the situation at that time.
Even when you don't think manners are important, put yourself in the other person's shoes. For example, if a guy was on a date with a girl, how do you think the girl would feel if the guy didn't open the door for her? On the flip side, how do you think the guy would feel if his date didn't say thank you for opening the door or gave him dirty looks for doing so? How do you think one would feel if the date completely ignored the other person and didn't show any appreciation towards the effort being given by the other person to be polite? In cases like this, the smallest of manners can mean a lot and can make a difference.
Below are some tips that can be used in multiple situations whether it is networking, business or even dating:
1) Be Polite To Those Around You - For example, when you are at a restaurant, there is a difference between asking your server for a glass of water and demanding it. You will catch more flies with honey if you politely ask, "Excuse, when you have a moment, could you please get me a glass of water?" then you will with "Go get me a glass of water!" This plus taking a couple of minutes to ask how someone's day is going can help a lot.
2) Opening Doors Can Go A Long Way - It sounds simple but I'll admit I don't feel right if I don't open the door for someone or at least look back to see if someone is behind me when I am about to go into someplace. Taking a few moments to open the door for someone (gentleman, pay attention) can really mean a lot to someone.
3) If You Choose To Spend Time With Someone, Do Not Ignore That Other Person- I know this one sounds bizarre and obvious but you would be surprised how hurtful it can be when someone you want to spend time with just blows you off or doesn't pay attention to you. For example, if you are a high school or college student and if you decide to take a date to a dance or formal, take the time to talk with that person throughout the night, spend time with that person and ask him or her to dance (this last one is key). Imagine how that person will feel if you don't take the time to talk to him or her or offer to take them on the dance floor during that night. Chances are, that person will feel hurt that you didn't spend time with him or her (trust me on this one) and will have the night ruined because of it.
4) The Importance Of "Thank You" - They are only two words and they are simple to say. Make sure to say thank you in situations where it is necessary and don't forget to show your gratitude.
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