I Remember When…I Dunked In A Game

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Jon Stolpe

I remember when I dunked in a basketball game.

When I was in junior high, I developed a love for the game of basketball. I wasn’t even close to being one of the taller kids in the class at the time, and I hadn’t played organized basketball before. But I signed up for the team anyway, and I made my way onto the “B” team my sixth grade year. That year along with the other two years in junior high, I played guard. My seventh grade year, I actually made the “A” team. And I saw limited playing time for a team that eventually won the league championship. In eighth grade, I started for the team as one of the guards although I may have also had playing time as a forward.

In high school, I didn’t go out for the team. I was intimidated by the size of the upperclassmen and other taller kids in my class. If I’m honest, I was also afraid of getting cut from the team. I still loved the game. I followed the Philadelphia 76ers fairly closely, and I started to follow the playing career of Michael Jordan. I dreamed of being able to dunk the basketball someday especially late in high school as I finally began to grow. Throughout high school, I continued to play pick up games whenever I had the chance.

When I arrived at Grove City College, I was placed in the section of the freshmen dorms where most of the basketball players lived. I’m not sure if that was meant to further intimidate me or to spur me on to play more basketball. I played a lot of pickup basketball games in the school gym, and I eventually started playing on intramural teams for my housing group. As college progressed, I kept trying to dunk. I could throw a tennis ball down fairly easily, but I struggled to palm the basketball and get high enough to actually throw down a slam.

Through the encouragement of friends, I started lifting – doing toe raises whenever possible. Meanwhile, I kept trying to dunk. Eventually, I got to the point where I could inch the ball over the rim. It wasn’t a solid slam, but it was close enough at the time. As I kept practicing, I realized that I would have to work a lot harder if I was going to get high enough and coordinated enough to actually put one down in one of the intramural games.

And so I worked, and worked, and worked some more. I kept practicing. I persevered and persisted until I consistently could dunk in warm ups. My teammates knew I was getting close, and they kept talking about trying to set me up for a slam in a game.

The game finally arrived in the middle of my senior year. Leanne was at the game as a spectator and as my girlfriend. Somewhere in the middle of the game, the moment arrived. Our team stole the ball, and I jumped in front of the other team on a fast break. My teammate fed me the ball. A few more dribbles and I was near the hoop. As I picked up the ball, I stretched towards the basket. With two hands, I threw the ball through the hoop, and I grabbed on to the rim. I hung on the rim for a second or two to make sure I didn’t get undercut my the chasing players and to enjoy the moment. As I let go of the rim, I fell to the floor landing on my to feet as the crowd went wild.

The moment was surreal. I remember feeling as though I was floating as I ran back down the court and prepared to play defense. What a feeling!

And that’s how I remember when I first dunked in a game.

Do you have an athletic accomplishment that sticks in your head? Tell us about it by leaving a comment.

[There's still time to win a copy of Kingdom Journeys by Seth Barnes. Check out my blog from yesterday to find out how you could win. ]

Ice Breaker – Are You Ready For Some Football?

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Jon Stolpe

Each week on The Stretched Blog, we ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.

With fall comes football – high school football, college football, and professional football. It can be a fun time of year especially if your team is doing well. This week’s ice breaker is all about football. If you’re not a football fan, it’s okay. Give us your best answer anyway

My college intramural football team after a muddy game and an amazing victory!

Question: What is your favorite football team – college or professional or both?

My Answer: I’ve lived in the Philadelphia area since the summer of 1980. The year we moved here the Eagles went to the Superbowl. It was hard not for me to become a fan of my local team. It’s been a tough roller coaster ride since then. One of these years, we’ll not only make it back to the Superbowl, but we’ll win it! My backup professional team has always been the Chicago Bears. My family lived in the Chicago area before we moved to the Philadelphia area. Walter Payton was my favorite player then, and he’s still my favorite all-time player.

As for college football, this won’t win be many points outside of Pennsylvania, but I’m a Penn State fan. I graduated from Penn State with my MBA in 2006. It hasn’t been a fun year for our fans, but I’m hopeful for the future. If it’s division three, I’ll be cheering for Grove City College. They don’t make the news for the football program very often, but they’re my team. If you look up college football rushing records, you’ll find that R.J. Bowers set several all-division rushing records at Grove City College several years ago.

There you have it – my answer. Now, it’s your turn. Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response!

Getting Back To The Basics – Cape Cod Baseball League

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Jon Stolpe

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a big baseball fan. I have followed the game for most of my life – first as a Chicago Cubs fan – and now as a Philadelphia Phillies fan (since 1980 when I moved to the Philly area). It’s been fun to support the Phillies especially over the past five years as they have been very competitive, but…

Professional baseball isn’t what it used to be. With steroids, free agency, lack of player/team loyalty, higher ticket prices, and a crazy pay structure, players and teams don’t relate to average fans – like myself. I have found my overall interest in the game slacking off. Much of this is due to the realities of adult life – I now have a family and a job that require my full attention. But I believe that some of my fading interest in the game is related to the fact that professional baseball has gotten away from its roots.

This is why I loved going to see a Cape Cod Baseball League game when Leanne and I vacationed in Cape Cod a few weeks ago. The teams in the league are made up of college baseball players who are looking for a way to work on their skills over the summer. Players come from all over the country to play in this league. They are not paid. They live with volunteer host families. And the games which are played at a high level are free to the public. Players actually walk around during the game to accept entries into the game’s 50-50 drawing which is used to help offset travel expenses for the team.

We went to a game between the Cotuit Kettleers and the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. We literally sat on top of the home team’s dugout. We could hear the players talking. We saw players who were not yet tarnished by the riches of the big leagues. We saw the game of baseball the way it was meant to be played.

Our evening in Hyannis was a reminder that it can be important to get back to the basics. We allow so many things to come along and distract us from why and how we started doing what we’re doing – whether it’s work, school, church, or even family. It’s easy to be distracted by the next big thing. It’s not steroids or free agency, but we are often distracted by other things like non-stop activities, efforts to accumulate the most toys and gadgets, or a drive to climb higher on the corporate ladder. These things by themselves may not be bad, but I think we often lose sight of why we started a family or why we started working. I think it’s important to get back to the basics, so we can rediscover our love for “the game”.

Has the push for more taken away your love of “the game”?

What can you do today to bring back the love?

My Fenway Park Experience

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Jon Stolpe

I’m a big baseball fan! I started cheering for the Chicago Cubs while my family lived in the Chicago area when I was little. And I’m a big Philadelphia Phillies fan now! I moved to the Philly area in 1980, the year the Phillies won the World Series against the Kansas City Royals. (These past five or six years have been amazing!) I still have all my baseball cards, which I used to spend hours organizing, studying, and memorizing. I enjoy watching baseball, especially live! I’ve been to several major league stadiums and a few minor league stadiums, and I’ve even been to the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. Like I said, I’m a big baseball fan!

When I was in college, I worked for ServiceMaster for the summer where I traveled to New England every week to inventory all the equipment in various schools. One week, I had an assignment outside of Boston, so it made sense for me to try to get into Fenway Park to see the Red Sox play the Yankees. (I don’t even like these teams!) I couldn’t resist an opportunity to see a game in this “old school” stadium. You probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the game was sold out. It was definitely a “stretch” to get into the game. I walked around the stadium a couple of times looking for someone who was selling a ticket. I just wanted to get into the stadium. Unfortunately, no one was selling any tickets. At this point, I was being to resign myself to the fact that I wasn’t going to get into the game.

In Philly, we have cheese steak sandwiches and pretzels. In Boston, I learned that they have sausage sandwiches. I purchased a sausage sandwich from a street vendor. As I enjoyed the sandwich while standing against a telephone pole a few feet away, the sandwich vendor walked over and asked if I was looking for a ticket. I confirmed that I was indeed looking for a ticket. He told me that he had one that he would sell to me for next to nothing. I couldn’t believe it!

I made my way into the stadium and followed signs to my seat. Unbelievable! My seat was 12 rows directly behind home plate - at Fenway Park! I had a perfect view of the field and the dugouts. Around the third inning, the sandwich vendor and his family came and sat right next to me. We had a friendly conversation. During the fifth inning, my new friend bought me a beer. Can you imagine?

To be honest, I don’t even remember who won the baseball game. I do know that I will always remember my experience at Fenway Park.

Are you a baseball fan? Have you ever experienced something unbelievable? Have you ever had a “Fenway Park” experience? Please share.

I Am A Runner

Posted on June 29, 2011 by Jon Stolpe

Hannah at a Cross Country Meet in Fall 2010

Yesterday morning, I ran 4 miles on the Perkiomen Trail. There wasn’t anything majorly significant about this early morning run. I didn’t feel real fast; in fact, I felt kind of slow as I plodded along.

It was amusing to me that someone from my company called me yesterday afternoon to seek advice about running this year’s Philadelphia Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon (it used to be called the Philadelphia Distance Run). It just makes me laugh that people would look to me for advice about running. I have run this race four or five times, but’s it’s been several years since I last ran it. I’ve completed two marathons, and two or three Broad Street 10 Milers. I can’t tell you how many 5Ks that I’ve run over the years. Nonetheless, I don’t consider myself an expert. I’m slow and bigger than most long distance runners (that’s a nice way to say that I carry a little more weight than most if not all decent distance runners).

So what did I tell him?

1) Get into a training program. Whether it’s a runner’s group at the YMCA or like Team in Training or it’s simply an on-line or written plan like one from Hal Higdon, I think these programs can help keep one focused on doing the right mileage and exercise and rest to prepare for a longer race. I used a modified Hal Higdon plan when I prepared for both of my marathons. As a numbers guy, I created spreadsheets to help track by progress through my training. I tracked distance and time, and I tracked details about each of my runs and workouts about how I felt, where I ran, and what the weather was like. It was amazing to watch my mileage build up from week to week.

2) Get some accountability through a runner’s group or a friend who’s at your level. I found a friend to train with for many of my shorter runs, and I asked several people to ride their bike alongside me for a few of my longer runs. They carried my water and gel packs, but they also provided conversation to distract me when the mileage was getting the best of me.

3) Cross train and rest. These are important to build your strength and cardio capacity without overdoing it. I liked to ride my bike as one of my cross training activities, and I would recommend swimming and lifting as great cross training activities. I looked forward to my scheduled rest days. These gave me a chance to recharge. These are just as important as the exercise days.

4) Practice hydration and fueling on your longer runs. I ran with a belt with four water bottles. I filled one or two of the bottles with an energy drink like Accelerade. Practicing eating a gel shot or energy bar in the middle of your longer runs. Find out what works for you and your stomach. I learned that certain gel packs don’t work with my stomach. It’s best to learn this lesson while training and not during your race.

5) Set goals. A first goal would be to make it through your training and to the starting line of the race. Next, your goal should be to finish the race. Then, you can start adding time related goals – overall finish time, negative splits, etc. Finally, you might want to add a stretch goal that you can go after if you’re really feeling good.

6) Have fun. The running community is great – before, during, and after the race. Talk to other runners. Find out what works for them. Ask them about their favorite races. Cherish each moment.

For not being a running expert, I guess I have a lot to say.

Are you a runner? What tips would you add to this list?

Clearing the Bases by Mike Schmidt

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Jon Stolpe

I’m a big sports fan. My favorite teams are the Eagles, the Bears, the Cubs, the Phillies, and the Bulls (I guess I’d throw the Flyers in there as my hockey team). My favorite players of all time are probably Walter Payton (football), Julius Erving and Michael Jordan (basketball), and Mike Schmidt (baseball). So when Leanne gave me Clearing the Bases by Mike Schmidt as part of my birthday gift, I was clearly looking forward to hearing what Michael Jack Schmidt had to say about his playing career and about his thoughts about the current state of the game of baseball.

I wasn’t disappointed.

Schmidt talks about the ups and downs of his playing days from his insecurities to his 3 MVPs and World Series Championship. Schmidt also shares about his feelings about the Steroid area, free agency, and Pete Rose. (The book was written in 2006, so I would be curious to know if Schmidt’s views on the Steroid era have changed as more information has been disclosed since then.) It was interesting to get his perspectives and each of these, but this wasn’t my biggest takeaway.

I was first of all surprised by Schmidt’s expression of his faith. Growing up, I can’t remember hearing anything about his faith, so it was refreshing to hear this. I’d love to sit down over a cup of coffee or lunch with the legend and talk more about our common bond.

The other thing that had a big impact on me was Schmidt’s discussion about managing. Obviously, he was talking about managing baseball, but one paragraph in particular spoke to me as a manager and leader:

“The sixth and most important attribute of a good manager – and this one’s a straight fastball right down the middle – is the ability to communicate. To be a good manager, you must be a good communicator. That means being able to talk to your players, not at them. You need to work at relating to them, but at the same time, you need to keep a respectful distance. Show you care about them personally. You can’t just stroll out of your office into the clubhouse one day a week and fake it; you have to have a consistent presence.”

I’ll be hanging this one up in my office.

If you’re a baseball plan, I’d recommend this book.

2nd Chances

Posted on July 15, 2008 by Jon Stolpe

If you needed another example to show that God is the God of second chances, you should have been watching Monday night’s All-Star game Home Run Derby at Yankees Stadium. The last batter of the first round was Texas Rangers RBI leader Josh Hamilton. Josh has an interesting story to tell. He appeared to have it all going when he was drafted number one by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays a few years ago. With a number one draft choice usually comes a nice contract and signing bonus. Well, Josh quickly disappeared from the baseball seen when his addictions to alcohol, heroine, and other drugs took over. He literally was gone from baseball for three years. Typically, this would spell the end to any one’s professional sports career. Interestingly enough, it didn’t mean the end for Josh. Somewhere along the road, he connected with God. He found accountability, and he cleaned up his life. And Monday night, Josh was the star of the Home Run Derby after he nailed 28 home runs in the first round.

Now, I’m not saying that God’s going to turn you into a star baseball player if you follow Him. However, I’m convinced that there is nothing you could ever do that would make God love you less. If you’re far from Him, He’s still there for you.

Until the next post, I’m thankful for second chances…