Rothacker Reviews

Scott Savor

I wrote last year about Scott and what he meant to us here.

Scott left the Athletic Performance Center of Sports + Field last week to take a position within the University of Tennessee's women's athletic department. In addition to working on strength and conditioning for various sports programs, Scott will be teaching at the university. (Scott has the distinction, which he earned nearly a decade ago, of being the youngest head strength and conditioning coach for a Division I school).

We are going to hear much more about Scott in the future.  But today I would like to leave you with one of Scott's major observations and points: Negativity in coaching; it must stop.  The damage that a coach, who uses a negative coaching style, can inflict upon our young is staggering.  Watch the body language and demeanor of student athletes who have been screamed at by their coaches.  Yes, we all know about being made tough.  This can be accomplished however, through dignity and respect.

Good luck Scott!  We're proud to say that we knew you when...

Hues of Hawaii

She came once again to help out sick kids.  At one time she was sick too.  She knows what they endure.  God blessed her with the talent to paint.  She was about to go on live TV and paint to help raise funds for the Tampa Branch of the All Children's Hospital Guild for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit under construction in St. Pete. As she approached ABC Action News in Tampa there were two problems: she didn't know what she was going to paint and she had never painted on canvass before.

Deanna Marinello is a senior at Dunedin High School in Dunedin, Florida, where she is preparing to graduate, continue on to college and study graphic design.  Deanna was diagnosed with Scoliosis (curvature of the spine) when she was in sixth grade.  Under the supervision of Dr. Love and All Children's Hospital, she wore a full-torso body brace, sixteen hours a day for one entire year.  Medical care continued to this past Fall when Deanna was officially discharged as a patient of Dr. Hahn. (Dr. Love had retired).

Along with her brother Miles and dad Victor, Deanna passed a Hibiscus tree on the sidewalk leading to ABC Action News's front door...

And an idea was born

I had the unbelievable privilege of an unforgettable experience...I was there.  Rosemary, my wife is president of All Children's Hospital Tampa Branch.  Lissette Campos of ABC Action News had made arrangements with Rosemary to air Deanna painting and to talk to Mark Scaglione, treasurer of the Tampa Branch, who spoke about the branch's upcoming Tampa Bay's Premier Iron Chef Challenge. Here is a tape of Lissette interviewing Mark and Deanna.

From a glance at a Hibiscus tree to canvass in less than an hour.  And remember, Deanna had never painted on canvass before!  Deanna's piece is titled: Hues From Hawaii.

Deanna's mom Lyn, helped me out with information today.  After a conversation with Lyn I have so much more to tell you about this amazing family - and I will!

A Smokin' Hot Piece of Brain Candy

Egads!  If this doesn't elicit a hot smokin' visual, I'm not sure anything else could.

Although this artwork is breathtaking, I'm talkin' bout the artwork of Scott Ginsberg.  Go here for that artwork.  I'm thinking if Dale Carnegie were still around today, this is the kind of stuff that he would be writing about.

For an explanation of my post's title, please go to point 6 on Scott, the Name Tag Guy's post.

Do you know what at times, I am uncontrollably guilty of?  Picture Number Five, the robot from Short Circuit:

 

Need input.  Need input.  Need input.

I blast around to every little corner of the Universe looking for more.  More information, more knowledge, more wisdom.

I have some advice for you David.  Take a deep breath, and then exhale.  Relax.  Scott Ginsberg has just what you need...well, except for that mountain retreat with that huge window that overlooks the valley where you could take a journal and quietly address this bright and articulate young man's thirty points.  Seriously David, this isn't rocket science.  Scott tells you what you need to do. 

Listen man, I have an idea for you.  This will require discretion, courage and valor.  Perhaps you could work for folks like Scott and Dan Schwabel?  We both know how much you admire this generation! Perhaps you could infiltrate organizations over run with old coots like youself and teach them about folks like Scott and Dan?

Brain Candy photo from ruk777 on Flickr

Number Five from ygnacioduran on Flickr

To Represent Her Country

Did you ever play in organized sports?  Did you ever dream of playing at the elite level of that particular sport ?  "Sue Jones on the foul line, her team down by one point with two seconds left on the clock in the Gold Medal basketball game of the 2016 Summer Olympics."  Who hasn't dreamed of being in Sue's shoes?

Our daughter Carla is a high school junior who plays basketball in Hillsborough County, Florida.  Carla is good.  Not All-American good, not even All-Hillsborough County good.  But she wants to be.  Piles of worn out basketball shoes and worn out basketballs tell us so. 

This summer Carla has two, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to improve her skills and to develop her character (and have some serious fun!)  First, she is going to the USA Junior Nationals International Sports Festival  in Champaign, Illinois, to represent the state of Florida.  Second, along with her teammates, she will travel to Italy to represent the United States in the Italian Shoot-Out.  

Carla in flight

Carla went through a qualification process for each event and passed. 365 Sports is the organization behind the Italy trip.  Rosemary and I cannot possibly say enough good things about 365 Sports!  They are highly organized and do a masterful job in communicating with parents. 

Students are responsible to finance their own trip, so Carla is on a fundraising campaign seeking sponsorship.  Carla promises to be an honorable student diplomat and to represent the state of Florida and her country with pride and dignity.  

Please consider helping to sponsor Carla's dream to play at the international level

If you are in a position to donate funds, please click on the Pay Pal tip jar titled Carla2Italy, located on the lower right corner of this screen.  Or go directly to 365 Sports to sponsor Carla.  Thanks in advance for your consideration!

Design: Whipped Creme & Long Hair

What can whipped creme do to long hair to produce a stunning look?  Well, I am fairly certain that one must first have the kind of hair that you can do something with - like Cory Kennedy.

As an appreciator of advertising and marketing, I actually subject myself to more advertisements than the average human being.  Over the years, I have built up an above average ad-force field.  To penetrate that force field and take hold of my attention, something must stand out.  Cory Kennedy's hair stands out.

Styles, trends and fashions come and go.  There's just something about long hair on women that for me, has always been attractive.  I do not think long hair looks good on all women*, but on some it does.

The other amazing thing about whipped creme and hair here, is the look that whipped creme can effect.  An Internet search of Ms. Kennedy reveals just what whipped creme can do.  Unbelievable!

If you performed that Internet search, you will quickly found out that Cory is a bit of a wild child.  A very young wild child.  While my intent is to try and not judge here, I can't help but to think if Cory were my daughter I wouldn't be too happy. Personal stuff aside, Cory Kennedy (click on play video diary to see the hair style I am referring to) is evidence that whipped creme has the potential to produce whiplash.

*Rosemary, my wife,has absolutely gorgeous hair and it isn't long.

Tampa: Basketball Training

"Dad!  I kept my eyes on her feet just like Scott told me to do.  It worked, I stole the ball.  I couldn't believe it!"

"You know mom, I'm really starting to think about college!"

Scott Savor is responsible for initiating both of the above remarks.

Scott is a Human Performance Specialist, who works out of Sport's + Field's, Athletic Performance Center.  We are sending Carla to work with Scott to improve her basketball skills.  We think we're getting more.

Victoria, our older daughter started playing basketball in 1991.  Rosemary and I have been around girl's basketball coaches ever since, including the prestigious Trinity High School teams of the mid-nineties. With the exception of crossing paths with Pat Summitt, at Trinity while she was recruiting for the University of Tennessee, we have never met anyone who knows basketball like Scott Savor.

One of Scott's main performance enhancing philosophies is that over ninety percent of an athlete's potential for improvement can be found above the neck. If you are a parent, you don't even have to wonder how refreshing this point of view is, you instinctively feel it.

Although Scott trains professionals, he is still taking on high school and college athletes. If you or your sons/daughters are interested in one, free complimentary workout with Scott, please contact me by e-mail and I'll hook you up.  david(dot)rothacker(at)gmail(dot)com.  Please contact me if you'd like to help your student athlete improve more than their vertical jump, say like their desire to go to college!!

Scott's credentials.

Update 8/3/2009 - In a mind blowing twist of fate, Scott left Tampa, Florida, last week to work with Pat Summitt and other coaches in a strength and conditioning role at UT.  I am sure that UT put in careful diligence in selecting Scott.  They are well aware of the wisdom that he brings above and beyond the science required of his position.  They are well aware of his coaching philosophies and his passion to help develop young people's minds.  I know they know, but they don't quite know how much they really are getting with Scott.  Please allow me to paint a more clear picture:

New York Met's Scout in 1965: That Nolan Ryan is a talented young man with a blazing fast ball.  Let's draft him.

Tampa: Marketing Solutions

One more day at work for the MAN is one more day too many!  It's time to take your education and work experiences and put them to work - for You, Inc.  It's time to start your own business.

You hook up with your lawyer and accountant buddies.  They give you some good advice.  You launch.  You startup.  It's official.  It really is now You, Inc.  Cool!

The first day you hang out your shingle.  Boy did that feel good!  You get busy doing your thing.  It sure does feel good!  But then a stark reality begins to set in.  How am I going to get customers to my door?  You drive up and down Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and and a second cold, stark reality sets in.  There are four other businesses just like yours!  Yipes!  What do you do??

You call Jason and Jennelle.  That's what you do.  Right now. Jason Wilson and Jennelle Diaz Sherman own Full Circle Marketing Solutions.  Jason and Jennelle are two of the most passionate people I've ever met.  Their desire to help business owners just like you is off the charts. 

What I really like about these guys is that they're not going to storm into your business and tell you what to do.  No, they are going to sit down and talk with you.  They are going to learn what you and your business is all about.  They will ask questions.  You will sense their concern.  And you will feel their energy.  And you will begin to envision customers lining up at your door.  You will.  But they won't, if you don't contact them.  Contact them today!

 

 

Brazen Careerist

Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk.

Today's world of work is not the same as your father's was.  Thank God!  Penelope Trunk, columnist for the Boston Globe and Yahoo Finance in addition to her own Website has written a spot on, insightful book titled Brazen Careerist.  Penelope hopes to provide a roadmap for Gen X and Y'ers to follow in pursuit of their own life's work.  Drawing on real world experience, she stories upon such topics as:

• Grad School
• Adventures
• Resumes
• Interviews
• Managers
• Office Politics
• Sex Discrimination
• Promotions
• The New American Dream

Penelope's work has been referred to as the modern day version of What Color is Your Parachute?  While the Brazen Careerist is a manifesto and rallying wake-up cry for Gen X and Y'ers, I find that it talks frankly and honestly to a whole other generation of folks.  Mine.  The Boomers.

As a Boomer manager, I feel as if Brazen Careerist is my own personal undercover spy, infiltrating the Gen X and Y'ers' world.  Of course for me, there isn't a trace of spying or undercover that goes into dealing with folks from these generations.  It is all about collaboration.  And if one wishes to collaborate, they must understand the other collaboratoree.  Brazen Careerist introduces us, stays in the conversation and provides that much needed understanding.

For Boomers who do not recognize the workplace change today, there is no help.  But for those of us who relish in the new environment and who cherish the spirit and attitude of those who will one day be placing us in nursing homes*, I find the Brazen Careerist positively fascinating!!

*Our Gen Y daughter has for sometime reminded us of her role in this potential eventuality, helping to explain why we should see and support her point of view...or perhaps our nursing home will not have all of the amenities that we would expect.  She tried to explain the concept of an outhouse...

Penelope Trunk

"One of the best posts on this site ever! I wish I had such focus." This is a comment in a post written by Guy Kawasaki at his site, How to Change the World.  Guy is interviewing Penelope Trunk about her new book Brazen Careerist. 

I am going to talk about Penelope's book soon here at the Reviews. I want to offer a point of view that differs from most others that I've read on Brazen Careerist.  I am also including Penelope in an upcoming RadioBack mission.  But for now I just wanted to point out this interview by legendary, rock star author blogger consultant rad guy Mr. Kawasaki.

Don't Treat Them Like Children

Allan Chochinov is a partner at industrial design firm Core77.  He writes an essay here titled Those Who Can, Teach.  1000 words of advice for design teachers. 

I am going to assume that undergrad students in design school mostly fall into the Connected Generation.  Even if you are not a design teacher, you probably either work with or manage folks in this age group.  Read this article through those lens. 

Along with this Allan tip: Talk to undergrads like they're grads; talk to grads like they're undergrads: This one is my favorite:

Don't start your class with your lesson.

There is only one way to start a design class: Ask your students what they did the past week, what they read, what design shows they attended. Communicate that design learning is not confined within class (or campus) walls, and give them license to go out and learn all the things we don't possibly have enough semesters to teach. I go so far as to say "You can bring in less homework next week if you just go see something." And some of them take me up on it. (Precious few, sadly.)

Remember, read this article and substitute your current role for that of design teacher.  Great stuff!!