Is Parental Guidance Akin to Coaching?

Is Parental Guidance Akin to Coaching?

            As we are reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley in our English class, I have noticed many possible themes the author is trying to convey to her reader. One major idea I believe Shelley was trying to demonstrate is related to parental care and responsibility. She was trying to share that most children’s personality is directly influenced by their parents’ behavior and personality. When parents fulfill their responsibilities and show affection toward their children, the children tend to mirror these characteristics into themselves. This is shown with, both, Elizabeth’s and Victor Frankenstein’s character. They were both deeply loved and extremely cared for throughout their childhood, which resulted in the development of their very well-mannered, keen and loving personality. On the other hand, the creature, who was abandoned and neglected by his creator and most of society, developed a bitter and vengeful personality.

            Could this theme apply to a coach and his/her athlete? Does an athlete’s efficacy depend on his/her coach?

            I believe that an athlete’s performance is directly motivated by the coach. Countless athletes have the talent, but not all of them go pro because most athletes can’t distinguish these talents without assistance. This assistance is provided by a good coach who is devoted into executing his/her responsibility. Like parents, a coach tends to develop a respectful and beneficial relationship with an athlete. Like parents, good coaches also comfort, care and support an athlete when needed. Like children, athletes respond to the coach’s behavior with respect, care, and personal growth.

            A paradigm for this is John Calipari, who is the best college basketball coach alive (may be biased as a UK fan). He produced about seventeen draft picks in the four years he has coached Kentucky, thirteen of those picks were in the first round. He has also coached three number 1 overall picks which included Derrick Rose, John Wall and Anthony Davis. Derrick Rose is now an all-star and Anthony Davis was part of Team USA in the 2012 Olympics. Akin to parents, John Calipari and many other coaches nurture their athletes, developing them into talented professional competitors.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/story/2012-04-02/kentucky-kansas-ncaa-analysis/53959156/1

By: Viresh

Jeremy Lin and my Unadulterated Adventure With Faith

Jeremy Lin and My Unadulterated Adventure With Faith

By: Vincent Cao

I’ve been reading about a lot of faith. But not like faith as in the Bible… Ironically, I have found this faith in Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle and in John Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany. This dichotomy of literature, one being a more satirical piece while the other a more serious, analytical one, presents faith and religion in two different lightings.

Cat’s Cradle, a satirical piece, uses a cacophony of random characters, symbols, and topics: religion, science, love, and death. The book demonstrates a dynamic evolution in the narrator’s religious views. At one point, the book even suggests that religion may sometimes be a futile effort: “She was a fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks he sees what God is Doing, [writes Bokonon].” Although the book concentrates on the arms race, and the debilitating effects that the fictional Dr. Felix Hoenikker has on society with his invention of the atomic bomb, we as readers can see the underlying religion tones throughout the novel. Bokononism, a fictional religion in the book, focuses on some peculiar and idiosyncratic beliefs and inspires many characters in the book to do unimaginable things. But nonetheless, I noticed that religion could sometimes drive men (or women...) mad. Don’t worry. I’m not sexist. I promise.

On a more serious note, I found A Prayer for Owen Meany extremely uplifting. The ending? Just wow. Owen Meany’s Christ-like persona captured my fervent interests for finishing the book; as an instrument of God, he certainly filled that dull, uninspiring void that I expected from those kinds of books. His premonitions, savior-like mentality, and distinct faith resonated deeply with me. Through Owen Meany, I found that faith becomes deeply rooted and pervasive within non-believers through the actions of others.

And what about faith in Wuthering Heights? Sure the characters discuss faith and religion, but I feel as if Joseph is the only one who zealously believes. Is that why each of the Earnshaws and Lintons are destroyed one by one? Because they don’t have faith? I also noticed how Joseph is left as the only character that remains unchanged throughout the entire novel. Do we credit this static characteristic to his zealous faith?

Jeremy Lin, Linsanity, The Chosen One, MVP, and Harvard Basketball were all synonymous at one point. Jeremy Lin, a current Houston Rockets NBA player, has inspired those on and off the court through his quick crossovers, determination, and perhaps most importantly, his faith. One journalist uniquely writes about Jeremy Lin and his faith:  “And, yes, he is a Christian, too, but with a brand of faith, shaped by his background, that I can relate to much better than many I have seen in the public arena.” Jeremy Lin has been seen praying on and off the court; he has been heard gratefully dedicating his accomplishments to God and his faith. And through these actions, we often wonder whether this faith has made him the dynamic and cultural figure he is today. “ ‘I do believe God has the perfect plan,’” says Lin. Recently, Jeremy Lin scored 31 points in one game and racked up 34 points and 12 assists in another. With all of these accomplishments, we, or at least I, often wonder how much of an influence his faith has had.

Thus concludes my unadulterated experience with faith through literature, whatever Wuthering Heights is (just kidding), and sports.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/sports/basketball/the-knicks-jeremy-lin-faith-pride-and-points.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&pagewanted=2&adxnnlx=1384481191-lBqF4EQc6lu9DoC+ucAlxQ

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/14/sports/basketball/jeremy-lin-got-away-from-the-knicks-then-got-better-with-the-rockets.html?ref=sports

                                     

Does Plight Favor Destruction or Perfection?

Does Plight Favor Destruction or Perfection? 

I am sure most people have heard the cliché, “No Pain. No Gain.” The belief that people will prosper overall after faced with difficult situations was, and still is, widely accepted by society. But this statement doesn't apply to Wuthering Heights. In fact, Emily Bronte is somewhat conflicting this belief in Wuthering Heights.

Up until the very end of the book, various characters of Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, have regularly exhibited abuse and great suffering. From Heathcliff’s arrival into Wuthering Heights up to his departure halfway through the book, Heathcliff has dealt with considerable mistreatment. Once he returns, he inflicts abuse onto the characters around him. This grief and mishandling plays a major role in the book as it develops or shapes the characters. Why do you think this nature of behavior is lavished in the novel? Was this a possible meaning Emily Bronte was trying to convey to her readers? Does pain just create greater pain and generate vengeance or distress?

Personally, I believe that challenging situations instigate a person’s growth. A great example of this is when NFL player, Adrian Peterson, had a breakout season after suffering a critical ACL tear two years ago. He was named MVP of the 2012 season - the same year of his return - and nearly broke the total rush yards in a single season record.

But, I may be biased toward this belief as it is “the danger of a single story.” This may be Bronte’s purpose; to force the readers into viewing her view of the world. Bronte is giving the other side of the story, the story in which athletes don’t recover from injuries or plight. This was evident last year during the Manti Te’o girlfriend hoax. After discovering that his girlfriend’s apparent existence and death was completely imaginary, Manti Te’o’s football performance disintegrated. The very infamous BCS championship against Alabama highlighted this break down as he was “not his normally productive self” during Alabama’s sweeping win. His draft pick also suffered enormously as he dropped into the second round. Although it may be too early, he has not made a significant difference to the San Diego Chargers, either. Will Te’o bounce back to become the superior athlete he once was in College or will he continue to break down just as the characters in Wuthering Heights have?

By: Viresh

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1451061-adrian-petersons-acl-tear-a-closer-look-at-his-injury-and-incredible-recovery