Where did I go for the past 5 months?

Well it certainly has been a while since I’ve blogged.  I appreciate the concern about why I’ve stopped.  There are five main reasons why I've been MIA.

1 – The last blogging I was doing was about the most inspirational people in my life.  I was really enjoying that but eventually it ran into really, really busy time of the year for me and something had to give.  I hope to pick that project up again sometime because there are certainly a lot of people in my life I want to give credit to.  Once I lost the rhythm of writing those stories every week it has been hard to get motivated to start back up.  I’m sure I will get that going again.

2 – I also did quite a bit of traveling this summer, most memorably a trip to Iceland for a couple weeks, and I just wanted to unplug for a while.  I did put some videos/pics on Twitter of that trip so if you wanna see some incredible stuff it’s out there.  If you want to get away from it all, I recommend a trip to Iceland.  It’s not that far away and you’ll be amazed that a place like that exists on this planet.

3 – And now that the school year has started back up I’m busy with the regular grind of the year.  I’m sure I will get back to some regular blogging but, if/when I do, I want to make sure it’s original and interesting to read.

4 – I write a weekly email that is very blog-like about our track and field team.  If you want on that list just email me at jwise@goshockers.com and I’ll put you on the list.

5 – I tend to get lazy sometimes. 

In case you’re curious, I still watch a lot of movies (currently going alphabetically through all 481 dvd’s I own on a nightly basis).  I am the host of a new online show about our track team called On Pace.  I’m super excited about the 2017-18 track season and our first year in the American Conference (Outdoor Championships back near home in Cincinnati in May!).

My mom had to evacuate her home in Florida for Hurricane Irma.  But as she said, “Don’t worry about me, I’ve been through this before and know what to do.”  It’s the same thing when people ask me about tornadoes in Kansas! 

I’m not sure what or when I’ll blog again but I’m sure I’ll get back to it soon!  Until then you’ll have to settle for following me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, text or, ya know, just talk to me in person.

Thanks and Go Shocks!

People that inspire me - Jim Wise

There are 38 weeks left in the year and once a week I will write about someone in my life that is inspiring or motivating to me.  Hopefully others will read it and gain a little bit of inspiration in their life as well.  There is no particular order to these writings, just a bunch of people I am fortunate enough to know.  So without further ado ….

Inspirational person #13 of 50 – Jim Wise

Jim Wise is my older brother.

Jim in the middle

I have two brothers that are 8 and 9 years older than me so being the youngest was not always easy.  And my older brothers did the normal things to me that siblings would do in terms of picking on me and giving me a hard time but as I grew up Jim started to pick on me less and support me more.  And to this day I don’t have anyone that is as supportive as him.

To be around Jim is to be constantly laughing and entertained.  He has a very outgoing personality and is usually the center of attention whenever we have a family get together.  He can take an everyday, ordinary story and turn it into a standup comedy routine.  He is one of those people you just like to be around because you know something funny or memorable will happen.

Our family has always been into all kinds of motorsports and Jim was no different.  While I was more into the go-kart type racing he was more into motorcycles.  I can remember watching both of my brothers at a young age riding around our farm on their motorbikes and wanting to follow their footsteps in some fashion.  Eventually Jim would drag race Harley Davidson’s and win several races and trophies. 

As I got into high school and more into team sports, Jim would often show up and be one of my biggest fans.  I didn’t tell him at the time but it really meant a lot to see him take time from his busy schedule to travel to one of my games or meets.

At a young age he began working construction and has worked his way up the ranks through his company for the past 30+ years.  He is an extremely hard working and dedicated professional and his fingerprints are on building projects all over state of Ohio and city of Cincinnati.  I imagine when he retires he will have a great sense of pride in all that he has accomplished in his work life.

More about Jim below but first …

I asked Jim seven questions, here are his responses …

Question 1:  What advice I would I give the 15-year-old version of yourself?

Jim: 1) Listen to your parents they know what is best for you! 2) Be careful on who you pick as friends because they can have a big influence on some of the decisions you might chose to make. 3) Do not let people influence you to make bad decisions 4) Stay in school, go to college so you don’t have to work manual labor (Like I have for 30 years).

Question 2:  If money was no option, what would you do for the rest of your life?

Jim:  I would spend the money helping the less fortunate, so they could have a better life. I would also make sure that my mother could go anywhere and have anything that her heart desired even though she could do that on her own. But Hey, I love my mom! I would also provide the money to build the world’s largest dog shelter and pay the staff a good wage to run / operate it. Then my wife and I could then travel the world helping people, and rescuing dogs.

Question 3:  What is your favorite non-work thing to do?

Jim:  After 30 years of hard work my favorite thing to do is take it easy, besides that I like to travel to Florida when I’m off in the winter to spend time with my mother and wonderful family Debbie, Rocky, John and Colton!

Question 4:  If your life was a movie, what would the title be and who would play you?

Jim:  The Wild Adventures of Jimmy Wise. I would pick Evel Knievel to play me.

Question 5:  What one thing would you change about society?

Jim:  I would like to change how society judges people when they don’t know the whole story or have walked in that person’s shoes.

Question 6:  Who inspires you and why?

Jim:  My younger brother John Wise. From a young age, John exceled at anything he did. He started racing go go-karts, and became the Jeff Gordon of go-kart racing winning many races. As you might already know many of the kids he raced against went on to become NASCAR and IndyCar drivers. My Brother went on to win the 1992 400m state championship in the state of Ohio. He then went to Kent State University on a track scholarship where he graduated with a degree in business management. John was also named to the all-Mid-American Conference team as a sprinter in 1997-1998. John also was part of the MAC Championship and the 4x100m relay team. After college John joined the Kent State staff serving under current Shockers coach Steve Rainbolt for five seasons. John later returned to Eastern Brown for three seasons as the head coach and won the Conference Coach of the Year five times in track and twice in cross country. John later moved to Kansas to become a Track coach for the Wichita State Shockers and in 2011, he was promoted to Assistant Director of Track and Field that goes along with his coaching and recruiting roles. My brother is someone who loves what he does for a living. He goes to work every day and does what he loves. John could have any job he chooses, yet he loves coaching and teaching these young adults how to become better athletes and outstanding young adults. Therefore, he inspires me! I’m so proud to call him my brother! When people ask me who he is I love to tell them this story. I’m so proud of you John!

Question 7:  What makes you laugh?

Jim:  Facebook! Funnier than Monty Python and Benny Hill!

Final thoughts … Why is Jim Wise inspirational to me?

I’m realizing it’s impossible to accurately describe Jim on paper.  If you really want to know about Jim, you have to experience being with and around him.

But what I can definitely say with all sincerity is that Jim has one of the biggest hearts a human being was ever given.  You can read some of that above in his answers but something that isn’t mentioned is how he took in our nephew Colton and, along with his wife Debbie, has helped raise him into young adulthood.  This wasn’t something Jim signed up for but it was a responsibility he took as seriously as anything he’s ever done in life.

 

Our nephew Colton is now in college and one of the smartest young people you could ever meet.  While Jim may not have gone to college or earned a master’s degree, he is a graduate of the school of hard knocks and made sure Colton had everything he needed to start a successful life of his own.  I’m not sure I could’ve done the same thing as Jim and Debbie because I’m probably much too selfish with my own life.  We’re all lucky to have people like Jim in our world.

You don’t choose your siblings.  Sometimes your brother or sister is the closest person to you in your life and sometimes it doesn’t work out that way.  I think my relationship with my brother Jimmy has had a little bit of everything and I feel extremely lucky for that.  Life isn’t perfect and neither are all the people in it.  Jim has made mistakes like all of us have, but unlike some people he has never blamed anyone else for his lot in life and has always continued to strive and work hard to make it better for him and the people around him.  Sometimes we are inspired by professional athletes, leaders in the business world or successful academic types but more often than not there are people like my brother Jim who does the real heavy lifting in life so the rest of us can live a little easier.

Thank you Jim for being a great example for Colton and for being the best big brother a little spoiled punk like me could ever have!

People that inspire me - Korey Torgerson

There are 39 weeks left in the year and once a week I will write about someone in my life that is inspiring or motivating to me.  Hopefully others will read it and gain a little bit of inspiration in their life as well.  There is no particular order to these writings, just a bunch of people I am fortunate enough to know.  So without further ado ….

Inspirational person #12 of 50 – Korey Torgerson

Korey Torgerson is an Associate Athletic Director at Wichita State in charge of NCAA Compliance.  To most coaches, the words NCAA compliance are like nails on a chalkboard and the people in charge of it are generally looked at like Toby Flenderson in the tv show The Office.

But the big difference between Korey Torgerson and Toby Flenderson is that Korey is universally respected, well-liked and much needed in our athletic department.

There are many people behind the scenes that do work that the rest of us coaches dare not try.  They cover our butts by making sure we aren’t breaking NCAA rules and make sure we know what’s going on in the world outside of the track or field.  They are critical to our success and if you’re lucky enough to have a guy like Korey in your corner then you can really focus on what you love … coaching and working with young people.

Did you know Korey was a college tennis player and eventually a women’s basketball coach at Bethany College?  Did you know his wife, Deana, was an All-American Javelin thrower for the Shocker Track & Field team and her photo adorns the North end of Cessna Stadium?  Did you know that the amount of paper he’s printed out for me to go through in my 11 years at WSU is equal to a forest the size of Greenland?

More about Korey below but first …

I asked Korey five questions, here are his responses …

​Question 1:  If your life was a movie, what would the title be and who would play you?

Korey:  If my life was a movie, the title would probably be "Under the Radar."  In my role as Associate Athletic Director/Compliance, I try to stay "under the radar" and behind the scenes.  Compliance work is not "in your face" work.  A lot of compliance work is done behind the scenes and I enjoy being a behind the scenes person.  I have never craved the spotlight.  The majority of time compliance is in the spotlight, it is usually not positive news.  Former WSU AD Eric Sexton also called me "Radar" after the character in M.A.S.H. because I would hand him pieces of paper and just ask him to sign it...like Radar.  I would have the talented Justin Timberlake play my part.

Question 2:  If money was no option, what would you do with the rest of your life?

Korey:  I could win the lottery tomorrow and not make any drastic changes to my daily life.  I would buy a little bigger house to give all of us more room.  I believe I would continue to work because I would get bored if I didn't work.  I have kids in 2nd, 5th and 7th grade.  It would be hard to do a lot of traveling with them in school.  I would play more golf, work out more often, travel and do more volunteer work.  I would also give away money to organizations for whom I have a passion!

Question 3:  What would you like to change about today’s society?

Korey:  Our society needs to become more fact-oriented and less spin-oriented.  Our society also needs to be more about substance than show.  We need to be more tolerant.  We need to spend more time in the other person's shoes and understand their perspective before we close our minds to their ideas and beliefs.

Question 4: What have you yet to accomplish that you’d very much like to happen?

Korey:  When I started working in athletics, I said I wanted to be a small part in a team winning a National Championship.  The Shockers came close in 2013 when the men's basketball team went to the Final Four.  I like working at a smaller school because I think we appreciate the "small" victories.  Our coaches, administrators, and student-athletes work hard to accomplish big things...with fewer resources.  We will continue work hard and push ourselves as far as we can go.

Question 5:  Who/What inspires you?

Korey:  People inspire me, especially the people who dream about bigger things and do not limit themselves.  It is inspiring to see people struggle but continue to persevere until they find success.  I see it all the time in student-athletes.  The adjustment from high school athletics to college athletics is a jump for many student-athletes.  They will often struggle for the first year or two and then you often see a light bulb turn on toward the end of their sophomore year.  Because of their hard work, good attitude, attention to detail and ability to receive coaching, they find success. I believe that when we don't find success, it is often because we get in our own way.  I am around and talk to people on a daily basis that inspire me, including Deana and my kids!

Final thoughts … Why is Korey Torgerson inspirational to me?

Every few weeks we have a department coaches’ meeting and Korey will stand up to give us updates on NCAA rules or quiz us to make sure we are staying on top of things.  He endures Coach Rainbolt and Chris Lamb’s endless questions about the most inane topics imaginable with a smile and a serious reply every time.  If he doesn’t know the answer he’ll say so and go find it.  And he always does it with the best interest of the coaches at heart.

My previous stop in Division I athletics did not have someone as easy to work with in the NCAA compliance department as Korey.  In fact it seemed, often, as if we were working against each other.  I know this is more common than not at universities across the nation and those of us at Wichita State need to know how lucky we are to have Korey on our side.

Korey is one of the first administrators I ever saw drive all the way to Northern Iowa to watch our team compete in the MVC Championships.  And he did it multiple times.  That meant a lot to me, our staff and the kids on our team to see him there.  And he wasn’t just there to make an appearance – he was emotionally invested in our kids and keeping track of every event hoping we could pull out a victory.  He didn’t get a bonus for that or even recognition within the department.  He did it because he’s a great guy and cares about the track and field program.  That’s who Korey Torgerson is.

Too often we take the people around us for granted.  And often those people don’t let us know because they are humble don’t want to make us feel bad.  Korey is one of the true “good guys” in the world of college athletics that I’m sure much of the athletic department takes for granted.  We in the track and field program truly know how valuable he is to what we do on a daily basis.  Thank you Korey for being a true professional as well as being a great friend.  Hopefully this will give you a tiny bit of the recognition you undoubtedly deserve.  Go Shocks!

People that inspire me - Pat Wilson

There are 40 weeks left in the year and once a week I will write about someone in my life that is inspiring or motivating to me.  Hopefully others will read it and gain a little bit of inspiration in their life as well.  There is no particular order to these writings, just a bunch of people I am fortunate enough to know.  So without further ado ….

Inspirational person #11 of 50 – Pat Wilson

Pat Wilson is the pole vault coach at Wichita State University and I’ve been fortunate to work with him for almost the entire time I’ve been at WSU.  He was coaching across town at Friends University at the time and made the short move to his alma mater in the Fall of ’06.

Coach Wilson grew up in Leon, Kansas, and attended Bluestem High School before becoming a Shocker and contributing to the 1994 MVC team championship.  Pat has always been a Shocker at heart even though he took a long and winding path to get back to WSU.

Pat is a very unique individual.  He’s probably the funniest guy on our staff that no one realizes.  He can fall asleep sitting up in his office chair.  He was the drummer in a band.  Any kind of creative or manual labor job we think of … he is the one who ends up actually doing it.  He loves South Park, Beavis and Butthead and fishing.  If you want to know what his sense of humor is like … go to YouTube and watch Guy on a Buffalo.

More below but first …

I asked Pat five questions, here are his responses …

Question 1:  What advice would you give the 15-year-old version of yourself?

Pat:  Listen more, and talk less. You have a lifetime to form ideas and opinions. Never miss an opportunity to learn and grow.   And pay more attention in algebra...

Question 2:  What is your favorite non-professional thing to do and why?

Pat:  I guess it's no secret that I love the outdoors. Fishing, hunting and camping have always been some of my favorite things to do when I have spare time. 

Some of my earliest childhood memories were fishing with my grandfather, so I suppose there's a lot of nostalgia involved.  We all have something we like to do that puts us in a philosophical state of mind. For me, fishing is something that helps me recharge and feel normal again.

Question 3:  Where is the best place you have ever traveled and why?

Pat:  That would probably be a tossup between Northwest Ontario, Canada, and Kenai Alaska, but I would give Alaska just a slight edge. The fishing and the scenery are spectacular. In fact, I found it frustrating showing people pictures of my trip because the images didn't even come close to what it was like being there. 

And, any place I can fish and wear a hoodie in July is a winning in my book!

Question 4:  If you could change one thing about society what would it be?

Pat:  I wish we weren't so divided politically. I think as a people we have many more things in common than we realize, and somehow we have learned to focus on only on our differences.

Question 5:  Who inspires you and why?

Pat:  My athletes inspire me. 

There is always something satisfying about witnessing a new personal best, a newly developed skill, or a victory. It's especially inspirational when you're there every day to see the struggles that preceded them. 

My athletes probably think I'm never satisfied with their effort, technique, or their performance. 

But what they may not realize, is how amazed I am when they do something new, acquire a new skill, or compete at a high level.  I can't explain the feeling, but it never gets old. 

Final thoughts … Why is Pat Wilson inspirational to me?

A lot of people only see a college coach at practice or competition and think, “I’d love to have that job!”  And while I admit it’s an awesome job, getting to a workable situation isn’t always easy.  Pat Wilson is proof of that.

Obviously, Pat has always been a pole vaulter and loved the event.  He coached for many years in the Wichita City League working with young pole vaulters and then eventually worked his way to the college level at Friends University.  When he got hired at WSU it was as a part-time coach.  I can tell you that for a fact it wasn’t nearly enough money to live on, yet alone prosper.

Pat would get up way before the sun rose (around 3 or 4am) to work on the Wichita loading docks, then come to the office for a while before practice, then usually go to practice as long or longer than any coach (Pole Vault requires lots of practice time), and then do things like recruiting into the evening before falling asleep and doing it all over again on a daily basis.  He didn’t do this for weeks or months, he did it for YEARS.  Finally, WSU was able to put Pat on full-time and he was able to solely focus on working for the Shockers – something I assume has always been his dream.  And no one has ever given him anything in reaching his dreams.

I also admire his creativity in figuring out how to work around any problem he finds.  I think this is why he’s such a good coach too.  He’s able to think outside the box to develop a new training tool or another way to communicate something to his athletes.  It helps me as a coach to take another look at what I do.

Sometimes we take the people we see every day for granted.  And when you work with someone who is generally as humble and unassuming at Pat Wilson I imagine I’ve done the same.  But Coach Wilson, just know that all of us are really fortunate to work with you and are better people and coaches because of it.  I’m sure lots of your former athletes feel the same way!

People that inspire me - Dylan Shelton

There are 41 weeks left in the year and once a week I will write about someone in my life that is inspiring or motivating to me.  Hopefully others will read it and gain a little bit of inspiration in their life as well.  There is no particular order to these writings, just a bunch of people I am fortunate enough to know.  So without further ado ….

Inspirational person #10 of 50 – Dylan Shelton

Dylan Shelton is one of the funniest guys I know.

I go back to Ohio once or twice a year and I usually see a few friends and family while I’m there.  One of the people I always try to see is Dylan Shelton.  We graduated from Eastern High School together in 1993 and have been able to maintain a good friendship even though we haven’t lived anywhere near each other or even see each other with regularity.

We went to the “rival” junior highs of Russellville (me) and Sardinia (Dylan) before combining forces at Eastern.  I was athletic and slightly into other artsy type things.  Dylan was slightly athletic and way into all the other artsy type things.  If there was an extra-curricular activity he was going to be part of it.  He was a good hurdler in track, ran on a state qualifying cross country team, acted in plays, participated in the World qualifying Olympics of the Mind team … the list goes on and on.

Having different interests and being in different social circles, how did we end up being friends?  Humor.

I remember buying a book of David Letterman’s Top-10 lists and we laughed uncontrollably while reading it aloud.  Saturday Night Live became a bit of an obsession and the Monday chats about Chris Farley, Adam Sandler and Phil Hartman became regular.  In our senior year English class we had to do a project of anything we wanted and I made a SNL-type video of which Dylan was the main star.  Embarrassingly funny sketches of Wayne’s World, the Superfans and Deep Thoughts were just part of the hour long VHS I still have.

Fast forward two decades and I’m still doing my thing in the world of athletics and Dylan is still doing his in the world of arts as an actor and director at MadCap Theater in Cincinnati.  He also does improvisational comedy and other cool things that I try and catch whenever I’m back home.

More below but first …

I asked Dylan five questions, here are his responses …

Question 1:  What advice would you give the 15 year old version of yourself?

Dylan:  I would tell my 15 year old self not to take himself so seriously and to stay curious. Challenge yourself to read about religions and philosophies that you don't adhere to. Make friends with people that are very different from yourself, older people, younger people, people from different backgrounds, and people from different parts of the world. And, I would advise him to live in another country for at least a year before you turn 30. 

Question 2:  Where is the best place you’ve ever traveled?

Dylan:  The best place I traveled was to Florence, Italy. It connected me to a history that I found absolutely fascinating.  I loved its rich history of art, architecture, and culture. 

 

Question 3:  If money was no option, what would you do with the rest of your life?

Dylan:  Without concern for money, I would travel all over the world. I would take expeditions to remote places like Antarctica. I would buy a house by the sea in Spain and write plays, novels, and screenplays.

Question 4:  If your life was made into a movie, who would play you and what would the title be?

Dylan:  I think Jake Gyllenhaal would play me. The title would be, "Lucky to Die"

Question 5:  Who inspires you?

Dylan:  I'm inspired by people who go against popular ideas of the time to further advance society in some way. People like Galileo, or Charles Darwin in the field of science who were brave enough to follow the evidence wherever it would lead them even if it drew serious criticism. I also admire George Carlin who could satirize American culture and point out hypocrisy in politics and religion. I think he was way ahead of his time with his comedy.

Final thoughts … Why is Dylan Shelton inspirational to me?

Nowadays when we get together for an evening out, the main thing me and Dylan do is laugh.  And that’s what is inspiring to me about Dylan – he lives his life the way he wants and is having a blast while doing it.  Sometimes coming from a small country school like we did you can develop a bit of an inferiority complex with others from the big city but none of that has ever kept Dylan from success.  I watched him go onto college and never look back and it inspired me to do the same.

I feel like I am pretty good and allowing certain kinds of people into my life.  I am pretty selfish about my happiness at this point and won’t let negative or harmful people in my world.  Not only is Dylan negative or harmful, he’s the complete opposite - fun, creative, generous, not judgmental.

Dylan hasn’t had a perfect life, there has been more than a few bumps along the road, but it just goes to show if you are constantly striving to be great at what you do and are determined to do it eventually you’ll get there.  I know Dylan has a lot more to accomplish with his life and I am excited to see what he is into 10 years from now.

I imagine whatever we are both doing, we’ll get together, tell stories, make fun of each other and mostly laugh.

Thanks Dylan, you make everyone around you smile and laugh on a daily basis.  Keep doing what you’re doing and allowing me to crash at your place two or three nights a year!  See you in Wichita someday!

People that inspire me - Wendel McRaven

There are 42 weeks left in the year and once a week I will write about someone in my life that is inspiring or motivating to me.  Hopefully others will read it and gain a little bit of inspiration in their life as well.  There is no particular order to these writings, just a bunch of people I am fortunate enough to know.  So without further ado ….

Inspirational person #9 of 50 – Wendel McRaven

Sometimes timing is everything.

I went to Texas A&M for the NCAA Indoor Championships this past week and hung out with one of my former co-workers Wendel McRaven on Friday night.  On Saturday his Texas A&M Aggies won the Men’s NCAA Indoor Championship!

Wendel has had a very interesting journey through the world of track and field.  He grew up in the Chicago suburbs and went to North Central College in Napierville, Illinois, where he was an all-American in the 3000m Steeplechase.  I have witnessed one of the more incredible videos from his days at North Central when, during the conference championships he had a tremendously violent fall on the steeplechase barriers.  It would have won the $10,000 on America’s Funniest Home Videos back in the day (someone please upload this to YouTube).  But he got up, checked to make sure his valuables were all there, and then proceeded to pass most of the field and help his team win the league title.

Wendel is the comeback kid of college track and field.

Wendel’s coaching career began at the University of Alabama from 1991-94 where he was part of a couple titles in the ultra-competitive SEC as well as a NCAA runner-up finish in indoor track.  From there he went to the University of Nebraska where he coached as well as being the recruiting coordinator for the Huskers during a time of major success.  Multiple Big 12 championships and another NCAA runner-up finish happened during his time in Lincoln.

At Nebraska he met assistant coach Steve Rainbolt, who became the head coach at Kent State University in 1996 (during my junior year).  In Rainbolt’s second year at Kent he brought Wendel on to rebuild a down distance program.  As a member of the Kent State track team before and after Wendel came, I can attest to the difference he made … and made quickly.  Within a couple years our distance runners were a major part of our team and our women won the first ever MAC title in cross country shortly thereafter.

When Coach Rainbolt left Kent State to become the head coach at Wichita State, Wendel got promoted to the head coach position at Kent State.  Bolt had done a great job getting the Golden Flashes to a higher level and Wendel kept the ball rolling (and also made me an assistant coach!).  For the first time in school history MAC Championships became a regular thing and by the time he left Kent, he had been part of five conference championship teams.

He got the opportunity to head closer to home and become the head cross country and distance coach at the University of Illinois.  Although he had some very good success at Illinois in his six years there, he fell victim to some changes in the track and field staff and was left without a job.  I’m sure this uncertain time was a very stressful time for Wendel and his family.  But the comeback kid would not be down for long.

That’s when one of the most successful track and field programs in the nation came calling.  Texas A&M.  Before Wendel arrived to College Station, the Aggies had become one of the dominant programs in the country under head coach Pat Henry.  And with Wendel aboard things have continued to roll on, most recently with the first ever men’s NCAA Indoor national championship!

More below but first …

I asked Wendel five questions, here are his responses …

Question 1:  If your life was a movie, what would the title be and who would play you?

Wendel:  "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" with Steve Martin as the distance coach at Texas A&M! Although, in my life there aren't very many trains involved. Maybe, "Planes, Busses, and Rental Cars" would be a more accurate title!

Question 2:  What one thing would you change about society?

Wendel:  That's pretty deep! If anything, I wish there was more time to stay connected with the people in our lives. We all get going 100 miles per hour chasing our dreams and goals and before you know it you've lost touch with some important people! Social media has made some of those connections easier, but it doesn't take the place of a phone call or a face to face conversation.

Question 3:  What makes you laugh?

Wendel:  Lots of things make me laugh! Lately, three of my buddies from high school Jim Clark, Kenny Kappie, and Marc Burns have discovered the joys of Snapchat! The funny thing is that we all use it like a group of old men! The number-one topic each day is the weather!  We all live in different parts of the country so we actually do have something to report. We have even dubbed our reports the "Jim Clark Weather Network." It's some high level stuff I assure you!

My daughter makes me laugh as I see her starting to figure out the ways of the world and the innocence and naïveté in which she still views the world. I'm laughing now, but I know those days of innocence are numbered.

Of course, any references to "The Big Lebowski" or "Caddyshack" will always make me laugh!

Question 4:  What does success mean to you?

Wendel:  Wow! Tough one! In the end success to me is more about my family than anything. Being able to provide for my family and being able to come home to a loving and happy wife and child is success on a personal level!

Professionally, success is having a positive impact on the lives of the student-athletes I get the opportunity to work with. Obviously, we want to have great teams and help people run fast, jump high or far or throw far, but in the end that is just a part of the experience. I tell recruits all the time that if all they learn by being a member of our team is how to run faster than we failed them. Sometimes, it takes them a few years away before they realize some of those lessons, but they are hopefully there.

Question 5:  Who inspires you and why?

Wendel:  I get inspired daily! Heck, I get inspired by song lyrics!

Hard to pick just one! My parents inspire me because they came from small town settings where they really weren't expected to go out and make something of themselves, but they did! My dad is the hardest working man I have ever known. He was a mechanic welder and he often left the house at 4:30 in the morning and worked on big machinery in all types of weather. My mom went back to college when my sister and I were in elementary school to become a nurse. My parents sacrificed a lot to make a better life for our family. They never settled. Whenever I feel like I am working hard I think about my parents and their work ethic and realize I've got it pretty good!

A lot of my coaches have inspired me! From junior high on. My college coach, Al Carius at Division III power North Central College may be one of the most inspirational humans alive! He is a guy that never stops learning. Never stops striving to be better. While always doing things the "right way" and always being a man of high character! I honestly think he is the best collegiate distance coach in the country regardless of division!

My boss, Pat Henry, inspires me! His diligence, his attention to detail, his consistency... amazing! And, he proves that you can do things the right way and win. His values and priorities are in the right place. Whether you are the superstar individual national champion or a walk-on who never makes a travel squad, you are held to the same standards. You don't see that as much these days.

Final thoughts … Why is Wendel McRaven inspirational to me?

If there was ever someone who knows EVERYONE in the world of track and field it’s Wendel McRaven, and for everyone who knows him he has always been thought of as a great guy, terrific coach and wonderful friend.  He’s a person who has always seemed be a combination of focused, fun and dedicated to not only his work but his family and friends.  I can tell you this is not an easy thing to accomplish no matter if you’re the head coach at Kent State or an assistant coach at Texas A&M.

And as you can tell from his resume I summarized at the beginning of this blog, Wendel has worked his tail off everywhere he has been to get where he is today.  He is a testament that if you work hard, treat people right and not settle for mediocrity that you can accomplish more than you’ve ever dreamed possible.  In the world of track and field, Wendel is living the American Dream.

I was fortunate to work with Wendel from 1999-2003 at Kent State and I could sit here and tell story after story of funny things that happened at the office or on road trips.  He has a particularly funny way to give people crap – especially Coach Rainbolt.  I’m lucky to get daily Snapchats from College Station that range from his worldly travels to his daughter’s many soccer games.

But to know and be a friend of Wendel McRaven’s is a special thing.  During a particularly tough and personal ordeal that eventually led me to leaving Kent State in 2003 to move back home to Cincinnati, Wendel was the most supportive and caring person I have ever known.  Even when he was stuck with finding a new sprint coach when I left him out to dry, so to speak, he never showed any frustration and was as professional as a boss could be and as great as a friend could be.

I never ran for Wendel but I had many distance running teammates whose lives were changed for the better when he arrived to Kent.  It seems no matter where Wendel has gone in his life from Illinois to Alabama to Nebraska to Ohio back to Illinois and now to Texas … the places he works are successful and the people who come in to contact with him are the better for it.  Thank you Wendel for being such a positive role model for young people, wonderful peer for your co-workers and a great friend to all of us!