Seriously...Who does this...?

Every beginning to Football Season, I can't help but think of my little mans Nick Gavin.  Seriously, I can't.  I mean, I'm a football dude, I am.  But this little guy (he's not little anymore, but to me he will always be my little dude) is the epitome of the "football spirit".  Let me take you on a trip to memory lane...

 

I first met Nick when he was 4, maybe 5.  And if you ever met him, you know he isn't the biggest kid in the world (neither am I though...).  So I go to Tim Gavin's house when I first move to Maryland, because he invited me over and I had NO friends in the area.  I had no idea what was in store.  Made no reservations, I just went to see what was what.

 

So I get to Timmy's crib, his Mom's and Pop's where mad cool (to this day, I feel like they're MY Mom's and Pop's) and his little brother (Nick) was CRAZY cool.

 

We kick it for a minute, and Nick tells me that one day he wants to play football.  Well, anybody who knows me, knows that football is the way in with me (or just about any sport).  So I tell him that I play and that we can run through some drills, so he can see what it feels like to be a REAL football player.

 

I teach Nick the basics of "tackling".  So before we know it, we're basically running two man Oklahoma drills with the two of us.  I don't know where my head is at (this is LITERALLY the FIRST time I'm at Timmy's house) but when when Nick comes to tackle me (I'm on my knees 'running' at him in the drill) I "juked him". This, being a Tail Back, was a natural reaction.

 

What I want you to do is look at the picture below.  This is an estimate of the fireplace that the Gavin's have at their home.  This is the fireplace that will be the focal point of this story....

 

So, Nick Gavin comes to "tackle" me.  I "juke" him.  As a 4 year old kid, he' coming FULL STEAM...He misses (if you see the fireplace above, you can imagine the rest of the story...).  His nugget hits into one of the fireplace bricks...'Till this DAY, I still feel bad...Nick rams his nugget into the fireplace (I STILL can't believe it!).  Seriously, after 2 maybe 3 minutes, he has a nugget the size of a basketball chillen on his forehead.

Me being the "new kid" in the neighborhood and it's my first time in Timmy's house, I'm thinking....,"fuuuuuuuuuccccccckkkkkkkkk".  Seriously, I am.  But, there is something in this kid's eyes that tell me something else.  Don't get me wrong, he's crying because he just took a header into a fricken fireplace. But he has this look like, "I'm gonna tackle your black ass before you go home"...Seriously...that's what I saw.

After about 3-5 minutes of "babying", Nick Gavin put on his "big boy Lancer Pants" and wanted to go again!  This 4 year old had a Watermelon chillen on his forehead and he STILL wanted to tackle ME!

At this point, I KNEW this kid was special.  I knew NOTHING would stop him, even though life would through him many, many curve balls because of his height and size.  Although he may have paused, this kid had NEVER stopped.  His heart and determination are what set him apart from his classmates.

The only 2 dudes I love younger than me, more than anything else are Booshi Bear and Nick Gavin.  I want nothing but the best for BOTH of them.  Nothing....

3 Life Lessons I Learned Playing Football

In my life I've been fortunate to have plenty of teachers who left me with knowledge that I previously did not have.  Some have been family members, some friends, teammates and PLENTY of haters.  But the one teacher that left a definite imprint has been sports.  Without a doubt, Football has reinforced most of the lessons that may have fallen to the wayside that the aforementioned may have tried to hammer home.  So...since my head is so thick, it only made sense that constantly knocking it against others while trying to win a "meaningless" game would only clarity those lessons while giving them relevance.  Here are 3 of the lessons that I learnt.

1. There is ALWAYS someone bigger, badder and tougher than you....ALWAYS.

My Pops used to tell me this...constantly.  When I moved to MD from NJ, I most definitely kept my Lawnside swagger.  He would tell me to tone it done, but I wasn't having it.  This was when I was 15, 16 years old, let's fast forward to when I was a Sophomore in college.  The last college game I played in I had to cover a DIII All-American.  I talked shit all week, but my best friend Tim Gavin knew what time it was (he knew I was nervous because I talked in my sleep).  Well, long story short, I got beat for about 7 catches, 120 yards and 1 TD.
Lesson Learned: Keep your mouth shut, or someone will shut it for you.

2. Don't look for someone to save you.  If you do, you'll be waiting a REALLY long time.

I started playing football when I was in 3rd grade.  I rode the bench until I got to High School (and believe me, it sucked).  I knew I was good but never really got a shot to play.  When I went to High School I said to myself, "there is NO WAY I'm riding the bench ever again".  I decided that a concussion was a better way of going out than sitting for another 4 years.  I watched Pro's and collegiate players, studied how they played and changed my strategy.  My offensive model was Eric Bieniemy and defensive one was Eric Allen, with a splash of Dick "Night Train" Lane. Ever since my Freshman year of High and ALL through college, I started every game (yes, even as a walk-on Freshman at a Division 1-AA college).
Lesson Learned: If you want it bad enough, grab your sack, pull down your skirt and take it.

3. Tough times don't last, tough people do.

My first year of playing Varsity Football (Sophomore Year) my team was really young and inexperienced.  We went 1-8 and barely won that one game 14-7 (against another bad team, Haddon TWP).  But I loved football and didn't care if we lost EVERY game, I just wanted to compete and play.  Some guys quit during the season and some quit on the team even though they continued to play.  All that mattered to me was going out and gettin' it in (that's slang for "doing work").  Shit is going to get shoveled on you in life, just as in sports and you have to decide right then and there if you're a going to eat it or use that manure to plant something for next year.  I was fortunate enough to plant that manure and it grew into a State Champion at Linganore High School.  I never forgot how bad the taste of losing felt and vowed to NEVER taste it again.
Lesson Learned: Even a blind squirrel can find a nut (you keep trying and something good will happen).

Well, these are just a few of my lessons that I learned that were cemented through sports that I try to express through my company H.E.A.R.T Athletics.  I hope you guys enjoyed this post and feel free to share it with your friends and family members.

John H. Harris II

H.E.A.R.T Series, Part Two: My Linganore Offensive Line

If you have ever built anything, you know that your foundation is the base for which every other item is placed upon.  The middle.  The center.  The lifeline.  Without it, you could probably move forward, but more than likely, your structure is going to falter.  In the middle of your body is your spine (prime example).  Without a functional spine, NOTHING in your body will work.  If you break the spine, there is a good chance you are going to expire (nice word for die).

When I think of the spine on a football team, the obvious choice is the offensive line.  Before I dive into this, I want to acknowledge that it is the Offensive Line that is basically the only position in football where stats take a backseat to penalties.  The only time spectators truly realize that linemen exist is when there is yellow laundry (flags) on the field.  This isn't right.  Linemen are the only position that hit someone on EVERY...SINGLE...PLAY (re-read that, and then watch a game and tell me I'm wrong).

In my opinion, I played on one of the most dominate teams in Maryland in the 90's.  The success we had would have been nothing if it wasn't for our Offensive Line.  Andy Dills, Mike Kies, Dan Zebroski, John Rucker and Ryan Caldwell were the foundation for a team that could run ALL DAY LONG.  These guys paved the way for an 1800+ yard starting TB, 700+ yard starting FB and a 800+ yard 3rd down back.  Oh...and a 12-1 record on our way to a State Championship.

All five of these guys sacrificed their bodies for the sake of the team and usually didn't get their names in the paper unless they played defense.  These guys were the soul, H.E.A.R.T and backbone of our team.  Every lineman is, they usually just don't get the credit but normally get all the blame.  I can't express how important the line is to any team, none the less MY team.  So the next time you see a Lineman, don't look at him like he's not important...because he's the backbone of the team.  Every single play is decided by the line and they deserve more respect than they get.

You build around your core...and the core of any football team is its Offensive Line.  Fortunately enough for us (Linganore H.S. 12-1, State Champs), our core was studly.  Hopefully yours is too.  But if it isn't, be thankful for your Linemen, without them NOTHING would happen.

H.E.A.R.T Series, Part One Keith Cannone

For the next week or so, I want to write about people I have met in my life that exemplify what H.E.A.R.T means to me.  Playing with H.E.A.R.T doesn't necessarily mean that you are the best player (it doesn't mean you're not either), doesn't mean you put up gaudy stats, or that everyone knows your name.  It means that you play your cheeks off no matter the score, the final outcome of the game or how many people are in the stands. 

One person who continuously sticks out in my mind is a great guy I know who I went to High School with.  His name is Keith Cannone.  If you went to Linganore High School in the early 90's, there is no doubt you crossed paths at some point with Keith.  He's not only was one of the nicest guys you would ever meet (for a Yankee's fan), he LOVED the sport of basketball.  I mean he REALLY loves basketball.  Keith would dribble a basketball between classes in the hallways at Linganore.  To increase his hops, he wore those incredibly uncomfortable shoes that worked your calves all day long.

Keith loved basketball as much as I love football...maybe even more.  He was such a great teammate that he NEVER once complained out loud about minutes.  NEVER talked stats.  He just played his ass off every time he got in the game.  It was evident to everyone who knew him how much he loved hoops because when he got in the game, the crowd would go nuts.  Everyone in the stand showed Keith love because he truly loved the game and played his H.E.A.R.T out, every minute of every game.

I loved the way Keith played the game, his love of the game and his unselfish dedication to his team and school.  There is NO statistic you can put on the impact that he had on me and countless others.  I'm proud to say that I not only know Keith but that he actually helped mold my thinking of how every play counts and that you should play each one like it's your last.

Breaking Down the H.E.A.R.T Athletics Player Card

Most of you know by now that I am a sports junkie...big time.  But as a kid, everything was cookie cutter processed and given to the masses.  Not only was this the status quo, but most of what we were given was marketed to us through athletes we had no connection with other than that they played on our favorite team.  I think it's great that you are one of the best athletes in your sport, but when it comes to impressionable young kids, teenagers and young adults, we often use individuals who are in the spotlight as "role models".

The H.E.A.R.T Athletics Player Card was created by me (John Harris), with the help of Brent Riley.  This shirt is aimed at encouraging, empowering and highlighting the contributions (no matter how small or big) that your athlete has made over the past season.  Why look to follow in someone else's shoes or blueprint when you can make your own path, carve your own niche, while making YOUR own history.

Let's break down the front of the shirt. 
1. Identifies the team or school that your athlete plays for. 
2. Is an action picture that you can upload on the site for your athlete (This is a picture of Billy Hubbard, really, really good football and lacrosse player). 
3. Identifies your athlete by name, number and position.

Back of the shirt breakdown.
1. again identifies the athlete. 
2. Provides all the information that a professional trading card would have, but this card is tailored to specifically to your athlete. 
3. Provides and detailed explanation on the past season and what they contributed (even if it was only ONE play, special teams or scout team...THEY did it and deserve to be recognized for it). 
4. and 5. provide the stats for the past or current year.

This shirt was designed for your athlete and their self-esteem.  While it is good to have people to look up to and goals to shoot for, you shouldn't have to look outside of yourself for motivation.  Every athlete can't be All-State, a Blue Chip or a Five Star stud, but every athlete that plays their H.E.A.R.T out should be recognized for it.

John H. Harris II
Owner/CEO
H.E.A.R.T Athletics LLC
www.heartathleticsllc.com

New year...Same expectations

Everybody knows I'm from New Jersey.  I have nothing but love for my Haddon Heights teammates and the Garnets...but, it was just meant to be for me to have the opportunity to be a Linganore Lancer.  When my parents divorced, my Pops stayed in Mt. Airy and my Moms moved to Jersey.  So even before I was old enough to appreciate the "tradition" of a true powerhouse team, I was already a part of it.  At Linganore, anything short of a Chip (Championship) is viewed as failure.  I came across this quote on the MVAL website, "Some teams would view a 7-3 record a successful season. Not the Lancers. Anything less than a state championship run is viewed as sub-par in Mt. Airy. Coach Rick Conner believes if the Lancers stay healthy they can compete. Maryland commit RB Joe Riddle will lead the Lancers. The I-70 rivalry with Urbana could settle the conference title and a playoff spot in the ultra-tough "region of death" (3A West). Coach Conner and the Lancers know a 7-3 record will not be good enough to get Linganore into the playoffs in 2011, so every regular season game is a playoff game to them".  With Championships in the 80's, 90's and 00's, winning (7-3) is acceptable...Championships are.  Aim for the moon, if you miss, you're still among the stars...aim for the ground and you'll probably wind up in the gutter.

John H. Harris II
Owner/CEO
H.E.A.R.T Athletics LLC