Coyote Corner
Coyote Corner October 20, 2014 Volume 1
Issue 2
Difficult Choices
Dexter Irvin Director of Athletics and Recreation
"I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with quality coaches and staff. We will work hard to take care of the present challenges and then provide leadership and vision for what the future of athletics can look like at CSN.” "Any changes require planning and hard work, but we must always remember that our greatest assets are the students in the Southern Nevada area. Using athletics to help local students achieve their success in higher education is the correct application of intercollegiate athletics." Dexter and his wife, Connie, have six children and 16 grand children.
Banana or Coconut cream pie? Butterfinger or Heath Blizzard? Chicken or beef enchiladas? Why is making difficult choices so complicated? In another life what to eat, or what dessert to get, seemed to be the toughest choice I might have to make, but ultimately as we get older our choices seem to become more intricate and thorny and the choices we make have powerful ramifications on those around us. In athletics we are surrounded by opportunities to make choices, and next to accepting consequences, learning to make good choices is one of the greatest assets of being involved in athletics. In the games we play, the most visible and easiest “choice makers” to pick on, are officials. In difficult, quick, intense, and ever-changing situations officials are asked to evaluate advantage/disadvantage situations, enforce misunderstood rules and regulations and provide some level of impartiality to a game. When a whistle blows, more often than not, the perception is that a bad decision was made by the official, and because that decision went against our team, at least half of our participants and fans believe it was a bad decision! We are creating a culture that questions every choice officials make. Perhaps a culture that allows for imperfection in players could make some allowances for officials. If we cannot become more respectful of decision makers in our games, and accept responsibility when we “commit a foul” we may find ourselves without people who are willing to try and make difficult decisions during our games.
Office of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation 700 College Drive Henderson NV 89002
Coyote Corner As I reiterated earlier, one the greatest attributes in athletics is allowing participants to make choices and then deal with the consequences of those choices. A few years ago I was an athletic director at an institution that was playing for a national championship in women’s soccer. The national championship game was to be played on a Sunday and several members of the team held religious beliefs that restricted them from playing on their Sabbath. Five members of the team chose not to play the game and, as with all of our choices, their decision had a great impact on those around them. The game was much closer than it would have been if the five had played, but in the end the championship was secured. Nevertheless, lives were changed and attitudes impacted because of the demonstration of character that five players displayed in honoring their beliefs. Following rules and regulations is another tough choice that we make as members of society. Many of us have become disgruntled with the rules of our lives and make conscious decisions about which rules we will keep and which we will not. Choice and accountability; do I choose to drive 65 mph on the 215 and will I be accountable if I get stopped? When I do hear that siren and see the lights in the background do I grumble because of the choice I made? (I just usually want to vomit) One of the objectives of sport is to teach us that in life we must learn to accept consequences for choices, even when they make us uncomfortable or may seem unfair. Missing a block on a football team or not sprinting down the court in basketball all have predictable natural consequence for the team. Everyone on the team may suffer, or perhaps it will just be the individual, but rest assured there are consequences and they affect the outcome of the game. I believe that each choice made by every participant in a game has an effect on the outcome. As in life consistent good choices generally lead to success and fair or not, consistent poor choices lead to failure and demise. After all, it really isn’t fair that I put on all of these pounds after eating a Butterfinger Blizzard every day for a week, but it is reality, and it is my choice.
Dexter
Office of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation 700 College Drive Henderson NV 89002
Issue 2
Difficult Choices
Dexter Irvin Director of Athletics and Recreation
"I am very grateful for the opportunity to work with quality coaches and staff. We will work hard to take care of the present challenges and then provide leadership and vision for what the future of athletics can look like at CSN.” "Any changes require planning and hard work, but we must always remember that our greatest assets are the students in the Southern Nevada area. Using athletics to help local students achieve their success in higher education is the correct application of intercollegiate athletics." Dexter and his wife, Connie, have six children and 16 grand children.
Banana or Coconut cream pie? Butterfinger or Heath Blizzard? Chicken or beef enchiladas? Why is making difficult choices so complicated? In another life what to eat, or what dessert to get, seemed to be the toughest choice I might have to make, but ultimately as we get older our choices seem to become more intricate and thorny and the choices we make have powerful ramifications on those around us. In athletics we are surrounded by opportunities to make choices, and next to accepting consequences, learning to make good choices is one of the greatest assets of being involved in athletics. In the games we play, the most visible and easiest “choice makers” to pick on, are officials. In difficult, quick, intense, and ever-changing situations officials are asked to evaluate advantage/disadvantage situations, enforce misunderstood rules and regulations and provide some level of impartiality to a game. When a whistle blows, more often than not, the perception is that a bad decision was made by the official, and because that decision went against our team, at least half of our participants and fans believe it was a bad decision! We are creating a culture that questions every choice officials make. Perhaps a culture that allows for imperfection in players could make some allowances for officials. If we cannot become more respectful of decision makers in our games, and accept responsibility when we “commit a foul” we may find ourselves without people who are willing to try and make difficult decisions during our games.
Office of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation 700 College Drive Henderson NV 89002
Coyote Corner As I reiterated earlier, one the greatest attributes in athletics is allowing participants to make choices and then deal with the consequences of those choices. A few years ago I was an athletic director at an institution that was playing for a national championship in women’s soccer. The national championship game was to be played on a Sunday and several members of the team held religious beliefs that restricted them from playing on their Sabbath. Five members of the team chose not to play the game and, as with all of our choices, their decision had a great impact on those around them. The game was much closer than it would have been if the five had played, but in the end the championship was secured. Nevertheless, lives were changed and attitudes impacted because of the demonstration of character that five players displayed in honoring their beliefs. Following rules and regulations is another tough choice that we make as members of society. Many of us have become disgruntled with the rules of our lives and make conscious decisions about which rules we will keep and which we will not. Choice and accountability; do I choose to drive 65 mph on the 215 and will I be accountable if I get stopped? When I do hear that siren and see the lights in the background do I grumble because of the choice I made? (I just usually want to vomit) One of the objectives of sport is to teach us that in life we must learn to accept consequences for choices, even when they make us uncomfortable or may seem unfair. Missing a block on a football team or not sprinting down the court in basketball all have predictable natural consequence for the team. Everyone on the team may suffer, or perhaps it will just be the individual, but rest assured there are consequences and they affect the outcome of the game. I believe that each choice made by every participant in a game has an effect on the outcome. As in life consistent good choices generally lead to success and fair or not, consistent poor choices lead to failure and demise. After all, it really isn’t fair that I put on all of these pounds after eating a Butterfinger Blizzard every day for a week, but it is reality, and it is my choice.
Dexter
Office of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation 700 College Drive Henderson NV 89002
