Thirty five years ago, I took my first golf lesson with my dad and mom by my side. I can only remember the later years, because at five years old lets face it, I might have been a horrible female golfer. I enjoyed playing for my high school golf team. The trophy I won for my senior year match play championship is still housed at my high school gymnasium. Golf has been a staple in my life and I hold nothing back to say how much I love this game. My golf buddies are all on my speed dial. We are a social bunch and we sure do party after a round. But it was not until today when I met up with my girlfriends for lunch that I came to realize that my closest buddies were on the wrong side of being politically correct. We had a lengthy discussion about whether golf was a female sports. I was quite surprise to hear what these rather witty young ladies thought about golf. I know they have no interest in the sport and only try to appease me when they give their support. I have spoken to my friends on several occasions about how golf introduce me to some beautiful friendships and business contacts. How it balances me when I am blue. But I guess my girls do not believe that there are serious female golfers who transcends gender and can play on which ever level. Just to tell you I've got game. My friends taunted me today about golf being a sports for boys, then patronized me by saying I looked "classy" as a female. So here goes, you mall-hanging, cookie-baking, manicure-pedicure-loving divas...your friend is a helleva golfer, who will still hang out at lunch with you, just don't call me on the back nine on Sunday at the Masters when Tiger and the boys are playing. One little hint, you will be played out. Love you girls but you know that you were all wrong!!!

My Little Hiatus

My Little Hiatus Recently I have spent sometime writing for my sports column for bleacherreport.com. So you could say I took a brief hiatus. But I have been keeping up with the daily happenings in our sports world. So here goes, Tony Romo just wants to be friends with Jessica Simpson after the devastating loss to the Giants. Terrell Owens has proved that there is crying in football. Tom Brady and the Patriots are up to no good with that "bootgate". Domenik Hixon is happy once again, not only for Keven Everett, but for his Super Bowl appearance. Randy Moss, what can I tell you, lets just stick to his record breaking season. Channing Crowder abandoned his wrecked truck on the side on the highway in Ft. Lauderdale. Phillip Rivers played in the AFC Champions one week after knee surgery, while LT watched from the sidelines. Eagles lost Coach Harbaugh to Baltimore Ravens. And with all of this NFL stuff brewing, the AFL season is about to begin in another ten days...I will be providing coverage from the various camps and sharing journal entries from some of the rookies too. stay tuned.

So You Want To Play Professional FootBall

If you should ask every college athlete who is getting ready to enter the draft if he had a childhood dream of playing professional football, his answer would be yes. And after all, a college athlete getting ready to enter the NFL Draft has partially realized half of his childhood dreams. Whether he is a Heisman Trophy candidate or slated to go in the 7th round, every draft prospect has his idea of how it will be after the draft and during the season. It has well been documented that the road to the NFL draft is one filled with hope and expectations. And most times, what happens in between the draft and the season is what we have never really addressed with athletes looking to us as their agents for advice. First of all many dreams sometimes come up short, while others are fulfilled. First round draft prospects fall to the sixth rounds and fifth round athletes get drafted in the second round. So how does an athlete overcome the obstacles and continue towards their childhood dream, if the draft does not measure up to their expectation? One word – PREPARATION. They say when preparation meets opportunity success is realized, but I would go even further to encourage any prospective client to put these five Ps to work – “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance”. These five words should be the basis by which every athlete should exist. From the moment the athlete decides to enter the draft, he should have decided upon a reputable agent, who will advice him on his options going into the draft. The athlete should also decide how he will prepare for the combines and his college pro day. The agent can be very instrumental and resourceful with pre-draft preparation and should be available to the athlete during this process. Of course, every athlete wants the best agent, but having the best agent who is not available to you can be the difference between success and failure. The agent you choose sometimes is the foundation for your success, as the relationship between the pro team and your prospective agent can also make the difference. Since your reputation and your skills are the two biggest selling points, your agent is expected to have the same. So you are equipped with your agent, your training for the combines and prop day is in progress. Your next matter of business should be discussing your draft options with your agent…what if you did not get drafted? What would be your next move? You should always be exploring your other options, if for some unforeseen reason draft day passes by. The job of a professional athlete is a professional one and should be treated like a nine-five. You have to spend time as an athlete researching about the general managers and coaching staff of the teams that are showing interest in you. Do not leave everything up to your agent, as some of these teams might fly you in for a visit and interact with you without your agent being present. Your reputation on and off the field can be critical to where you are positioned on draft day, so it would be in your best interest as a draft prospect to keep your nose clean. You still have to show that you have more than just playing skills and great physical talent. Be careful of the advice you listen as some might be good and some could prove detrimental. Work with your family and your agent to see what is right for you and what best fits your situation. Professional football is hard work and should not be taken as a walk in the park. Athlete should employ patience in all their everyday activities, because you always one pick away from being number, one pick away from the last, one pick away from being an undrafted free agent and the next guy who has to take the long way in through the CFL or AFL. Whichever way you go, make and leave a lasting impression. Be Patient, be punctual, be humble, choose the right people in your corner, create and maintain a great relationship with your agent and make sure that agent does the same for you.

Golf...Your Networking Tool

I was introduced to golf in the sixth grade, when my dad took me out for the first time, to ride the cart with him, during one of his Saturday morning round. At that time, I thought that golf was a game for perfect people; god knows I thought my dad was perfect. I was convinced that the fairways and greens were maintained by some of Santa’s little elves, because no matter what time you left the course in the evening, you would return the next day to find things perfect again. The fairways seemed like they were sweep clean of all the stray leaves from the surrounding trees, and the greens were essentially manicured and fully nourished. My dad would either meet-up with his co-workers for a round or was introduced to someone who was playing solo. What never ceased to amaze me was the fact that two people from two different walks of life, could be introduced at the starter’s booth and would end up interacting during the round like they were old buddies or pals. As an adult, I have continued to play golf, but to me the game has other rewards. Golf in business could be good for the bottom-line, and is said to be a great networking tool. Personally, there is no denying that a great number of my acquaintances were made at the golf course or at a tournament. The game allows you to meet and make friends with a great cross section of people. As a female golfer, I bring a kind of novelty with to the game. First of all, I carry a 9.0 handicap index and at times I am the envy of my male counterparts. I have received tons of invitations to play at some of the best courses and most times this gives me the coveted spot on my friends speed dial. Yes I will got the calls late at night or early weekend morning…the old familiar phrase…”we are short one person on our foursome”. Of course, I am always ready and able to go out to play. I also enjoy golf as a volunteer, which it a social event in itself. I have traveled as a volunteer to the US Open and have given my time to the events held in my hometown. Next time you hear about that sale in the mall I will be at the golf course trying to make par.

Out With Old In With New...Football That Is

I realize that the end of the football season is coming upon on us. So what is a girl to do with the memories of the NFL 2008. First, I want to say thank you to a few players who made the games worth watching from a girl’s standpoint. Simeon Rice, Vonnie Holiday, Dwight Freeney, Jason Taylor, Antonio Gates, Osi Umenyiora. Its not that the other guys were not as good looking, but a girl needs that six foot plus athlete in her fantasy. Not that I wont be watching the replays all year on NFL Total Access, but its not the same. I look forward to the pre-games shows where all the pundits weigh in on the teams and the likelihood of who will win or lose. Of course, this season was not to be forgotten for its ups and downs, there is the story of the New England Patriots who at this point is the only unbeaten team and then there was the Michael Vick debacle. For all its worth, people everywhere saw the epic played out on sportscasts everywhere and one cliché comes to mind “how fast we climb, how fast we fall”. So as I get ready for the SuperBowl, I say goodbye to another historical year in the NFL. For all is not lost, there is football of another breed starting in a few weeks in fourteen cities across the nation – Arena Football. The down side is I will not be able to cheer for any one team, because all some of my clients will be slugging it out against each other. As the weeks draw closer I will be blogging about theses guys and their rise to fame. When I look back to my contribution to sports over the last two years I realize that I have managed to touch the lives of players who have been trying to realize their dreams. I am not being self-righteous, just feeling honored to add that notch to my belt. All and all life has been good to me and sports has made it better.

Game Face

Just chilling.

My Life With Sports

My Life With Sports

If you ask any of my friends about me, they would describe me as one with a great sense of humor, a great mom and a supportive friend. They would say I am witty, mischievous, and sassy and even go to the lengths of saying that I was a sports nut. With due respect to my dear friends and I love them all, sports for me goes deeper that what meets the eye. For it was in my deepest and darkest hours that a round of early morning golf has soothe my soul and cured what ailed me at that time. On other days when I felt blue and down on my luck, ESPN was a favorite saved on my remote. Because only then, I find that the laws of sportsmanship are similar to the laws of life – be courageous and forge ahead against all odds. In life, it’s all about what make you tick, sports for me, is the greatest way to define character. In fact, I recently read somewhere that large corporations are using a round of golf to evaluate prospective candidates on their social and management skills. Because as my dad once said, you can tell a lot about a man or woman after playing a round of golf with them. Why sports, why golf, why football you might ask. But my answers are simple, I chose to learn from others in victory or defeat, I seek to find out what makes champions tick, and seek only to find that never ending fuel of success. Over the last sixteen years, I celebrate my life as a mother, and as a friend. I celebrate too the time I spend watching or playing my favorite sports. I have experienced life and have chosen to live my life as a sixty minutes game. I wear my game face always; I have an offensive side and a defensive side. I have played my game on the bench and on the turf. I have failed at my two minutes drill and I have executed well. I have made friends along the way; yes those same friends who call me a nut. Hahaha!! Looking back I have no regrets about the role that sports plays in my life, it teaches me about preparation and opportunity. So if you ever want to know about me, just search around for a sports quote on the internet…when you find it, just remember its how I live my life. Remember winning is not everything, it’s the only thing…Vince Lombardi.