It Is So Ordered

Powerful stuff.

On the Road (yet) Again!

There are a million things to love about being a college coach, especially at Grinnell College and especially when you coach such a wide range of student-athletes on both football and track and field teams.  It's rewarding to help them through their struggles and celebrate in their successes, not just in the realm of athletics and not just during their time at Grinnell.  For many of them, their four years at Grinnell is just the beginning of a lifelong relationship, and for all of them the great things they do at Grinnell are far surpassed by the even greater things they do after.  It's great to be a part of such an amazing "family."

As many things as there are to love about my job though, there are a few drawbacks.  As much as I enjoy getting out on the road and visiting different places and meeting new people, it is always hard to leave home.  I mean, look how much fun these two are!

You wouldn't want to leave either!

They're very supportive though, always sending me off to thumbs up and lots of encouragement.

"Go get 'em, Dad"

So, USATF Clinic in Chicago and New England Elite in Boston, here I come!  And don't worry ladies, I'll be home for the 4th of July parade and fireworks.

4th of July, 2014

Sophomore Pioneer Also Taking Courses Through Harvard Busines School

TR Jones returning an interception

Sophomore safety and quarterback TR Jones has recently been approved to participate in a program that offers supplemental courses through Harvard Business School.  This past spring Grinnell College was selected as one of only seven liberal arts colleges nationally that have entered into an agreement with Harvard.  According to the release, "CORe is an online program, consisting of approximately 150 hours of learning, for students and early career professionals to learn the fundamentals of business on a highly engaging and interactive platform designed by Harvard Business School faculty."  The agreement with Harvard is yet another example of Grinnell retaining its core philosophies as liberal arts college, while also pioneering new ways for our students to learn and to separate themselves from the competition.  I'm excited that TR was approved for the program, and wish him the best of luck!  Congrats TR!

Dean's List

The second semester grades have been released and the Pioneers continue to do well.  The team GPA remained over 3.0 for the semester, and three Pioneers were named to the Dean's List.  First year quarterback Harrison Hoegh, and sophomores Ibuki Ogasawara and Will Rebelsky all earned over the required 3.75 GPA for the semester.

Hoegh delivers a strike in the final game of the year, a 52-14 victory over Lawrence.

Hoegh is still undecided on his major, but he was named to the Dean's List in both the first and second semesters.

Ogasawara shows his form on a long jump at the Indoor Conference Championship.

A Math major, Ogasawara also earned Dean's List in both the first and second semesters.  Ibuki also had a strong track season, placing in the triple jump at both the Indoor and Outdoor Conference Championship meets.

Rebelsky giving Hoegh time to throw.

Rebelsky was also a two-sport athlete for the Pioneers, competing as a swimmer during the winter.  Never one to take the easy road, Will is a double major in Chemistry and Math, yet he has managed to keep his GPA high.  He was also named to the Dean's List in both semesters, and several previous times as well.

Congrats to Harrison, Ibuki, and Will.  Keep up the good work men!

Pioneer Football Alumni Profile: Tom Cole

Tom Cole '71, Congressman-4th District, OK

Junior defensive lineman Matt Medrano is spending his summer in Washington, DC, interning for United States Congressman Tom Cole, of Oklahoma's 4th District.  Cole is a member of the Pioneer Football family as well, having played for the Pioneers from 1967-70.  He was a member of an undefeated freshman team in 1967, and enjoyed winning seasons in both 1969 and 1970.  It's great to have a current Pioneer working for a former one, and I've asked Tom to write of his experiences as he got into politics.  Here's what he had to say:

I left Grinnell with the intention of being a history professor. I was a far better scholar than football player, winning both the Thomas Payne scholarship which goes to the outstanding senior history student at Grinnell and a Thomas Watson Fellowship for a year of independent study abroad. While I eventually got my Ph.D and was a Fulbright scholar at Queen Mary College at the University of London, my life turned in a different direction. Thanks to my mom, who served three terms in the Oklahoma State House, three in the State Senate and a stint as the mayor of our hometown in Moore Oklahoma, I wandered into politics almost by accident.

Starting with her first winning House race in '78 I began running campaigns. Frankly I found they reminded me of team sports, something I always loved. Indeed a watch party is a lot like a locker room after a hard fought game. People have come together and cooperated to achieve an objective. The bonding that goes on in that common endeavor reminded me of of the way I felt in high school and college after a game or a season. I loved the folks I had fought and toiled with and I usually came to respect my competitors, too. They had gone through the same experience. And, in politics like sports, they do keep score and there are winners and losers. But in either victory or defeat you learn valuable lessons and form lifelong friendships.  

Over the years I have played this game from just about every angle. I have been a campaign staffer, worked for a congressman, served as a state party staffer and as a state chairman, sat in the state senate in Oklahoma and served as Secretary of State, on two occasions I was the top staffer at two of the major GOP national political campaign committees, I was a very successful consultant and I still own a piece of the successful firm I helped to found 26 years ago. Of course the last 13 years the Fourth District of Oklahoma and the House of Representatives has been my focus. It has been a great ride. But the habits, the attitudes and the lessons I learned on football fields had more to do with whatever success I have had in politics than anything I ever learned in a classroom.

Grinnell to Host Summerfest Today

Headlined by Pyrotechniq, "Chicago's premiere fire troupe," Grinnell College is hosting a day long celebration and learning opportunity today.  Open to the community at large, it looks to be a fun day of hands-on activities for all.

See the article for a list of activities: http://www.grinnell.edu/news/summerfest

If you're in the area, make a point to stop by!

Camp Season Begins!

From Des Moines to Atlanta, and Atlanta to Ft Lauderdale, then on to the South Florida Select Clinic.  From the looks of the student-athletes who have already registered for the camp, this is going to be a good one!  I'm looking forward to seeing some of the best student-athletes in Florida, Georgia, and the rest of the south.  I'm hoping there are a few Pioneers in the group!

We will also have coaches at the following camps:
Chicagoland Showcase at Northwestern University
David Shaw Football Clinic at Stanford University
New England Elite in Boston
Washington University in St. Louis

Looking forward to a productive summer!

2014 Post-Graduate Report Released

Each year the Office of Careers, Life, and Service (CLS) produces a post-graduation report.  I've just received my copy of the report for the class of 2014 and it is impressive.  Just as Grinnell students come from a diverse background, they also have diverse destinations upon graduating from Grinnell.  The report is loaded with information, but here are a few quick things I found interesting.

Seth Howard spent the past year volunteering for Mid-Iowa Community Action as part of Grinnell Corps

1.  Roughly 60% of the class has entered straight into the job force, with 23% continuing their education, and 13% involved in service or volunteer activities.

Max Keller is working as a lab technician at Eurofins Nutrition Analysis Center in Des Moines.

2.  The graduates who entered directly into the workforce are doing so by choice, not by lack of options, 88% have a position that is related to their career goals.

TJ Goetz is working as an analyst at Principal Financial in Des Moines.

3.  Of those that are currently employed full-time, the average yearly salary is $42,743.  The top 10% of those average an impressive $89,167!  Whoa!

Andrew Clark is working at Koch Industries in Wichita, KS.

4.  Among those who are currently continuing their education, 40% are pursuing a PhD.  Grinnell has traditionally been in the top five for most PhD's per capita, and it looks like the trend is continuing.

Manager/Filmer Steph Haines just completed her Masters in Higher Education at Harvard

Track standout Christine Ajinjeru is pursuing her PhD in mechanical engineering at the University of Tennessee

Congratulations to the entire class of '14.  Keep up the great work!