Hi everyone! Hope you all out there are enjoying the last few weeks of summer. Here at CNU, we've been busy getting ready for the start of the new academic year. This has helped fill the void left for me when the Olympics ended recently. I have to admit that I was huge fan of the Games. The basketball tournament was very entertaining and enlightening for sure. Besides that though, as a coach it is hard to not be impressed and amazed with the unbelievable level of competition, the elite level of talent and determination, and the utter devotion to their craft put on display by the Olympians in every sport over the course of those two weeks. It's what we all strive for in the sports professions. Hopefully, our players were taking notes!

Summer is now effectively over, and we're moving on to the next exciting chapter of the journey. That began this past weekend when the CNU class of 2016 moved onto campus. Yes, that's right, I said “2016”... Yikes. Where does the time go? As my man Bruce Springsteen would say, “… we ain't that young anymore.”

Freshmen move-in is always a fun, and anxious, time for the newcomers. They are being exposed to a whole new world of independence and opportunity for the first time in their lives. It can, and is, a little overwhelming for most. The role of us coaches can be invaluable during this time of transition. Coaches need to keep their freshmen focused on the right priorities and help them navigate the waters of their new surroundings.

The CNU freshmen will go through their Welcome Week orientation, taking a week to get settled in, start to build relationships, and get more comfortable with their new environment. Then the rest of the student body will come back and it will really be time to get started!
The timeline of the basketball season goes along rather smoothly with the normal academic year. Unlike fall sport teams, which have to really hit the ground running, for us the early part of the fall semester is spent working on getting stronger, leaner, faster, and more skilled, all while easing the newcomers into the larger group and beginning to build a true team.

Having about a month and a half before practice officially starts allows the coaches to really get the plan for the season in place. We'll begin right away this week. Sunday night we'll have our first team meeting, where we'll reiterate our vision to the group and talk about academics and the fall semester. Then, our guys will be keeping busy with their academic commitments, study halls, voluntary strength and conditioning workouts and open gyms, community service projects, recruiting visits, and other team activities. Before we know it, October 15^th will be here and practice will commence. There's a lot to do in a relatively short period of time.

One of the things I've learned during my years as a coach is that very little stays constant from year to year. Every team is different - players change, the surroundings change, the collection of individuals and group dynamics change. As a coach this is reinvigorating, this time of the year represents a true new beginning. It is also very challenging; past successes do not guarantee anything. It is up to the coaches to make the right adjustments on and off the court, strengthening the program's culture while developing a cohesive unit. I'm not sure exactly what this year will bring, but it'll be fun, and we look forward to bringing all of you along for the ride!