An object that best describes me..

In the first week of class I was asked to bring in an object that best describes me as an individual. I tried my best to think of something other than a basketball, but in the end that small round ball has provided so much for me in my life that I couldn't even begin to bring anything other than a basketball to class to share.  As a kid you are to young to appreciate the experience and blessing that come you way, let alone the things that make those experiences and things become possible. I have always given thanks to my parents as well as God for the things that I have been blessed with, but the game of basketball has been my main driving force. Because of basketball, I have been to all but 7 of the 50 states and every single trip was paid for  by a team that I was either playing for or working for. I had the the chance to go to Asia for 17 days this past summer with our team, an experience that I will never forget. I was able to go to college for absolutely free both as an undergrad and now as a graduate student. Its not until I hear other students stories about having large student loans that I realize how fortunate and blesses that I am to have had the chance to have the game of basketball in my life.

On deeper level I chose the basketball because of its round shape and its ability to bounce back no matter how hard you throw it against the ground or against the wall. In fact the harder its thrown the harder it bounces back. Being resilient is a characteristic that I take pride in more than any other that I embody, no matter how hard life gets ant not matter how hard Im thrown down, just like the basketball does I will always bounce back..

Identity Memo

Chris McMillian

Researcher Identity Memo for a Study of College Athletes Mental

State on Education as they go Through School

Being a former athlete myself who once had dreams of playing professional basketball after college I thought it would be great idea to examine the thought process of student athletes as the dreams they once had of playing a professional becomes a distant thought. As a freshman I would have told anybody that I was going to play in the NBA or at minimum have a very long pro career over in Europe. To be perfectly hones I had that same feeling up until I broke my fibula in 5 places playing softball the summer before my senior year. I can remember sitting in the emergency and the thought of, “your careers over “ running through my head over and over again. I was at a point when I realized that there is a strong possibility that my dream of paying pro ball could have just been shattered right along with my leg.  I knew I was going to have to work really hard in order to make a comeback in the same year, I did all in my power but the injury I sustained was just too great. I wound up taking a redshirt year and a freshman point guard stepped in to fill my role. The following year out head coach had a tough decision to make, between his now sophomore point guard or his senior veteran.  In the end my coach opted to go with the sophomore for fear that if he didn’t that he would ultimately transfer. Because playing us both wasn’t an option I spent my senior year sitting the bench wondering what I was going to do after I graduated. “Shell shock” is the only term I can use to explain what it was I went through once it was all over. I had spent my entire life working so hard at accomplishing one thing, and now that basketball was no longer a career choice I was forced to adapt and take the real world on the only way that I knew how.  I was always a decent student and despite my love for basketball and my drive to play on a professional level I always knew deep down that education was important and I would need one just in case basketball didn’t workout.  After my disappointing year I vowed I would never pick up a basketball ever again. I moved to Scottsdale Arizona where I lived and worked in the fitness industry. After 6 years of working 60hr workweeks and constantly being pushed to hit a sales quota I decided to go back to my first love. I write this memo today almost 2 years to the day of moving from AZ as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Hawaii for the Men’s Basketball team. There is no doubt in my mind that there are other out there like myself who could find a way to survive if for some reason they were not able to play as a professional sports, but what about the guys that don’t take education serious? What happens to the athletes that aren’t ready to face the harsh reality that their time playing sports is over? 

Over the next 2 months I want to interview 20 student athletes from both the Men’s Basketball team and the Football team. I will interview 5 freshman and sophomore and 5 juniors and seniors, I will ask them a series of questions to find out what intentions they had when the walked on this campus as freshman and how their mindset has changed as the years continue to go by. I can count dozens of student athletes that I feared for in the event they weren’t able to play professional ball. For many of them I didn’t know how they would hold down a real job because education and social skills was not a priority to them. Over the years athletes have been looked at as dumb jocks, at what point will student athletes all begin to take education and life outside of sports more serious.

I believe that with my background that I have many advantages with this topic. I have not only seen first had how student athletes go thru the different stages of college, but I myself have lived it. I am going to be able to put myself in each of my subject’s shoes as I am interviewing them therefore creating a common ground, which will hopefully allow them to open up to me more so then if a non athlete with no experience on the subject was interviewing them.  My ultimate goal is to find out the thought processes of each of my athletes as they go through their college careers as well as have the seniors that I interview who are not going on to play professional sports look back on their freshman and sophomores of college and tell me how much their mindsets have changed towards life and education over the years. This project hits very close to my heart and I hope that I can change the mindset of one of these young men as they begin to approach their college career.

30 Minutes of Fun

Last week we were given and assignment to go and sit somewhere for 30 min and observe exactly what we see.  Im not usually excited about school assignments but for some reason this assignment got me a little excited. I have always enjoyed people watching for a good laugh, but this would be the first time that I was actually documenting what I was seeing. I made a conscious effort to go to a high foot traffic area so that I see as many people as possible. The student center at noon seemed like the perfect place for this particular assignment. As you can see below I have added my observations of the things that I was seeing. I found myself trying to think about what people were thinking about at that particular moment.

I listed these observations in the order in which I observed them:

3 tables directly in front of me…

Table 1 directly to my left is occupied by 2 girls, both of whom are working diligently on their MAC computers.  One of the girls at the table has purple hi lights.. ( I wonder if she will change her hair back to a normal color when she goes on job interviews)

Table in front of me is occupied by two people. One male and one female. The male looks incredible young, possibly a freshman. Im pretty sure hes working on a math assignment because he has a stoic look while looking at the calculator.  I Stand corrected, hes texting..  The female is slumped over in her chair with her feet on the chair next to her, you would think she was at home in living room as comfortable as she looks, but at least shes actually reading a chapter for what looks to be a biology class.

Table to my left, occupied my one female who has managed to sit Indian stlye in her chair.  She too is on her MAC but unlike the first table she is on facebook…  in looking at her body language she’s mad at whom ever it is she’s talking to.  Another student just came and sat down at the table she was at, but since nether one didn’t say hello I’m guessing they don’t know each other, unless he’s the one she’s mad at from Facebook.

It is amazing how many people have MAC lap tops in here, I count 19 so far..

The table furthest from me,  by the stair case has 3 people sitting at, but I swear by looking at them I would never think they would hang out with each other. 2 females and 1 male. The males is a lot older, and hes def trying to play the cool role… The girls both seem much younger but they are both engaging in conversation.  I’m not even over there and he creeps me out a little bit. One of the females talks with her hands a lot. Shes quite animated.

An older gentleman just walked by, he has a slow stroll to him, and he looked down when he walked, I think I read some where that people with insecurities tend to do that.

The girl to my far right is also on her mac.. she keeps playing with the ends of her hair.  Legs crossed business like and whatever she is looking at on her computer she is really into it. Im guessing its facebook…

The guy who sat down with the girl earlier, is def checking her out. I hope he makes a move while im still here. Id love to hear his pick up line.

Thats all that I had the time for. Stay tuned for the upcoming blogs..

Chris