Stevenson: You Stole My Thunder
Biola, it was going to be my first article about me ever. And then you go ahead and get upset about cheating and ruin my headline. Maybe it was my lack of a good photo to put me on the top, or the fact that I don’t have anything mean to say about anyone. But that just pushed me to the bottom of the page with a boring headline about me getting pulled back in.
The truth is, I don’t really care. I have a dream job with great student athletes, with many friends who call and give me advice and tips for beating so and so or that I need to focus on this or that in practice. I have great players who take care of the team administration (which really is something that I dreaded). I have some great sponsors that give us a chance to look amazing on the field while we win.
The truth, also, is that I do care. I remember when I was a senior in high school and my brother and I, with some weird kid, played in a Chumash tournament in Utah. We finished second to the kids from Judge Memorial. The winners got their names in Lacrosse Magazine, while my brother and I were left out. I remember being as upset about not getting a mention in the magazine as I was about losing. I wanted to be known for being a great lacrosse player, and really only Lacrosse Magazine was going to make that happen.
But who cares, really? The only thing that really matters is that we at Colorado win. Winning is about all that counts when it comes to life as a coach. Other things are important, too, but wins and losses get reported under your name, not your team’s GPA or alumni’s accomplishments. If I can’t find a way to win with this team, then I shouldn’t get a headline. I shouldn’t get that mention in whatever magazine chooses to write about us. I wouldn’t deserve to have that publicity.
So, in the future, the only real news that matters has some sort of clever title about the Buffs beating this team or that team; how we worked as a team to dig out of this hole or maintain that lead; overcome challenges with injuries or luckily have had none. Once I made it here, my name becomes synonymous with CU. My name doesn’t need to get mentioned anymore, except when some reporter receives some generic response about taking it one game at a time or how we were lucky to be chosen to go to the national tournament. I am sure I will be asked about what I think about the team to the north of us. How do I feel about my former alma mater’s success or failure?
All those questions really don’t matter, and you really don’t care what I have to say about them, nor does my name, but what does matter are the wins and losses.
Pete Stevenson hails from Orem (pronounced ARM), Utah and is now the head coach of the University of Colorado Buffaloes. He was an assistant at Brigham Young, where he learned the value of a good ride and great hair. You can read more of his ponderings on his very non-lacrosse related blog.
