Dear Rookie

Utah Falconz Rookies, wearing blank practice jerseys, watching form and technique from the returning Falconz athletes.

by BREANN HILLHOUSE

Hey there, Rookies.

We see you, ya know. It’s true, we’re watching you in the most non-creepiest way possible. Really, we are sizing you up and checking out what you can do.

To be honest you’re sporting a little bit of the wide-eyed confusion look, and that’s okay; we were all rookies at one point. In fact, it makes us feel better to see you flounder just a little bit because, and this is just between us gals, we did the same thing when we started out.

Do you feel like you’re learning a new language? That would be because you are and none of it is comprehensive. All the lingo, plays, abbreviations, routes and position responsibilities are pretty overwhelming, right? Oh, and we haven’t even gotten to audibles yet, so you have that to look forward to. But don’t you sweat your pretty little head, they are all going to click for you, at least if you’re putting in the work.

Do you find the coaches intimidating? You shouldn’t, they’re all great people who are here to help you learn. They know you’re starting out and if they seem gruff it’s ‘cause they want to push you to succeed. Except…Coach Rick is probably going to remain intimidating to you. I would bet that he likes it that way. Has he gotten in your face and made you forget how to use your words yet? Well, brace yourself, Newbie, it’s probably coming. I mean, your best bet would be to not mess up, but you’re going to mess up and he’s going to catch it and then he’ll make sure you understand that he caught it. The not-so-secret to that situation is to own your mistake, say “yes, coach” and then do it right the next time. Or at least try.

Did you know that we want to see you successful just as much as the coaches do? Without a doubt, we do. Your triumphs are ours and vice versa because we are a team in this. You can talk to us if you’re not quite sure what you should be doing. I can’t guarantee that we will always have the answers on account of some of us not studying the playbook in the off-season but then we will find the answers together, whaddaya say? You know how they say there are no stupid questions? Well, that’s not true, there are tons of stupid questions. Loads and loads of them. We’re just not going to let it show on our faces when you ask one, we’ll answer it without letting on. That’s a good deal, amiright?

The main point is that we see you working hard and asking questions. We can see you pushing yourself and striving to improve and it’s fantastic. We see the passion you have for the game and it’s awesome considering it matches ours. We don’t need no scrubs because a scrub is a player that can’t get no love from me. So, keep up the hard work and we’re going to get along just fine.

Maybe you didn’t know already, rookie, but you just joined a family. The Utah Falconz are like the most adorable gang in that if someone messes with one of us they deal with the whole flock. You get your sisters’ backs, we’ll get yours and that’s how it works.

Perhaps you have played for other teams before, but we’re different. Stick around and you’ll see what I mean. Welcome to the Falconz, you’re going to love it here.

 Sincerely, Falconz Veterans

Disarming the Refs

Maira Alcala runs in a touchdown against the Colorado Springs Thunder Katz at Timpanogos High School

by MICHAEL RAMOS

Referees are horrible. Especially NFL refs. The league specifically told them to help the Dallas Cowboys get to the Super Bowl. Last week, the refs helped the Cowboys beat the Detroit Lions when they didn't call an obvious pass interference penalty late in the game (it wasn't pass interference). This weekend, the refs were ready to hand another playoff win to the Cowboys.

But the refs blew it. They reversed a call (as in, they got it right), and the Cowboys lost. Now it’s the Cowboys’ and their fans turn to whine that a referee's call decided their fate.

Refs should never be blamed for a loss. Directing blame is a copout losing teams use, and it fosters a losing mentality. Not to mention, it covers up the real reasons behind a loss. Nobody is blaming DeMarco Murray for fumbling away a possible touchdown run when he didn’t protect the ball. Nobody’s blaming the Cowboys' offensive line for not protecting their quarterback. I still haven't heard anyone point the finger at the Dallas defense for not stopping Green Bay down the stretch. Most importantly, nobody's criticizing Dez Bryant for not securing the ball at the 1-yard line. (There's little doubt Dallas would've scored from there.)

Instead, everyone's focused on one play involving a referee's decsions, when there were a dozen or so more equally critical plays.

Believe it or not, referees are human, too. They have struggles at home, just like the rest of us. Some of them have loved ones who are sick or dying. Other refs may be going through a nasty breakup or divorce. And like the rest of us, referees have mortgages to pay, and are struggling to figure out how to put their kids through college. If you're depending on them to make a call to save your season, it's only a matter of time before that season comes to an end. As a coach, you have to come up with a method that will allow you to overcome bad calls.

Falconz players are drilled over and over again that we need to be at least 14 points better than our opponents. 14 points is the threshold that should allow us to overcome most obstacles. This includes more than a ref missing a holding call, or calling a penalty that was in the grey-area. It covers a successful Hail Mary pass. It covers a muffed punt that gives the other team the ball inside our red zone. It also allows us room to breathe in the event we throw a pick six, or if our safety slips and gives up a long touchdown pass. 14 points is our insurance policy.

More than that, winning by more than a couple of scores removes any doubt about who the better team is. If you win by a field goal, or a late score, the other team will always feel that they could've beaten you. If you beat them by three or four touchdowns, you hold a huge psychological edge the next time you play each other.

As coaches, it’s important to stress to your team that players decide who wins and loses. Some teams celebrate and high-five when a defensive back knocks down a ball. Not our team. We consider those dropped interceptions, or turnovers, and the entire defense does push-ups. Lorette Cooper, Falconz defensive back, has even dropped down and done push ups during a game.

In practice, we'll often simulate live game situations. One of our coaches will act as the "referee" who's out to get us. He/she will make calls that, in a game, could cost us the win. An interception gets ruled incomplete. Players are called for being offsides or we'll get a bogus pass interference penalty. It can be frustrating, but players know they may have to overcome those calls in order to win. So in practice, when the bad call is made, they roll their eyes, and work to get another stop. We work to take the game out of the hands of the officials, and with good reason.

Those guys blow calls all the time.

Remembering Stuart Scott

by MICHAEL RAMOS

It's not a stretch to say Stuart Scott inspired me. Especially when you see the viral outpouring of support and grief at the news of his passing after 7 years of battling cancer.

Any time you humble Michael Jordan, have Tiger Woods call you a hero, or get the White House to issue a press release about you, you've done huge things. His witty, unorthodox and sometimes controversial delivery made him one of the best sportscasters ever. After seeing his peers, coaches and hall-of-fame athletes moved to tears, it's easy to see his lasting impact.

And for a young kid in high school, growing up with few minority role models, "Stu" was inspiring. He didn't glorify the hood life, or talk about spending all your money in the strip club. He didn't refer to women in demeaning terms. He was well-educated, dressed in sharp suits, and earned money with his mind instead of his body.

He got paid to be clever. He showed black kids you didn't have to play ball to be successful. You could make a living, even become a legend, by using your brain. More importantly, you could be successful just by being yourself. He used hip-hop and one liners to help build SportsCenter. When he started, he was criticized, mocked and even physically threatened. Instead of cowering, he continued to do it his way. Now, all those clever one-liners you hear in sports talk are a direct homage to the work Stuart Scott did.

His work produced something else, also. He helped reduce the racial gaps we sometimes see. White people were running around saying, "Boo-yah", and "Don't hate the player, hate the game". If a guy at church-ball hit a clutch shot, he was "as cool as the other side of the pillow". Not-so-hip guys became hip, and were running around the gym quoting Notorious B.I.G. To me, a guy like that is my brotha, even if he looks nothing like me.

Of all the things I've heard and read over the last couple of days, the most important thing I'll take away was how much he loved his two girls. He endured grueling cancer treatment and beat cancer, only to have it return. When it recurred, he endured more treatment and beat it again, only to have it return a third time. Stuart Scott was still battling when he finally passed away. Through it all, he attributed his fighting spirit to the love and devotion he had for his girls. He didn't want to leave them behind.

Better than all of his catch-phrases, were the words from his speech at the ESPY awards. Basically coming straight from the hospital he said, "When you die, it does not mean you lose to cancer. You beat cancer, by how you live, and the manner in which you live."

It made me grateful for the things I've been given. I've got a wife, and kids of my own, all of whom make my life more complete than I ever thought it could be.

It made me grateful for our very own Nell Robb, and her own heroic battle against cancer. My tear ducts don't work, but if they did, it would've been the time when Nell, who's faced more adversity than any of us can imagine, took the ball and ran it in to the end zone against the Rocky Mountain Thunder Katz. It was my highlight of our first year.

It made me grateful for Felix Falcon and the Mascot Miracles Foundation. All the work they do to provide comfort and compassion to those stricken with illness, it can't be measured in words. If you look up "hero" in the dictionary, you'd see a picture of Felix and his crew, silly string and all.

And I'm definitely grateful to be coaching the Falconz. Hoki invited me back, and even asked me to help with the team blog. She gave the go-ahead to write about anything I felt strongly about, including this post. Rick, the head coach, gave me autonomy to run the defense. I've been on teams where I've been told how to coach, and that I needed to play Player A over Player B. That's not for me. If I'm going to coach, I'm going to do it in a way that allows me to be true to myself. I learned that in high school, thanks to Stuart Scott.

Judging by the continuing tributes he's received, he's inspired more than just me. The things he did, and the love he had will live on with many of us. That's how you beat cancer.

Boo-yah