– Marianne Williamson

Sports play an important role in our society. After the massacres that occurred at Newtown Elementary School, sports became a rallying call for normalcy and healing. On Sunday, Fairfield University organized Newtown Day at its men’s basketball game at Webster Arena. More than 300 children attended and participated in events surrounding the game: children from Newtown stood on the court with the players during the national anthem; lined up to give the players high-fives; participated in games of skill during time-outs; helped clean the floor during time-outs; and assisted the cheering squad. This spring, Fairfield is also planning an all-sports clinic for Newtown children in the spring.

What makes this unique and special is because sports, at all levels, can play a role in healing. Fairfield, a MAAC (Mid Atlantic Athletic Association) School and a rival of ours, has taken an opportunity to help these kids return to some sort of normalcy. Every year at Canisius, we play one game called “Kids Day” in which we invite local elementary schools to come to a women’s basketball game. What’s great about this, is that we have 2,000+ screaming elementary age schools that love the game. Sports has a unique dynamic to change the world and that is why I give Fairfield a sincere “Thank You,” because at Canisius we couldn’t do anything to help these kids out, but you did!

Until Next Time,

Brent Gray

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship

Seven MSA students, and myself, on Tuesday got back from Springfield, Massachusetts. 16 games, 82 hours working and 11 hours of travel, will make any reasonable person go crazy!  The MAAC Men’s and Women’s basketball championships were held in Springfield for the second time. Our group worked very hard at all major facets of the tournaments.  We had students handling the media, team check-ins, promotions, running statistics, and every other job possible. Sports are not your traditional 9am-5pm occupations and it very often involves working nights and weekends.  Without enthusiasm working this many hours will almost always lead to burnout. What the MAAC Championship really reiterated was that without vision, hard work, and enthusiasm the MAAC conference would still be in neutral. After working a long weekend this is what I have learned from the MAAC Championships.

First, sports are not your usual 9am-5pm jobs.  Sure you get to do the 9-5 thing, then add a couple of games during weeknights and throw in a weekend game and now you have a 70-80 work week.

Thirdly, sports organizations will not hire you because you are a fan!!  They have plenty of fans and you are not there to get autographs or be a yes man! I have heard people explain in an interview that they should be hired because they are the biggest fans.  They don’t want fans they want a problem solver!

Finally, cussing and strong language is a normal thing on the field and in the locker rooms.  If you can’t handle an f-bomb then I suggest you find another industry. Emotions bring out the best and worst in people, and often times the language they use can mirror those emotions

Until next time, take care!

Brent Gray

Bruce Lee

With the large alumni around the country, Canisius MSA students got another great opportunity to volunteer and make great connections. Robert Tigani, MSA 2012, recently had an internship with the West Coast Conference(WCC) (he recently accepted a job at San Francisco University), and was able to secure volunteer positions at the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men’s basketball March Madness this past weekend at HP Pavilion in San Jose. Four students were able to travel and volunteer for the games. This was a great opportunity to meet contacts on the west coast and expand their networking possibilities. Trips like this are common in the MSA program and another great reason to look into the volunteer opportunities that each master’s degree has to offer.

The reason why this is important is because two of the students made strong connections that are leading to better opportunities. Along with working hard and performing exemplary, these two students were able to make connections in the WCC and their affiliated schools. One student in particular, Tom Barrett was able to get a letter of recommendation and strong opportunities of an internship or possible position. Rob Tigani, knowing of a position was going to open up, introduced Tom to the hiring manager and was able to have WCC contacts call and vouch for Tom. Tom recently had an interview and is waiting to hear back from USF.

These types of things happen all the time. Many students call up Alumni, make a connection and often have the insights into internships or other positions. I will let you know how the interview went with Tom, but lets keep our fingers crossed for him.

Until next time,

Brent

Edmund Burke

With the newest revelations out of Rutgers University, Mike Rice has been fired for the abuse of his players. If you lived under a rock for the past couple of days, I will give you the cliff notes version. On April 3, 2013 Mike Rice was fired after a video surfaced of him being physical with players in practice and using homophobic slurs. Mike Rice, settled on a $475,000 contract resolution and will not be coaching at Rutgers anymore.

What makes this case unique is that we have been discussing it every class. From Contract Negations/Risk Management, Intercollegiate, Strategic Marketing, Leadership, and finally Ethics and Morality in Sports, this case is unique and will be used for years. All of these classes have been discussing the issues and difficulties of this particular case. In Strategic Marketing we discussed how, or what, Rutgers has to do in regards to a marketing perspective to bring in revenue dollars. In Contract Negotiations we looked into his contract and how as managers we could minimize our loses or expenses of hiring and firing of a new coach. What makes sports unique is that it is always changing and daily we can discuss these topics and address them from both a practical and academic setting.

For me, Mike Rice deserved to be fired. As a collegiate baseball player, I understand a coach yelling but once I viewed the video, it was embarrassing that someone like that, is leading these young men. What else concerns me is sometimes in the sports world we think that coaches and outbursts are ok or normal. If Mike rice were to do these things on the street he could be arrested and tried with assault and battery. This needs to end, and I’m glad that it has, for now!

Until Next Time,

Brent Gray

Today will be my last post, and I wanted to give everybody some final advice and thank those that have helped me in the program. When I came to Canisius, I was older than most student’s on-campus and I came to fulfill my lifelong dream of working in a sports setting and helping change the lives of others. Today, I am closer to that dream and its because of all the hard work that I put in, but also the mentors, professors, and individuals that I have met along the way.

First, I would like to thank Dr. O’Rourke who has helped me tremendously. I can say, that when I leave, I leave with a mentor, but also a friend I can call anytime who will do anything for me. Dr. O’Rourke also gave m a chance to install some change in the program when I started MSA Cares and I am thankful that he saw my vision and allowed me to go forward.

Secondly, I would like to thank all the professors who have helped us and pushed us along the way. I believe that at certain times I during the year they decide to have papers and tests during the same week, but they are always there with great insights into the industry and are always open and willing to help you out in any way possible.

Finally, I would like to thanks my fellow MSA students whom I have traveled with on this journey. It has been a fun two years and we have grown professionally and personally along this journey. You can always call on me of you ever need anything, for today’s intern could be tomorrows hiring executive.

As I write the next chapter of my life, I want to thank my parents for believing in my dream as well.  Daily we are reminded out the difficulties of life and present economy. Thank you Dr. O’Rourke and Canisius, I will forever be a Griff and I thank you for that. I will end with my favorite quote and until next time, I saw farewell.

“ Never said it would be easy, I only said ti would be worth it!” – unknown.

Take Care!

Brent Gray

MSA Class 2013

Winston Churchill

I am going to be honest with you all! I just had three interviews over the past couple of weeks and all three have gone towards internal candidates. I recently was talking to a hiring manager at the Buffalo Bills whom exclaimed that often organizations turn internally because if they open a position up externally, they get hundreds if not thousands of emails or applications from around the country. He also explained that for an entry or mid level positions that it is easier to train someone you know, and that an organization is going to go after you it will be in the higher level positions at VP or executives. So always, always go after experience. Internships, volunteer opportunities, anything to get you in the door is what you need to do!

Why do I explain this to you? Well, the sports industry, its competitive folks! Not every town has a professional team, and those professional teams are very, very loyal and look internally. I applied for multiple positions at the Bills and again all went internally candidates. Some might get discouraged, I certainly did for a minute, but then I realized that nothing worth having is easy! Sure I can get a 9-5 job not in sports, but I care and love sports! I don’t want to be a fan working in sports, I want to make these teams great and I will continue to beat down the doors at the Bills and go after every opportunity. Besides, I’ve sacrificed a lot to get here, and now is not the time to go back!

Until Next time,

Brent Gray

Reflecting back on this year I couldn’t be happier with master’s program I chose. Most of all, I feel I am getting a great education. Highlights of my year include:

• Designing a 12-week workout plan
• Administering stress tests
• Reading EKGs
• Designing my own nutritional tool
• Researching and debating current issue topics related to health and wellness
• Risk stratification case studies
• Taking resting and exercising heart rate and blood pressures
• Administering various exercise tests (body composition tests, aerobic maximal and submaximal fitness tests, anaerobic fitness tests, muscular strength and endurance tests…)

At the beginning of next year I will be starting my first internship and I feel confident based of the knowledge and skills I have gained over the past year. I’m excited for more and I can’t wait to see what next year will bring.

On top of a great education I have met some great people. A lot of my fellow classmates will be graduating this year and I am sad to see them go. We have had a lot of fun along the way and have helped each other out immensely. I am sad to see them go, but excited for what awaits them. Canisius is a tight knit community, especially within the Health and Human Performance program so I am sure it won’t be the last we see or hear from our 2013 graduates.

I have a lot to look forward to next year! A few more classes, two internships, new friends, and the quest for a big girl job! However, first I plan on enjoying a nice warm summer! I am glad I had the opportunity to share my experiences with you! I hope all of you enjoyed my blogs.

The earliest additional expense that most students will incur is the creation of a “TaskStream” account. This website allows for the creation of a digital portfolio of each student’s work. Each class for the certification program includes what is called a common assignment, one that is part of the class no matter which professor is teaching that particular semester. The TaskStream service costs $25 for a semester or $42 for one year. Beyond that, the price reduces if a student needs to purchase a longer time period. This is required since it is the process through which Canisius students create their professional portfolio. Professors will also grade the common assignments on TaskStream.

The next additional expense is the cost of getting fingerprinted. As for most states, New York requires teachers to be fingerprinted and background checked before being certified. As with most states, the bureaucracy takes some time to process these and it does not always go smoothly. It is recommended, therefore, that incoming students deal with fingerprinting sooner than later. In order to get the necessary paperwork to be officially fingerprinted, students create a TEACH account with the New York Department of Education. They then put in for the fingerprinting cards which will be sent to their residence. These cards, and the processing that goes with them, cost $91. Luckily, Canisius offers free fingerprinting at the Public Safety Office several times throughout the semester. These dates are well advertised around the department. Once a student gets their fingerprints taken at Public Safety (or another certified location, that may cost additional money), they send them back to Albany where it make take two months, or longer, to process. If there is something wrong with the fingerprints, the Department of Education will send out new cards and the student will need to repeat the process.

The final required expenses are the test fees to take the required pre-certification exams. Starting with newly enrolled students, who plan on graduating in May 2014 or later, teacher candidates will be required to take four tests: the edTPA, the Educating All Students (EAS) test, the Academic Literacy Skills Test (ALST), and the revised Content Specialty Test (CST). EAS, ALST, and CST cost about $79 each to take in the paper form, and about $149 to take at an online testing center. The exact cost of the edTPA has not yet been released, but is expected to be around $300. In order to register for these exams without paying a late fee, students need to sign up and pay about one month before the date of the actual exam. EdTPA, EAS, and ALST are general education exams that are meant to test a candidate’s ability to handle a classroom and pedagogy skills. The CST is subject specific and meant to ensure that teachers who receive certification have an acceptable level of competence in their field.

Combining the expenses associated with tests, fingerprinting, and TaskStream, teacher candidates at Canisius can expect to have at least $650 in additional fees that will have to be paid in order to receive certification. These fees, for the most part, are mandates by New York State, and therefore the college has no say over them. It is, however, very important for incoming students to be aware of the financial obligations they are undertaking in order to complete this program. I do not feel like this expense is in any way too much or not worth the money, but it is important to plan for before enrolling in the program.

The requirements for the Masters degree include two additional classes to the required courses for certification: EDAD 538: Contemporary Issues and EDAD 616: Research Methods. The first of these classes, Contemporary Issues explores many of the most controversial topics in modern education including concepts like teachers’ unions, school funding, the No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top legislation, and technology use in the classroom. In Research Methods, students are asked to write a full research paper concerning a relevant educational issue. In the Masters program, the focus is not on practical classroom issues and pedagogy, but rather more on education theory and issues that extend far beyond the classroom. Most of the issues extend into the realm of public discourse and involve legal issues about the role of education and how it is to be carried out.

The second add-on to the initial certification is the Middle Childhood Extension which includes two classes: EMC 552: Human Growth & Development, Middle Childhood and EMC 553: Cognition, Learning, & Assessment, Middle Childhood. Completing these courses, which mirror several courses in the initial certification process, will allow the candidate to earn licensure to teach fifth and sixth grades, in addition to seventh through twelfth grade from the initial process. Earning this certification, even if it is not the students’ top goal for their career, it could get them a job in a district and to begin gaining seniority, in the hopes of someday moving to a different grade level.

Canisius College does not offer simply a quick and expedient path to teaching certification. The adolescence education program offers a Masters degree and Middle Childhood Extension offer students the opportunity to grow in their professional skills and marketability.

At the beginning of 502 many students, particularly the math and science ones, grumble about having to take a class that has traditionally had but a very small place outside of English class. By the end of the class, however, most students become more open to the concept because of the variety of very practical pedagogical techniques that can be used in almost any classroom and circumstance. An example of this is the use of journals for students to write down their thoughts and to work out their understanding. For science, teachers are encouraged to explore the vocabulary more deeply. For example, a biology teacher could really go into detail about the meaning of “photosynthesis,” not just as the process by which plants make their energy, but breaking down the word into its constituent parts. By teaching students what the prefix “photo” refers to, they can take this knowledge and apply it elsewhere, in other subjects and other units of science. In math class, teachers are encouraged to have students write in journals so they can articulate their understanding of what exactly the mathematic process entails. Hopefully students will be able to understand the underlying thought process behind the formulas and theorems that they use in class. Canisius does a very strong job at preparing its teacher candidates for helping future students with literacy issues.