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sports

Tom Osborne Speaks About Character

August 22, 2012 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Nebraska and football just go together and to just about every Nebraskan Tom Osborne is a football legend. . Former Nebraska football coach, member of Congress, and currently University of Nebraska Athletic Director spoke at the small school of Elmwood-Murdock just before the University of Nebraska joined the Big 10 and here is what he had to say.

Tom Osborne talks about character
Tom Osborne talks about character

This was just  over a week before the Nebraska Huskers kick off their season, Tom Osborne would take time out of his busy schedule to speak to Elmwood-Murdock Booster Club event. This says volumes about his character.

Elmwood-Murdock High School not a Class A school, we don’t have a huge population base, but Doctor Tom explained it this way.  “We scheduled this function quite a while ago, and although Rose Bowl committee was in town today and wanted me to attend a function tonight. I told them I had somewhere more important to attend.”

Former Nebraska Husker coach talks about character
“Character is a choice”

Tom Osborne is a very soft-spoken man, even with a mic it was difficult to hear him and you could have heard a pin drop in  the auditorium as everyone was as quiet as they could be so they could hear him speak.

Many people speak about character, and Tom emphasized that “Character is not inherited, or a trait, it is a choice.” A choice the “defines  how you act when there are no sanctions” (an appropriate  football reference) “It’s how you act when no one is looking, when you know you won’t get caught. Will you follow the rules when the coach isn’t looking? Return that wallet when you could keep the $50 inside.”

Tom referenced another famous Nebraska native,  Warren Buffet who once said that “Character was an aspect he looked for in an employee, along with Intelligence and Energy.” Intelligence and  energy were wonderful, but without character a lot of harm could be created. A positive character was a trait Tom looked for in players.  “Character will define how you react in adversity” Will you blame, divide or see adversity as an “opportunity to learn and grow.”

Tom and Nancy Osborne receive a check for TeamMates
Tom and Nancy Osborne receive a check for TeamMates

Very few times will you hear a public figure speak about spirituality. Tom Osborne does not shy away from this topic. He considers “spiritual dimension to be very important to character. Even if someone is not religious, spirituality is important. Every morning the football players had an opportunity to participate in morning devotionals and prayer before every game. The players were willing to sacrifice themselves for the team. ”

I couldn’t help but think of Notre Dame and the troubles in Happy Valley when former Coach Osborne spoke of honesty being part of character that he cherishes and looks for in a player. “It’s telling the truth, even when it won’t make you look good. A good reputation takes 30 years to build, but only five minutes to wreck”

This man has lived and built his character and reputation through not only how he has coached the Nebraska Huskers, but also through community service.  He created the TeamMates mentoring program in 1991, volunteers for many community events, and has made many unpopular decisions in support of his players.

More About Tom Osborne

Simmons says Osborne letter was life-changer

“Coach (Tom) Osborne gave me the play to take in and to this day, I use it for motivation,” said Simmons, a motivational speaker himself, who knows how to turn it around. As a matter of fact, Simmons credits Osborne for helping him turn his life around …
Day 1: Fast-paced and guided by GPS

Popular guy: Husker video coordinator Mike Nobler did his best Tom Osborne impersonation during Monday’s practice, wearing a practice wardrobe straight out of the mid-80s. @HuskerExtraBC believe the term is business casual. Very casual. pic.twitter.com …
The LIST- Tom Osborne | Sport Leadership

This week, legendary Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne discusses the influences on his Hall of Fame career, what traits he believes are most critical to effective leadership and his advice to the next generation of leaders.

Filed Under: Events, Small Town Living Tagged With: athletics, character, Elmwood-Murdock, football, huskers, inspiration, Nebraska, Nebraska Cornhuskers, speaking, sports, Tom Osborne

Silent Sunday #6

August 19, 2012 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Fall is a time for football

Silent Sunday

Filed Under: Project 365 Tagged With: Elmwood-Murdock, football, high school, rural, Silent Sunday, sports

Sidney Iowa Rodeo

August 16, 2012 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Welcome to the Sidney Iowa Rodeo

Rodeo is an American sport, born and breed in the Great West. Tradition, patriotism, respect, and family values are celebrated at the start of every rodeo with the American flag and a tribute to the US military.

Opening of the Sidney Iowa Rodeo
Opening of the Sidney Iowa Rodeo
Saddle bronc at the Sidney Iowa Rodeo
Saddle bronc at the Sidney Iowa Rodeo

The Sidney Iowa rodeo is no exception and 2012 celebrated their 89th year with 339 cowboys participating in the five-day event. The talent and quality of stock was definitely better than what I saw the week before at the Wahoo Nebraska rodeo. While both were PRCA sanctioned events, Sidney takes it to a whole different level.

Sidney, Iowa Rodeo Sidney Original Vintage Postcard

Calf Roping at the Sidney Iowa Rodeo
Calf Roping, just look at the horse, he knows what to do

Sidney Iowa has a population of about 1,500 people and hosts more than 38,000 people during five days. To this small town come professional cowboys that are nationally ranked in the top ten and perform in the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.  This meant watching a large percentage of full 8 second rides and few missed throws in the roping competitions.

Barrel Racing
Barrel Racing, times in the low 17 second range
Bull riding at the Sidney Iowa Rodeo
Bull riding at the Sidney Iowa Rodeo

 Learn More About Rodeo History

The RideArena Legacy: The Heritage of American RodeoCowgirl Up!: A History of Rodeo WomenRodeo History and LegendsBlack Cowboys of the Old West: True,Fearless Funnymen: The History of the Rodeo

Famous Rodeos and Cowboys

Bud Sankey to be inducted into the Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame

… national finals in bareback, saddle bronc and bull riding and now runs Sankey Rodeo Schools and Equipment in Branson, Mo.; Ike Sankey runs Sankey Pro Rodeo in Joliet, Mont., and contracts the livestock for some of the most famous rodeos in the world.
Cottonwood roper to compete in Red Bluff Round-Up Rodeo

“It’s one of the most famous rodeos,” he said. “It’s an awesome rodeo, the whole nine yards. It’s a rockin’ crowd, good announcers, good added money.” On the side, Davis trades horses. Since he spends all day on horseback he’s putting time and training …
Northern rodeos buck trend – Stock Journal

Carrieton is a tiny town but stages one of the most famous rodeos in the region. While Marrabel Rodeo is the oldest – the first was 75 years ago – Carrieton is the longest-running consecutive rodeo, and last December …
10 Top Tourist Attractions in Canada – Touropia

The Calgary Stampede, one of the most famous rodeos in the world, traces its origins back to the traveling wild west shows of the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Stampede has grown over the years, today attracting the best …
Travel Online: America’s Wildest Rodeos

One of the most famous rodeos in the world, the Stampede features 6 major events: bull riding, steer wrestling, racing, tie-down roping, saddle and bareback riding, and offers payouts up to $100,000 in each category.

 

 

Filed Under: Events, Small Town Living Tagged With: Americana, barrel racing, Bullriding, country, cowboys, famous rodeos, Horses, iowa, National Finals Rodeo, PRCA, Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, rodeo, sports

Summertime Sports Photography

June 7, 2012 by info@3QuartersToday.com

I am always trying to expand my photography skills and shoot different topics, events, and subjects.

It isn’t often I have full permission from my  daughter to take my camera (Canon Rebel  XS) to her softball game. So when I got the chance I took it, and did I ever experiment with night action sports photography. Not easy, but I finally did get the hang of it.  I set my camera on manual and just played until I got it right.

Summer Softball- photography lesson

The above picture was taken with at 1600 ISO, 5.6 F stop, and a 1/160 shutter speed, 75 mm zoom with a continuous burst with the camera file size at small for a faster response.  With the exception of the graininess at the high ISO I’m pretty happy with the results.

Pitcher concentration
Pitcher concentration

Again graininess with 1600 ISO, but right now I can’t see anyway around it, 800 was too dark with the needed shutter speed. The second photo was on large/RAW file size and was a little dark in the original image. With the lens resting on the fence I shot through the chain link at 300mm focal length, 1/160th of a second at a 5.6f

I increased the exposure in Lightroom, cropped the original horizontal shot to vertical, decreased the white and decreased the shadows. Don’t like how the grain distorts the background player, but couldn’t figure out a way to compensate.

Day of Softball and Summer
400 ISO,  1/125 sec, f10 focal 105mm  Aperture Priority

The last photo was obviously taken earlier in the night before the sun went down. All I did here was decrease the exposure, increase shadows, and warm the white balance. My camera tends to shoot cool (blue) and a the sun was glowing on all the players. I try really hard for realism in my editing and this is what my eye saw.

My daughter has played softball since T-ball in preschool starting at Elmwood-Murdock, then Lincoln Y-league, Eagle, and the past three years for Louisville. The Louisville team joined the Omaha league a few years ago and the first year they didn’t win a game. Competition was a little harder than their previous league and the girls had to try a little harder. The record the next year was about a 50:50 record.

A lot of the girls play on two teams, most of the teams are Select and have the intimidating matching travel bags, and “muscle” jerseys.  Most play school ball, but it doesn’t matter what they look like, can they play? My daughter loves the game, she only plays during the summer and she has a mean steal and isn’t afraid to use it and slide to where she wants to go.

Photography Tips

  • Anticipate your shots, know when the pitcher is going to throw.
  • Push your ISO as high as you need to get a 1/200 speed exposure
  • Use a lower aperture, backgrounds will blur, but you will accent your subject.
  • Use a tripod, monopod, or rest your camera on a steady surface. Fence gaps work well
  • Get the “personality” shots, the concentration of the pitcher, or first base.
  • Shoot in RAW for “still” shot, JPG continuous for action
  • Use your longest zoom for outfield shots, even 2nd base is a long ways off

I’m a big proponent of shooting in RAW, but there are many instances that a regular JPG photo will work just fine, especially if you taking the photos for yourself and just going to post to Facebook and share with friends. If you’re goal is to enlarge the photos, post them for sale, or use them commercially, then a camera with a wider range of options is necessary.

How to Photograph Night Sports

  • Understanding ISO Sensitivity (nikonusa.com)
  • Photography and the “Big 3″ (joshmsmith.wordpress.com)
  • ISO – What is it and how do I use it? (joestechthoughts.wordpress.com)
  • Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority: Exposure Lesson #1 (digital-photography-school.com)
  • American Legion Baseball (3QuartersToday.com)

Filed Under: Photography Tagged With: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Aperture priority, camera, canon, canon rebel, family, Film speed, Focal length, Nebraska, Omaha, Photography, Shutter speed, softball, sports, sports photography, summer

Day 288-290: High School Football

November 10, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

High school football, the central point of every fall Friday night in a small town. It’s the center of the social scene, the place to be seen and to see people and watch some football. Elmwood-Murdock high school has been conference district champions for the past 13 years and make the state playoffs every year I can remember.

Nebraska, High school football
Nebraska, High school football, obviously doesn't want me to take his picture
Class C2, Nebraska Football
Class C2, Nebraska Football
High School Football Cheerleaders
High School Football Cheerleaders

Filed Under: Project 365, Small Town Living Tagged With: 365project, cheerleaders, Elmwood-Murdock, entertainment, fall, football, high school, Nebraska, project365, rural town, small town, sports, tradition

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