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Be The Best.

The bar is set high!

The first Christian Friesen Memorial award went to an outstanding young man, Luke Genereux, just a few months ago in January.  You can see that post here.

Luke has now made the President’s Honour Roll at Simon Fraser University which is an outstanding achievement.

He’s set that bar pretty high!  A huge congratuations are in order for this amazing accomplishment.  You can read the details from the SFU press release below.

SFU Senior Captain Luke Genereux named to President’s Honour Roll

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

By William Howard,

 

SFU Lacrosse Media Relations

 

Simon Fraser University Men’s Lacrosse

BURNABY, BC (June 17, 2011) – Andrew Petter, President and Vice Chancellor of Simon

Fraser University has awarded men’s lacrosse graduating senior Luke Genereux (Port

Coquitlam, BC / Terry Fox Secondary) standing on the President’s Honour Roll. This award

is for students who have completed at least 30 units at SFU, and have achieved a term

GPA of 4.0 or above while taking at least 12 units of classes. The prestigious award for

outstanding academic achievement is permanently noted on a student’s transcript.

Genereux, who is expected to be named a MCLA Scholar Athlete later this summer, was

named an MCLA All-American for the second straight year in 2011 after receiving

honorable mention status last season. A senior captain for the Clan, he was also named a

PNCLL First Team All-Conference selection for the third and final time in his collegiate

career, after earning the same honor in both his freshman and junior year.

Genereux played four seasons for Simon Fraser from 2007-2011 at close defense and

LSM, helping to lead the Clan to a PNCLL Conference Championship and an appearance

in the MCLA National Championship Quarterfinals in 2009 and a run to the MCLA National

Championship Semi-Finals in 2010. SFU also finished as PNCLL Conference runners-up in

2007, 2010 and 2011.

Simon Fraser University is an academics first institution and Genereux’s award reflects a strong emphasis placed on

academics by SFU Co-Head Coaches Jeff Cathrea and Brent Hoskins. In seven seasons under Cathrea and Hoskins’

leadership, their players have excelled in the classroom producing the programs first eleven (11) MCLA Scholar Athletes

(Academic All-Americans) and maintaining the programs best academic record.

ABOUT SIMON FRASER MEN’S LACROSSE

Simon Fraser University men’s lacrosse will compete in its seventeenth season in 2012 and competes in the Men’s

Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA). The Clan have captured a record eight PNCLL Conference Titles (1997, 1998,

1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2008 and 2009) and rank sixth all-time with ten MCLA National Championship tournament

appearances, placing 2nd in 1999 and playing in the 2010 MCLA Semi-Finals after reaching the Quarterfinals in 2008 and

2009. The Clan proudly wear equipment and apparel by Harrow Sports and Cascade helmets.

For further information on Simon Fraser men’s lacrosse please visit sfulacrosse.com or follow the Clan on Twitter at

twitter.com/fraserlacrosse.

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Be The Best.

A few final thoughts about the CFMA 2011.

What…we’ve awarded it once and already formed an acronym?  Lame.

That’s the Chris Friesen Memorial Award.  There, that feels better.

A few closing thoughts about the awards.

Jeff Cathrea and Brent Hoskins are the head coaches for the SFU men’s lacrosse team.  Their accomplishments are pretty impressive, but they probably won’t tell you that.  You’ll have to read it here.

The biggest accomplishment however, doesn’t really show-up on stats sheets.

It shows up in stories about young men and how they have focused on their education.

Focused on their fitness.

Focused on lacrosse.

Focused on their future.

Read this story about one of their players, Chris Tessarolo.

If you’re a young person reading this, some fatherly advice.  Work hard at school, do your homework…and listen to your coaches!  They know what they’re talking about!!

Brent and Jeff won Coach of the Year honours in their conference and that’s a testament to the dedication to the team, SFU and development of younger players in the Selects program and camps.  Congrats guys!

Here’s a few more pics from the evening.

Oh, and the Best Dressed?  The very lovely Ingrid Friesen of course.

Brent, Marilyn (Brent's Mom and Team Manager for 11 seasons) Jeff
Max and Kiera
write your own caption...
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Be The Best.

Boys and their toys.

I had a phone call today with Tom Golden from Maryland, USA.

You may remember that name from a blog post a week or so back titled, ‘For men only…yah right’.

It was a very interesting conversation as we explored topics about men and the grieving process and how men react differently to loss and honouring a loved one.

We are looking at doing an interview via Skype in the future so stay tuned!

There was one very interesting thing though that I couldn’t wait until that interview to share.

Tom again had some great insights into the male perspective on communication and how that relates to the grieving process.

He told me some amazing stories about sports stars and musicians…but I’ll keep you waiting for those and let him tell you.

I had told him about an example of ‘man communication’ that I relayed on this blog a few months back.  Going on a golf weekend with ‘the guys’ is usually about 90% having fun, letting your hair down (ok, you know that hurts seeing as my hairstyle is a Number 1 with a razor…) and DOING STUFF.  There is usually some (maybe 10%) sincere and deeper conversation, but not predetermined or predictable.

This was not news to Tom.  He stated that it is the ACTIVITY itself, the ‘shoulder to shoulder battle’, that bonds men.  That ties into everything from war to sports.  It was the next comment Tom made that really hit home.  He said that it is the joined activity (fighting an enemy, conquering a mountain, driving an ATV around) that combines some danger and challenge that provides a SAFE ZONE for men to talk to each other.  ie, if this guy has my back, I may be able to have a deeper conversation.

I found that very interesting.

You see in the vid attached a little fun with ATV’s courtesy of Drake with Wayne and Brad driving and yours truly filming while trying to hold on.

Thinking about this another way…four hours of golf to have a 2 minute serious conversation.

It’s all making much more sense now.  Maybe I will unretire from golf after all.

btw…I know it’s 5 months today that Chris passed away and we continue to thank you for remembering us in your thoughts and prayers.

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Be The Best.

For men only…(yah right)

I know the methodology of many guys who ‘read’ this blog.

Their Significant Other reads it and passes the information on to them.

Many guys don’t read much.  I get that.

Guys do stuff. I get that.

Guys grieve differently. The ‘professional grieving industry’ (sarcasm) doesn’t really get that.

I found a very interesting author/speaker on-line talking about the differences between men and women and how that relates to grieving.   I haven’t read his book (case in point from above…I like to own books and read parts of them…), but I watched his 20 minute mini presentation on men and grief and was very impressed.

With my management instructor hat on, I’ve spoken many times to my students about the differences between cultures  and communication AND the differences between men and women and communication.

One excellent point that Tom Golden makes is that women tend to communicate face to face…ie they literally like to look at each other when talking.  If you hadn’t noticed, when a man talks to another man, they don’t tend to do this.  Face to face for a man is all about confrontation and challenge.  What men like to do is go shoulder to shoulder and fight something together.  Think sports (lacrosse (of course), hockey, football, soccer, whatever) which replicates ancient traditions of battle.

Anyhooo, when it comes to grieving men still want to DO stuff.  I’ve mentioned this to many people but not here in this blog.  If Chris and I used to work on cars together, I would probably be finishing a car right now.  If we hunted together I’d probably arrange a hunting trip with ‘da boys’.  For me to honour Chris, the SFU Chris Friesen Memorial Fund was a huge goal and it was as much a part of the male grieving process as going to lacrosse games and writing blog posts.

Shoulder to shoulder combat.

For the men reading, take a look at this video on the attached link.

For the women reading for their men, take a look at this video on the attached link…and then drag your husbands/boyfriends/friends/sons over to take a look…or just watch it for them and let them what it was about.  🙂

It’s some interesting food for thought.

Guys:  Sorry this blog post was so long.  367 words is way too much.  Go do something.

Link to Tom Golden video (vid at bottom of page):

NOTE:  I’m not endorsing etc. Just another viewpoint along our journey!