Our problems can’t be solved by eliminating each and every outer cause. Nevertheless, people everywhere take this approach: “It’s the world’s fault; it’s too rough, too sharp, too alien. If I could get rid of these outer woes, I’d be happy.” Shantideva says: If you want to protect your feet, wear shoes; and if you want to protect yourself from the world’s provocations, tame your mind. The antidote to misery is to stay present. – A quote from Pema Chodron
Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured. – Mark Twain
Seniors Nshan and Vahe - ”You have to wait your turn, rookie. This is our year!!!”
Nareg – “Excuse me but where do you think you’re going Patrick?”
Artin – “Nareg, I got this!!!”
“Artin Terterain made a 3-pointer with 3:45 remaining to get the Armens within 46-44.” – Daily News. I guess Artin is an all terrain vehicle or Jesus can have any first name he wants 
Coach Vicken thought he experienced a funny story. Prior to posting, he shared it with Coaches Varant and Lena. They both said the story was not even remotely funny and so that joke is not posted here!
TRUE STORY
Basketball coach to player: Why did you not throw the ball into the back court like I asked during the time out?
Player: I’m left handed. I couldn’t throw the ball that way.
Model UN???
Modern day teaching methods…
Hoping this is never us…
Remind you of anyone???
Does it feel like this sometimes when Baron Varant goes around Balboa Park in his car???
And for the goggle wearing JV and Varsity Girls… (and no I am not calling anyone dogs… it’s just a joke)
No, not the Armens Court…
Apple or Cherry???
Can someone recruit John (AKA Hovannes) to Ferrahian please???
An example of genius coaching…
Favoritism… NOT an Armens tradition…
And for those of us who hate the meaningless phrase, “Give it 110%.”
And for our basketball teams where all 4 players who don’t have the ball want the ball…
And for the Armens’ athletes who are lovers, not fighters…
Hoping this one brings good luck to our basketball teams during the playoffs…
On the occasion of Valentine’s Day…
On the van ride back from a losing effort after a basketball game…
Coach to Player – You made 2 out of 10 free throws today. We lost by 2. If you had made a few more, we could have won.
Player to Coach – But I made up for it in the field (i.e., referring to the baskets he scored during the game).
Coach in his own mind – But obviously not enough “making up” because we still lost by 2.
Coach to player during a van ride – What is your science fair project about?
Player – Plants and pigments.
Coach – So tell me more.
Player – I don’t know anything more.
Yet another conversation with an athlete regarding his/her science project.
Coach – What’s your project on?
Player – Effects of radiation on growth of plants?
Coach – How did you expose your plants to radiation?
Player – My cousin is a dentist. I took the plants to the dentist’s office. I used the x-ray machine for about an hour.
Coach – Let’s hope your cousin and the staff at that office don’t develop cancer any time in the near future.
If someone comes along and shoots an arrow into your heart, it’s fruitless to stand there and yell at the person. It would be much better to turn your attention to the fact that there’s an arrow in your heart… -Pema Chodron
Once there was a young warrior. Her teacher told her that she had to do battle with fear. She didn’t want to do that. It seemed too aggressive; it was scary; it seemed unfriendly. But the teacher said she had to do it and gave her the instructions for the battle. The day arrived. The student warrior stood on one side, and fear stood on the other. The warrior was feeling very small, and fear was looking big and wrathful. They both had their weapons. The young warrior roused herself and went toward fear, prostrated three times, and asked, “May I have permission to go into battle with you?” Fear said, “Thank you for showing me so much respect that you ask permission.” Then the young warrior said, “How can I defeat you?” Fear replied, “My weapons are that I talk fast, and I get very close to your face. Then you get completely unnerved, and you do whatever I say. If you don’t do what I tell you, I have no power. You can listen to me, and you can have respect for me. You can even be convinced by me. But if you don’t do what I say, I have no power.” In that way, the student warrior learned how to defeat fear. -Pema Chodron
The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently. -Pema Chodron
If we learn to open our hearts, anyone, including the people who drive us crazy, can be our teacher. -Pema Chodron
While driving on Sherman Way going to an away game, one junior high player in the van mentioned, “I got կնքուեցայ at St. Peter’s.” This was soon followed by others mentioning where they got կնքուեցան.
The difficult nature of making changes means that you will likely be putting in effort that will take you far beyond the point at which it is inspiring or fun. This junction is what I call “the grind,” which starts when actions necessary to produce meaningful change become stressful, tiring and tedious. The grind is also the point at which your efforts toward change really count. The grind is what separates those who are able to change from those who are not. Many people who reach this point in the process of change either ease up or give up because change is just too darned hard. But truly motivated people reach the grind and keep on going. - Jim Taylor
If life give you lemons, you can make lemonade… only if you have sugar. - Anonymous
No Comment
Comments heard from anonymous students on recent trip to San Diego for Tri-City Holiday Basketball Tournament:
- About Gomidas – “Wasn’t he a poet?”
- About Sayat Nova – “Isn’t he a Russian Singer?”
- “Coach, are we taking the vans to Catalina?”
Exchange between coach and an anonymous middle school student during 2 on 1 passing drill after he had the ball stolen by the defender:
Coach: Why didn’t you use a fake pass?
Player: I had used my dribble. I couldn’t dribble.
Armenian Quotes:
- Ամէն փայտ շերեփ չի դառնար, ամէն սար՝ Մասիս։
- Գողը գողից գողացաւ, Աստւած նայեց՝ զարմացաւ:
- Ի՞նչ կապ ունի՝ Ալէքսանդրի բեղերին։ – This quote should be read by all student-athletes who have irrelevant/nonsensical responses to coaches’ comments.
- Խօսքով փիլաւ չեփուիր։ - One of Baron Varant’s favorite quotes.
- Մէկ ձեռքով ծափ չես կրնար տալ։
- Քեֆ ընողին, քեֆ չի պակսիր։
Recipe - To make 8 cups of Armenian-style tea, you’ll need:
8 cups cold water; 2 cinnamon sticks; about 4 whole cloves; 3 to 4 tea bags (optional); sweetener to taste, if desired.
1. Place the water in a large pot. Tie the cinnamon sticks and cloves in cheesecloth; place in the water. Bring to a boil; simmer about 10 minutes.
2. Remove pot from heat; remove the cheesecloth with the cinnamon sticks and cloves, and discard.
3. Add tea bags to pot, if using, and allow to steep about 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add desired amount of sweetener, if using; stir until sweetener is dissolved.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. To serve, pour in tall glasses filled with ice.
The two most important days of your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why. - Mark Twain
On the occasion of Coach Koko’s birthday, a short sample of music from one of his favorite bands:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY3LAFJbKyY&feature=fvwrel
On the occasion of Coach Varant’s birthday, a few quotes from his favorite coach, Bobby Knight:
- Mental toughness is to physical as four is to one.
- Most people have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win.
I want you to be everything that’s you, deep at the center of your being. – Confucius
A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions. – Confucius
All things are subject to interpretation whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth. – Friedrich Nietzsche
A woman may very well form a friendship with a man, but for this to endure, it must be assisted by a little physical antipathy. - Friedrich Nietzsche
An Armenian Saying – ԸՆկերներով մահը հարսնիք է։
If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give. George MacDonald
I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better. Plutarch
A runner must run with dreams in his heart, not money in his pocket. Emil Zatopek
Q: What did Bobby Knight say about coaching the 1980 U.S. Olympics basketball team against the team from China?
A: “It was a lot of fun playing the Chinese, but an hour later, we wanted to play them again.”
During JV Boys Ride Back from Pilibos Game… a Losing Effort
Coach t0 Player 1: Why did you not sprint back when they were going on fast break?
Player 1: It was 2 on 3. They had two guys and we had three back.
Coach: So?
Player 1: I was going to guard their other players running back.
Coach: Player 2, do you agree with Player 1′s rationale?
Player 2 (somewhat unsure): Yeah. He was playing a bit of safety on the three point line.
Moral of the story: If you have no idea why this story is funny, then we’ve not done our job in teaching you the fundamentals of basketball. Ask for a refund!!!
During JV Boys Basketball Practice
Coach: “You were afraid to take a charge, weren’t you?”
Anonymous Player: “Yes.”
Coach: “Why?”
Anonymous Player: “Because the floor is hard.”
Coach: “So did you take charges when you played on a wooden floor at your old school?”
Anonymous Player: “Yes.”
Coach: “Baron Varant, we need to spend about $100,000 to install wooden floors in the gym so that ‘anonymous player’ can take charges here at Ferrahian.”
Coach Vicken to the JV and Fresh Soph Boys Basketball Teams: ” A good shooter only misses shots long or short. They never go to the left or right of the rim.”
Anonymous player: ”Coach that one that I missed was about 2 feet short, but it was straight. Does that mean that I’m a good shooter?”
Coach Vicken, in his own mind: ”What am doing wrong here???”
A soccer goalkeeper was walking along the street one day when he heard screams from a nearby building. He looked up to see smoke billowing from a fourth-floor window and a woman leaning out holding a baby. ”Help ! Help!” screamed the woman, “I need someone to catch my baby!” A crowd of onlookers had gathered, but none was confident about catching a baby dropped from such a great height. then the goalkeeper, stepped forward. “I’m a professional goalkeeper,” he called to the woman. “I’m renonwned for my safe hands. Drop the baby and I will catch it. For me, it will be just like catching a ball.”
The woman agreed:”Ok, then. When I drop my baby, treat it as if you were catching a ball.” On a count of three, the woman dropped the baby. Everyone held their breath as the goalkeeper lined himself up to catch it. There was a huge sigh of relief, followed by wild cheering as the goalkeeper caught the baby safely in his arms. Then he bounced it twice on the ground and kicked it 50 yards down the street.
“Winning doesn’t really matter as long as you win.” Vinny Jones (Former English soccer player)
If you are going to take up cross-country running, it helps to start with a small country.
For every mile you jog, you add one minute to your life. This enables you, at the age of 85, to spend an additional five months in a nursing home at $5,000/month.
As two basketball referees walked through the countryside, they noticed some tracks. First said, ‘Deer tracks?’ Second said ‘No, bear tracks.’ However, the conversation ended abruptly when a train hit them.
At one point during a game, the coach said to one of his young players, “Do you understand what sportsmanship is? What a team is? The little boy nodded yes. ”Do you understand that what matters is whether we win with good sportsmanship? The little boy nodded yes. ”So,” the coach continued, “When the referee calls a foul or misses a call, you don’t argue or curse or attack the referee. Do you understand all that?” Again, the boy nodded yes. ”Good,” said the coach. “Now go over there and explain it to your mother.
The psychology instructor had just finished a lecture on mental health and had proceeded to give an oral quiz to the freshman class.
Speaking specifically about manic depression, the instructor asked, “How would you diagnose a patient who walks back and forth screaming at the top of his lungs one minute, then sits in a chair weeping uncontrollably the next?”
A young man in the rear of the room raised his hand and answered, “A basketball coach?”
Coach Arshag to a player on the sidelines during a recent varsity soccer game getting ready to sub him in: “Are you ready?”
Anonymous player: “For what?”
“How can you practice defense? All you have to do is move your feet.” - Anonymous middle school student when told by coach we would do some basketball drills for defense.
There are people who, instead of listening to what is being said to them, are already listening to what they are going to say themselves. - Albert Guinon (1863 – 1923)
Խօսքով փիլաւ չեփուիր:
“Coach, ayt meguh chi mudav.” – Anonymous 10th grader during basketball practice after shooting a ball 2 feet to the left of the basket.
“Coach, do you have baby powder? I slept with a wedgie and woke up with a rash.” - Anonymous male at summer camp in San Diego.