director of player engagement

[Nostical]

I wonder how much of the "spiritual road" in the Courant article was paved by Des?

After seeing his Twitter page, I think you may be on to something.
Desmond Conner
@desmondconner
Is My Lord and Savior. Husband, Father, Sportswriter, Progressive. Opinions are my own. FWAA and USBWA Approved

While players are certainly free to personally express thanks to, or invoke the aid of, whatever deity they believe in, I'm not thrilled with the idea of organized religion on the field. For example, public prayer circles where players kneel and pray in an organized fashion before or after games can have an exclusionary feel to them as some players don't feel as comfortable participating. I'm not so sure these excercises are such unifying events. Nevertheless, despite the various media reports on what was said, we may all be reading too much into what was implied here by the coach. UConn is a highly diverse and inclusive public University (with a Jewish President no less) and those factors will likely temper the type and character of any overt and organized spiritual actions which might ultimately be sanctioned here.

 

[Colt house75]

Understand that some of the BY is "concerned". Looking at it from 50,000 feet:
Time for all to take a chill pill
The article and approach /program appeared to be successful at Univ of Cincinatti and E. Michigan.
Maybe, just maybe we can take step back and look at it in a much greater context.
It is about allowing them to grow, just not in the spiritual sense, but in many aspects and helping them grow...remember they make the choices if they want...and college is all about choices.
It is about off the field growth,not just in w's and losses on Saturday etc. but in all aspects of life.
It's about making healthy choices and places/outlets they can go...because as we all know, there certainly is a lot of bad places our sons and daughters can go....if they wish.
It's about making their experience an awesome one because they know someone cares, fostering a better sense of community and hopefully better person, student regardless.
and if I am a parent sending an athlete to our school from perhaps 1,500 miles away...I want to know that someone gives a sugar and my 6"6" 290 lb baby is in good hands and is in a great place because as a parent you never stop worrying...
IT's all ABOUT CHOICES:

 

[Nostical]

Time for all to take a chill pill. Maybe, just maybe we can take step back and look at it in a much greater context.
It is about allowing them to grow, just not in the spiritual sense, but in many aspects and helping them grow...remember they make the choices if they want...and college is all about choices.
It's about making healthy choices and places/outlets they can go...because as we all know, there certainly is a lot of bad places our sons and daughters can go....if they wish.
It's about making their experience an awesome one because they know someone cares, fostering a better sense of community and hopefully better person, student regardless.
and if I am a parent sending an athlete to our school from perhaps 1,500 miles away...I want to know that someone gives a sugar and my 6"6" 290 lb baby is in good hands and is in a great place because as a parent you never stop worrying...
It's all ABOUT CHOICES:

Agree with all of this but you haven't addressed the issue of whether invoking some sort of overt team sanctioned religious regimen is important to acheiving the results you've outlined. I would hope not.

 

[noeynox]

Agree with all of this but you haven't addressed the issue of whether invoking some sort of overt team sanctioned religious regimen is important to acheiving the results you've outlined. I would hope not.

Everyone is focusing on the religion aspect, when the overall theme was a focus on getting the players to care more about others than themselves. To give them a sense of community by doing things like community service. Also, if they are recruiting a kid from a less than ideal family structure, they want to teach them things like how to set a table or the proper way to approach a lady and ask her out on a date. Leave it to the boneyard to turn this into an event where a muslim player would feel out of place during a prayer circle after a game or when a player is injured and players kneel and bow, hold hands and pray. Medic is right, I bet this is a lot less of an issue on the team than here. I'm pretty sure we had christian players who prayed, when Moe Petrus was here. I wonder if he felt excluded.

 

[DW4UCONN]

We're going to make sure they understand that should be in the center of our huddle, that that's something that is important. If you want to be successful and you want to win, get championships then you better understand that this didn't happen because of you. This happened because of our Lord and Savior. That's going to be something said by Bob Diaco. That's something that's going to be said by Ernest Jones. That's who we are."

Here are two Florida teammates who won a BCS championship. This Florida team was not built entirely by the likes of #15. So how did it happen? Who was responsible? I think it is important to have a mentor to help these young men to grow upon the foundation they have already hopefully received from home. If there is a fractured foundation, then help the young man to grow to make good decisions and to allow him to make his own choices. Although I am a Christian, I do not believe that my faith in is going to make our Huskies better football players. I think Jones is new to this and doesn't fully grasp yet what he needs to do to bring a diverse group of young impressionable men together to build a strong team both on and off the field. Hopefully he will retract his statement and provide assurances that this coaching staff wants to recruit young men with potential to be the best they can be both body and mind and that we are not going to be Christian recruiters as the quote implies.

 

[uconnfan68]

View attachment 4728

That's how you ruffle feathers!

 

[uconnfan68]

Here are two Florida teammates who won a BCS championship. This Florida team was not built entirely by the likes of #15. So how did it happen? Who was responsible? I think it is important to have a mentor to help these young men to grow upon the foundation they have already hopefully received from home. If there is a fractured foundation, then help the young man to grow to make good decisions and to allow him to make his own choices. Although I am a Christian, I do not believe that my faith in is going to make our Huskies better football players. I think Jones is new to this and doesn't fully grasp yet what he needs to do to bring a diverse group of young impressionable men together to build a strong team both on and off the field. Hopefully he will retract his statement and provide assurances that this coaching staff wants to recruit young men with potential to be the best they can be both body and mind and that we are not going to be Christian recruiters as the quote implies.

I have zero problem with building character. I think overt religious references need to be tempered. There is much agreement on the "truths" in life, and they do not belong to any specific religion. Start with them.

 

[junglehusky]

What's God?

@ChadChristen13 2h
Great morning church service #godisgood

Retweeted by Desmond Conner

 

[Waquoit]

This isn't a big deal. You have to remember that those growing up in the former Conferderacy are taught since birth to be wary of the godless Yankees. We need a guy telling recruits that faith won't be an issue at UConn.

 

[Colt house75]

Agree with all of this but you haven't addressed the issue of whether invoking some sort of overt team sanctioned religious regimen is important to acheiving the results you've outlined. I would hope not.

Nostical, I think you agree no overt team sanctioned religious regimen. All about choice. Making good choices in everything you do and becoming a better person, teammate, student and having a central theme of growth in many areas fostered by a group of coaches who care about you the person. If you want greater pursuit of the spiritual community, it is available. The only regimen in OTA 's (organized team activities) center around community visits (like when the BB team went to Newtown) and marketing to kid's groups, hospitals, etc.; lifting and strength conditioning, etc. As I have stated, the spiritual is optional there for those who want to seek a greater sense of community. Faith or not having faith is not an issue.

 

[rich1122]

Maybe they will have to tone down the religious aspect of this, but the fact is it's a great idea. Universities are not doing some of these kids any favors. I read this article in the Post today and if this is a first step in fixing this crap then I am for it.

http://nypost.com/2014/01/11/unc-is-a-stark-example-of-colleges-warped-priorities/

 

[metsfan2323]

This isn't a big deal. You have to remember that those growing up in the former Conferderacy are taught since birth to be wary of the godless Yankees. We need a guy telling recruits that faith won't be an issue at UConn.

You are right, but this is a public institution in CT so the message will need to be tweaked to fit northern tastes. You must be politically correct at a northern public institution. It's not a big deal this time around but it would become a big deal down the road if the message isn't adjusted.

These guys get a free pass because they are new, if George DeLone delivered the same "jesus in the hudle" message to Dez this board would go into hyper hate mode.

 

[Colt house75]

Maybe they will have to tone down the religious aspect of this, but the fact is it's a great idea. Universities are not doing some of these kids any favors. I read this article in the Post today and if this is a first step in fixing this crap then I am for it.

http://nypost.com/2014/01/11/unc-is-a-stark-example-of-colleges-warped-priorities/

Great article....fact is we are all better off as people and future employers in doing whatever we can wherever we can and as you said...if it helps fix the crappola and doesn't send mixed messages as it did at UNC. Integrity, honesty, responsibility...IMO-Must read article. Thanks.

 

[Colt house75]

This isn't a big deal. You have to remember that those growing up in the former Conferderacy are taught since birth to be wary of the godless Yankees. We need a guy telling recruits that faith won't be an issue at UConn.

You are right, but this is a public institution in CT so the message will need to be tweaked to fit northern tastes. You must be politically correct at a northern public institution. It's not a big deal this time around but it would become a big deal down the road if the message isn't adjusted.

These guys get a free pass because they are new, if George DeLone delivered the same "jesus in the hudle" message to Dez this board would go into hyper hate mode.

Mr. Mets,I know I'm in the minority because I happen to live in this stoic blue state that taxes the poop out of us, but unlike you, I hope the message isn't toned down or tweaked. We market to "red states, blue states, pink states and states of insanity, I want players at the Rent that are big, fast mean tough m. and I want their families coming here knowing they are in a good place . Whatever it takes!!!!!!

 

[Chin Diesel]

This isn't a big deal. You have to remember that those growing up in the former Conferderacy are taught since birth to be wary of the godless Yankees. We need a guy telling recruits that faith won't be an issue at UConn.

Main reason why I started rooting for the Red Sox. Only godless heathens were Yankee fans.

 

[metsfan2323]

Mr. Mets,I know I'm in the minority because I happen to live in this stoic blue state that taxes the poop out of us, but unlike you, I hope the message isn't toned down or tweaked. We market to "red states, blue states, pink states and states of insanity, I want players at the Rent that are big, fast mean tough m. and I want their families coming here knowing they are in a good place . Whatever it takes!!!!!!

This post demonstrates exactly why the message must be tweaked, as this post demonstrates it will quickly turn into a political debate. "blue state, red state and taxes", sounds like politics to me.

 

[Colt house75]

You are right, but this is a public institution in CT so the message will need to be tweaked to fit northern tastes. You must be politically correct at a northern public institution. It's not a big deal this time around but it would become a big deal down the road if the message isn't adjusted.

These guys get a free pass because they are new, if George DeLone delivered the same "jesus in the hudle" message to Dez this board would go into hyper hate mode.

This post demonstrates exactly why the message must be changed, as this post demonstrates it will quickly turn into a political debate. "blue state, red state and taxes", sounds like politics to me.

you're the one who mentioned politics and making it "politically correct" above. Merely expounding on why I don't agree to make it politically correct...no tweaking necessary because we want to appeal to everyone in every corner of every state. We just need 16 to 24 commits are year wherever they come from.

 

[huskyblooz]

During my game on Friday night, I must have said the Lord's name 20 times!

 

[babysheep]

The issue I take is the whole putting all the credit in skydaddy Jesus who allegedly cares about the outcome of a single 100 year old game between a bunch of teenagers that ultimately means little. No guys, it's not because you've busted your asses your whole lives to get to a D1 team, it's not because of all the time and effort you put in to the gym and classroom, it's not because you are a brave, focused, intense group of brothers that drove you to victory, it's because you think Jesus saved you. It's like Obama saying "you didn't build that!"

 

[upstater]

So, when these kids go to take classes in public policy, civics or something to do with the law, boy will they be confused. A lot of what the university teaches is diametrically opposed to what they will learn i the football program.

 

[babysheep]

So, when these kids go to take classes in public policy, civics or something to do with the law, boy will they be confused. A lot of what the university teaches is diametrically opposed to what they will learn i the football program.

That's the other thing I was going to say... UConn is supposed to be an institution of higher learning that carries intellectual standards. What you say is expected to be backed by some kind of evidence or at least logic. UConn is huge on research and the application of the scientific model. Such deep, blind profession of devotion in faith in fairy tales just does not belong in the kind of intellectual environment that UConn surely looks to foster.

 

[UConnDan97]

That's the other thing I was going to say... UConn is supposed to be an institution of higher learning that carries intellectual standards. What you say is expected to be backed by some kind of evidence or at least logic. UConn is huge on research and the application of the scientific model. Such deep, blind profession of devotion in faith in fairy tales just does not belong in the kind of intellectual environment that UConn surely looks to foster.

Let's not throw out the baby (no pun intended) with the bathwater. UConn has always welcomed the religious and non-religious alike. St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Mark's, the Congregational Church, Temple Beth Hillel, and the Islamic Center are all within 100 yards of each other on campus. Doing away with religion is not the point. The point is to be inclusive of all of our student-athletes. And I'm sure that the new staff can find a way to accomplish that goal...

 

[FAIRTIDES]

Great article....fact is we are all better off as people and future employers in doing whatever we can wherever we can and as you said...if it helps fix the crappola and doesn't send mixed messages as it did at UNC. Integrity, honesty, responsibility...IMO-Must read article. Thanks.

Someone please tell the Media that Headlines starting with, "UConn Football: Jones Charged" scares people,

 

[babysheep]

Let's not throw out the baby (no pun intended) with the bathwater. UConn has always welcomed the religious and non-religious alike. St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Mark's, the Congregational Church, Temple Beth Hillel, and the Islamic Center are all within 100 yards of each other on campus. Doing away with religion is not the point. The point is to be inclusive of all of our student-athletes. And I'm sure that the new staff can find a way to accomplish that goal...

edit sorry completely mistook which post you were replying to

I was just echoing the idea that the other half of college for them is totally different

 

[SubbaBub]

As a firm believer in the establishment clause, I have no problem with this. These are grown men who can make their own choices as part of a very small group. It's different when you are talking about school children or public endorsements.

In spite of the article, I'm reasonably certain that JC isn't the check down pass option nor is he playing deep safety. Unless they position is using players to proselytize or forcing players to participate in religous activitives, it's not a big deal. As always, you are free to practice just don't invovle me in it.