Northwestern University Athletics
Positively Dr. Gragg - Vol. 2, March 2022
3/28/2022 9:03:00 AM | General
Cats,
For all of us who work intercollegiate athletics, March is one of the most rigorous months of our year. The winter championship seasons collide with spring campaigns hitting their stride, putting a strain on student-athletes, coaches and staff across the country. Here at Northwestern, where we add in the wrinkle of the academic quarter system throwing final exams into the mix, it only heightens the anxiety and workload.
The tremendous convergence of pressures is why we all should be so proud of our successes in competition, in the classroom and in the community, and speak directly to the pursuit of excellence within our culture. Whether it's Ryan Deakin's NCAA title leading a Top-6 national finish for wrestling, slaying top-ranked foes in the non-conference schedule, posting incredible GPAs and 79 winter Academic All-Big Ten honorees, or giving back to those in Evanston and Chicagoland, we are achieving excellence in so many areas because of all of you. In many industries, "success" does not necessarily mean "winning", where competitors can succeed simultaneously. But ours is a zero-sum game: there are winners and there are losers when the clock hits zero or the final out is recorded, and we wouldn't be here without the competitive streak that burns inside every one of us.
That fire will only continue to burn productively if we take care of ourselves. The health of our minds, bodies and souls has never been more important, especially on college campuses. Everyone has a different level and capacity for handling burnout, and it is critical to recognize within yourself when you are nearing your limits.
Let's all remember to celebrate the wins—big and small. Every day, every practice, every rep, every project, is a chance to measure yourself against the person you were yesterday. Every day brings a new opportunity to find a new way to help our teams and our department earn the edge that will matter when the final whistle blows.
Thank you for all that you do and please take care of yourselves.
Positively,
Dr. Gragg
READING RECOMMENDATION:
Make Your Bed, By: Admiral William McRaven – Based on Admiral McRaven's commencement speech at the University of Texas, the book shares ten lessons he learned from Navy SEAL training. It is an inspiring book that challenges us to think big while taking care of the small things every day.
QUOTE:
"Losers quit when they're tired. Winners quit when they've won." – Mike Ditka
For all of us who work intercollegiate athletics, March is one of the most rigorous months of our year. The winter championship seasons collide with spring campaigns hitting their stride, putting a strain on student-athletes, coaches and staff across the country. Here at Northwestern, where we add in the wrinkle of the academic quarter system throwing final exams into the mix, it only heightens the anxiety and workload.
The tremendous convergence of pressures is why we all should be so proud of our successes in competition, in the classroom and in the community, and speak directly to the pursuit of excellence within our culture. Whether it's Ryan Deakin's NCAA title leading a Top-6 national finish for wrestling, slaying top-ranked foes in the non-conference schedule, posting incredible GPAs and 79 winter Academic All-Big Ten honorees, or giving back to those in Evanston and Chicagoland, we are achieving excellence in so many areas because of all of you. In many industries, "success" does not necessarily mean "winning", where competitors can succeed simultaneously. But ours is a zero-sum game: there are winners and there are losers when the clock hits zero or the final out is recorded, and we wouldn't be here without the competitive streak that burns inside every one of us.
That fire will only continue to burn productively if we take care of ourselves. The health of our minds, bodies and souls has never been more important, especially on college campuses. Everyone has a different level and capacity for handling burnout, and it is critical to recognize within yourself when you are nearing your limits.
Let's all remember to celebrate the wins—big and small. Every day, every practice, every rep, every project, is a chance to measure yourself against the person you were yesterday. Every day brings a new opportunity to find a new way to help our teams and our department earn the edge that will matter when the final whistle blows.
Thank you for all that you do and please take care of yourselves.
Positively,
Dr. Gragg
READING RECOMMENDATION:
Make Your Bed, By: Admiral William McRaven – Based on Admiral McRaven's commencement speech at the University of Texas, the book shares ten lessons he learned from Navy SEAL training. It is an inspiring book that challenges us to think big while taking care of the small things every day.
QUOTE:
"Losers quit when they're tired. Winners quit when they've won." – Mike Ditka
Lacrosse - NCAA Quarterfinals vs Colorado Postgame Press Conference
Thursday, May 14
Lacrosse - NCAA Tournament 2nd Round vs JMU Postgame Press Conference (5/10/26)
Sunday, May 10
Baseball - 'Cats Ground Redbirds in 7-1 Midweek Victory (5/5/26)
Tuesday, May 05
Softball - Marina Mason Tosses One-Hit Shutout, 'Cats Claim Series Win vs. Minnesota (5/3/26)
Monday, May 04
