May 14
It has been four years since I left the shores of Australia in 2008, away from friends, family, and into a place of uncertainty and anxiousness. It began at a small junior college in Texas, and ended at Lindenwood this Saturday at graduation. While I will continue on at LU to complete my master’s, it feels as though what I came here to achieve has been accomplished.
Although I won’t be drafted this year and am most likely finished with baseball, I couldn’t be happier with the way things turned out. I believe that everyone’s life comes down to a few major decisions that they choose to make, and as I sit here in this state of euphoria, I look back at the decisions I made with pride. I may not have always chosen correctly, but where my decisions took me has shaped me into the person I am today.
I was lucky enough to have been presented with opportunities to excel, and I am eternally grateful for everyone who has helped me along the way. Although I may not always express it, I could not have done this alone.
Despite the support my fellow graduates have received over the past four years, it was you who stayed up late finishing homework, writing papers, and taking exams.
It is something you have worked hard for, it is something you have earned, and it is something that can never be taken away from you.
May 8
Coffee, Red Bull, Monster, 5 Hour Energy, and every other possible source of energy sold without prescription are currently mixing for quite the interesting cocktail of enthusiasm within the depths of my stomach. It is finals week here at Lindenwood, and as I sit here pondering why I am writing yet another blog post instead of studying for my two biggest finals tomorrow morning, I have begun to look back over my past four years in the U.S.
My final college baseball season is over, I graduate in only five days, and yet it feels like no time has passed. My last week here at school has been the most rewarding moment of my life, four years of hard work, thousands of hours spent at the baseball field, and even more time in class and doing school work has all come to one tremendous crescendo.
On Senior Day I was lucky enough to earn two saves in front of a great crowd for my last time standing atop the mound at the Lou Brock Sports Complex, and in my final appearance as a Lion I threw a complete game for one run, collecting the win. I was lucky enough to be named Capital One First-Team Academic All-District, and ended my best ever season in a way that could not be more fitting.
It was one of the toughest moments of my life walking off the field for perhaps the final time, but I wouldn’t have changed anything about it. Moving 10,000 miles away from home to play baseball in 2008 sounded like the most senseless idea I could have come up with.
Yet it has been the single most rewarding experience of my life.
May 3
After almost a year, tomorrow will be my last day working as an Intern at Back 2 Basics Marketing. When I began I wasn’t really sure what to expect, I have always done well in class but I was unsure how well it would convert over to the “real world”. Business students are always encouraged to begin an internship, but it can become difficult with class, work, a social life, and athletics. I have often worked through the night, only because there is simply not enough time during the day to get everything finished.
The benefit is that in two weeks when everyone else graduates alongside me, I will already have a full year of specialized work experience. Though perhaps most importantly, it means that when I apply for a job against other recent graduates, there is a far greater chance of me getting the job.
I was lucky enough to be presented with various opportunities with my upcoming graduation. Eventually I chose to stay at Lindenwood to pursue my MBA while working within the PR department as a graduate assistant. Something I strongly believe would not have been possible had I chosen to only attend class.
I am now presented with the opportunity to gain another years work experience and a graduate degree at the same time. It’s amazing how far a little extra effort can take you, and how a few years of hard work can change your life forever.
April 27
Deciding to attend college can be an expensive decision, while many are fortunate enough that their parents can cover most of their expenses, others are often left with some pretty hefty student loans after graduation. I was lucky enough to have some support from my parents, but I also relied heavily on both baseball and academic scholarships.
When Lindenwood and various other schools first recruited me, my initial concern was always, “Can I afford it?” Junior college was a lot cheaper and moving on to the next school almost certainly meant an increase in fees, but what really made Lindenwood stand out was their Work & Learn program.
See, being an international student on an F-1 visa meant that I couldn’t work off-campus to help support my costs. So when I was presented with the possibility of earning $2,400 a year, I jumped at the opportunity. Today, I signed off on my last ever Work & Learn time sheet. Although to many people it might not matter, to date I have worked over 600 hours, and saved $4,800 in just two years. Had I been at Lindenwood since I was a freshman, it would amount to almost $10,000.
Although this may not matter to those who are fortunate enough for their parents to pay for their education, for those who do rely on opportunities such as the Work & Learn program to afford school, it means a great deal.
April 23
Along with the success the Lindenwood baseball team had this weekend, I was also fortunate enough to enjoy the other side of college, academics. When I first came to the U.S. I wasn’t really interested in doing anything except playing baseball. It was the same back home, I would always do okay at school but sport was my main focus.
I never really saw the importance of having a degree, why would I? I was going to play professional baseball and there was no convincing me otherwise. Then I hurt my back, then my ankle, and now my knee. My mechanics had to adapt, my velocity dropped and I was confronted with the realization that being a professional athlete was no longer an option.
The thing is, I never regret the hard work I put into baseball that could have been better spent on schoolwork. I simply applied the same work ethic to something else and in time I began to see results. Today, almost two years later I am fortunate enough to have received the Joseph G. Mathews Sales & Marketing Award from Lindenwood and am only two weeks from graduating.
It took a lot of hard work and although I sometimes felt that it would have all been easier without baseball, I wouldn’t change a thing about where I am right now.
One important decision changed my life dramatically, despite where you are or what direction you are heading in, it is never too late to start becoming the person you have always wanted to be.
April 20
It’s not often you beat one of the top teams in the nation. In fact, it takes quite a lot for a transitional team (NAIA to NCAA Division II) not eligible to compete in the postseason, full of underclassmen, to match the No.4 team in the nation. Well this weekend we did it twice. For anyone who thought “Okay, maybe they just got lucky the first game,” we pretty much extinguished that two days later…putting up seven consecutive goose eggs to hold onto a 5-3 victory.
Even more convincing is that of the 36 innings played that weekend; they only scored in 9 of them. That’s 25 big zeros from an almost exclusively freshman and sophomore pitching staff. We also tied their irrefutably high-powered offense for hits on the weekend at 42 apiece across four games.
I am talking about the DII powerhouse University of Central Missouri baseball team, filled with various All-Americans and countless draft picks.
I have spoken endlessly about what this team has achieved even before taking the field this season, but even I couldn’t have ever imagined what happened last weekend.
Regardless of what happens the rest of the season, Lindenwood baseball has gotten the attention of the MIAA and certainly has something to be proud about as it builds for the future.
April 12
As I near the end of my last season I have begun to look back on the past few years and reflect on what has got me through my time here in college. Despite that overall things have gone pretty well for me, there have definitely been tough times that I have had to work through. Living away from home has unquestionably been one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, but there has also been the pressure of baseball, school, and adapting to a completely new culture.
One thing that I cannot stress enough is the importance of having something or someone to inspire you. For me, it was the word “perseverance”, I have no idea where I first heard the word or why it appealed to me, but for some reason it just stuck in my head.
But it doesn’t matter what inspires you, the only thing that matters is that you surround yourself with it. Photos, letters, posters, tattoos, anything, it doesn’t really matter as long as when you look at it, things are just that little bit easier.
Surviving through college is one of the greatest challenges you will ever face; there is a reason so many people drop out. Just make it easier on yourself.
April 9
One of the things I have gotten really good at since coming to college is saving money. I wasn’t always this way, when I was 16-18 I pretty much used to burn every paycheck the day I got it (or even before), but since I can’t work in the US, I really don’t have much of a choice. Each year I’ve worked for the three months of summer and then tried to stretch what I've saved out across the next nine months. After four years I have gotten pretty good at it, so I have listed my top five tips below.
5. Buy Cheap, Be Resourceful – I swear I still wear t-shirts from when I was 18, mostly because I am still the same size and still don’t have any muscles, but also because every time I spend $20 on new clothes it makes me think of every else I would rather spend my money on. Even changing my own oil saves me $15 every time I have to do it.
4. Use Foursquare – not many people use Foursquare, and even more don’t know that almost every restaurant on Main Street will offer you either $5 or 20% off your meal when you check-in.
3. Use Cash – It’s so easy to just swipe your card and not realize how much money you are burning through. I saved myself about $300 on Spring Break by not taking my wallet to the mall (and yes, I have some issues with impulsive purchases that I need to deal with).
2. Walk to Class or Get a Scooter – I can’t imagine filling up a car every week with a full tank of fuel. I spend $4 a fortnight on fuel; my scooter has already paid for itself even before registration and insurance fees.
1. The Cafeteria Food is Free – Everyone gets sick of the same food over and over again, you have to be inventive, try new things. If you eat one extra meal there a week you are already saving around $250-$500 a semester.
April 3
So last night was the last SAAC meeting of the year. It doesn’t seem like a year has gone by, we have only met 8-10 times, but it has always been somewhat productive. In a year we have managed to raise a substantial amount of money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, organize various school events, design a new policy for athletes and social media, help further develop the student-athlete planner, and continued to support Lindenwood into their transition to Division II.
Unfortunately one of the down sides of graduating is that you can no longer participate in many of the great things college offers. It is amazing to see how far things have come in the last two years, but I know the people that are still here are more than capable to carry on.
It will be interesting to come back here in a few years and see how far things have come.
March 31
Spring Break 2012, imagine it. The sand, the waves crashing in, the gorgeous weather, and of course the beautiful women. Now imagine the cotton fields, cattle ranches, and overall desolate landscape of the Texas/Oklahoma Panhandle. Well welcome to Lindenwood Baseball’s Spring Break.
If the 14 hour drive to Lubbock, TX wasn’t enough, then spending 10 days dealing with southern accents will definitely get you. I have actually managed to make myself homesick for St. Charles and Sydney at the same time. Do you know how difficult it is to be double homesick? I didn’t even think it was possible.
The trip has been good though, we have played well against some tough competition and really come together as a team. Not so much in the cliche way, but more the “you’re all smelly baseball players sitting around me, stinking up the bus for the last 3 hours, but it’s okay, I still accept you” way. There have also been some really close games that we managed to come out on top of. Again and again our younger players continue to step up and stick it to the juniors and seniors on opposing teams (with a good bit of attitude as well I might add).
It has been great to see the personalities develop in each teammate. Every senior has such a big influence on the incoming class, and hopes that they may pass on the legacy of everything their program is about. Maybe these guys are finally getting it?
March 26
There is always a lot of talk about how tough finals week is at college. You have the toughest exam of the year, they are all spaced out over only five days, and it’s usually worth about 15-30% of your grade for the semester. The good part about finals week is that besides there being no other classes, you also have the week off from many of the other responsibilities you typically deal with in college.
You lose about 20 hours a week from practice and games, another 12-18 hours a week from class, 10 hours a week from Work & Learn, and for me 12-14 hours a week from my internship. That’s a pretty sizable amount, adding up to around 54-62 hours a week more free time (excluding homework). Now of course the NCAA prevents athletes from practicing during this week in their offseason (while it is up to your coach in season), which makes good sense since we are student-athletes, but this brings me to the question of midterm week.
It seems that almost every semester that my midterm exams fall into a similar one-week period, usually accompanied by a few assignments and all the other responsibilities I listed above. Each exam is usually weighted just as heavily as the final, and can put incredible stress on athletes who are trying to maintain their performance both on and off the field. Look at all the teams competing in March Madness, where do they find the time to take care of schoolwork? College athletes have such incredible responsibilities that it is not a surprise there are so many who quit.
Most people would leave their job if it required them to work 60-80 hours a week. Yet many would often expect their 18-year-old freshman to take on this responsibility in college. It is understandable that most athletes find it hard to maintain grades in college, but where do you draw the line? When is it too much?
March 19
Two weeks ago I talked to you about the importance of a reality check. Something to bring you back down to earth, and to help you realize that you’re probably not as good as your self-inflated ego believes. Since those three losses, the Lindenwood baseball team has gone on to take the last seven games in a row.
Although our opponents weren’t the greatest teams to walk the earth, it does show how a small adjustment in attitude can make a big difference on the field. We got our bunts down, we moved hitters over, and when we had the chance we drove them in. Our pitching staff did a better job of hitting spots, finishing off hitters late in the count, and most importantly, we were able to slow the game down when things seemed to be getting away from us.
This weekend will be our biggest challenge yet, and after a few embarrassing losses last year to Lubbock Christian, there are definitely a few players itching to get back at them.
We beat the #1 team in the nation twice last year. No reason it can’t be done again.
March 13
So yesterday ended up being my first day off in about two months. Yes, the baseball team does usually take Monday off after a series, but for me it is usually packed with class and Work & Learn. Though yesterday I found myself as I was lying in bed, overindulging in Taco Bell, and watching back-to-back seasons of South Park, wondering what non-athletes do with all their spare time?
I understand that many of people work part-time jobs to help pay for their school, but there are also those who are lucky enough to have their parents pay for their entire education. The funny thing is, most of the people with all this spare time are often the ones who do poorly in class.
So many people complain about how much work school work they have, yet only a few years ago they were spending up to 6hours a day in class at high school. Why is it such an issue now? Is your life really that busy you don’t have time to sit down a write a few page paper?
I had so much free time yesterday that I probably could have finished my next big project, and now I am kicking myself that I didn’t take advantage of it. Possibly because the biggest problem in college is that there are so many distractions and no one to remove them. Most people just can’t turn off their phones for an hour or two. It really doesn’t take much. Trust me, the world won’t care if you go missing for a few hours; no one is going to think you’re dead. You’re not quite that important yet.
March 9
The uniforms are fresh, the grass is cut, the lines are painted, and I am about as excited as a 15yr old girl at a Justin Bieber concert. Today is our home opener for Lindenwood baseball and although I know that my parents aren’t showing up, I am more than happy to enjoy all the sympathy and support that I get from everyone else’s.
Besides the enjoyment I get from all the Australians on campus rocking up and abusing the other team when I’m pitching, there is nothing quite like walking out to mound in front of home crowd to my always classy walk-out song, “Fat Bottomed Girls” by Queen. This year’s home games are also a little more special to me since this is my last year here playing at Lindenwood.
Lou Brock Sports Complex has become my home over the last two years, every day I am here doing work whether it is baseball, getting athletic training support, doing homework, or watching last weekends film, I spend more time here than I do anywhere else on campus.
It is almost impossible to explain the pride I have walking around in the Lion’s pinstripes on our home field. I have had some of the greatest opportunities to excel here at LU, and everything I have achieved is only because of the great support I have gotten from everyone here… It’s going to be a good weekend.
March 5
When I was 16 years old I played on a baseball ball team that went 1-24 for the entire summer. It was possibly the most frustrating and humiliating experience to know that when you turned up each week, you were going to lose, and by a lot. But despite the pain that I thought I went through when I was just a little fella, it was possibly one of the best things that ever happened to me.
See when I was younger I was a terrible team player, I got angry whenever anyone else made an error, and pretty much only cared about my own results. But by the end of the season I had just come to accept that errors were going to come, and that my results meant nothing if our team didn’t win.
This weekend was tough for the baseball team. We lost three consecutive games to a team that we should have beaten. We seemed to get away from our strengths and play straight into theirs, which included a few too many strikeouts on our end, and a few too many homeruns on theirs. But the thing that I have learned about losing is that it can actually be really good for you.
This weekend we forgot who we were. We have 26 underclassmen who are all extremely talented, but not talented enough that they can simply beat teams without sticking together. This weekend was a reality check, the losses hurt, but in the long run they can be far more beneficial than the wins could have ever been. We have a chance to grow, no one will remember the losses from this weekend, just the motivation that they got from it.
February 28
Summer is on its way! The days are heating up, the baseball season is into full gear, and on campus you may even catch the odd glimpse of an Australian whizzing around on his champion steed. I am of course talking about my beloved Shaniqua. 49cc of American pride, she comes equipped with two wheels, an accelerator, and even a brake or two.
After having lived in the United States without any form of transport for almost three years, I cannot begin to explain the freedom that comes from a moped. Equipped with a cute helmet to match, you can often find me being laughed at going through the Taco Bell drive-through or on my 3mile trek to Walmart.
But possibly the greatest thing about Shaniqua besides her countless Lindenwood stickers and rally-squirrel tail (GO CARDS!!!), is that last semester after riding 1,200 miles I only spent $46 on gas. Most people spend that in a week, and they drive just as far as I do to class and practice. I am not saying a moped is for everyone, when it’s 20 outside I wish I had a car more than anyone, but for $900 brand new, tell me that you can’t save some money there.
And it’s funny how quickly people stop laughing when my weekly fuel bill is whatever one-gallon of gas costs? Last week was $3.67, and in case you were wondering… My current pit-stop record for QuikTrip is 86 seconds, in and out!
February 24
So for the last two weeks I have been fighting a cold with little to no success. It doesn't matter how much I have tried to stay warm and take all the necessary medications, it just won’t go away. The biggest issue is that every week I go from the cold climate of Missouri to the warmer temperatures of the southern states.
In addition to this change in climate is the combination of 60+ hours spent on a bus in the last three weeks, which means that if one person gets sick then the whole team is susceptible to what they have. The problem with all this is, despite what you may be dealing with the world doesn't stop to meet your needs. Baseball practice still goes ahead, your daily attendance is still counted, and all your assignments are still due on the same date.
I even get the "Suck it up, Sweetie" from my own mother, and unless something goes drastically wrong there are no real excuses for not meeting my commitments. Last year I had my appendix taken out during the middle of the season, and although I was given about a week off from school to fully recover, the biggest issue was I had missed an entire week of class. Trying to remember what day it is, is difficult enough when you are not relying heavily on pain meds to get you through the day, let alone catch up on everything you missed
Though the lack of sympathy from everyone around me has actually done me some good. I stopped creating excuses for why I couldn't meet my responsibilities and just dealt with sleepless nights getting work done. It's not uncommon for me to miss a night’s sleep here and there trying to keep up, and because of it I have become more time efficient and productive than I could have ever imagined. No one believes your excuse that your alarm didn't go off or you didn't get their email. Stop using it.
February 17
Blood, sweat, tears, profanity, headbands, agonizing defeat, and oh so sweet victory. No this isn’t the baseball season, this is clubhouse ping-pong at its finest. As if the competition on the field isn’t fierce enough already, the baseball team steps it up a whole ‘nother notch in the clubhouse.
With around 15 documented rules, and many others that I still don’t know about, the ranking system in the baseball
clubhouse puts the BCS Championship to shame. Rankings are based on your competitive matches, the current ranking of each player, wins, losses, if Coach is in a good mood or not, the annual precipitation of Equator, and the current rotational alignment of all planets within the solar system. For instance, I am ranked 11th out of 34 – and I have only played twice… in 8 months…
Despite the questionable positions of everyone on the team, the ping-pong table has provided everyone with some awesome entertainment. It’s not an unusual sight to see a ping-pong paddle pass about three inches from your face after being thrown in anger. And if you’re lucky, you may even get a glimpse of Coach Bletch dealing out some paddle fury at unsuspecting freshman.
Either way, it has been amazing to watch how something so simple as a ping-pong table has brought together a bunch of weird and wonderful people from across America (and me), and turned them into one of the tightest-knit teams I have ever played for.
February 15
I have always been a pretty avid user of social media; it’s been a way for me to keep in contact with friends and family back home, and a way to share all the nutty thoughts that go through my head. Being a marketing major, it has also become part of my future; I have worked with an advertising agency for the past year, and spent the summer back home working for a company in Sydney.
Social media seems to be the new way for celebrities to keep their fans up to date, and in turn society scrutinizes them for anything and everything they post about. I am sure everyone has a few friends on Facebook that complain about everything in their life, but where do you draw the line when it comes to student-athletes complaining at a university. Just like everyone else I get annoyed at times, I’m tired, I’m cranky, I haven't had Taco Bell for a few nights and I just want to vent, but where is it safe to?
Last semester I was part of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) that submitted suggestions for a social media policy for athletes, and although nothing has come from it yet, I believe Lindenwood has done the right thing by not banning it across sporting teams.
Although I don’t agree that student-athletes should have free range on everything, there has to be a line drawn somewhere. Social media can be such a great tool if it utilized in the right way, and if future bosses do go online to find out everything they can about me, hopefully they can find this blog…
February 8
It’s that time of year. Classes are in full swing, the baseball season is under way, and I suddenly find myself with no time left to commit to Xbox. It may be that I have again taken way too many classes trying to graduate on time, or that I spend too much time on twitter trying to come up with something hilarious, but either way I have always found it difficult to meet all my commitments and still keep a social life.
Theoretically, I have two social lives to keep up--the one here in the U.S., and the one with all my dysfunctional Australian friends back home in Sydney. To help things, none of them have ever played baseball let alone watch a game, so when season comes around I’m about as interesting as a wet carrot. I also have no idea what they have been up to since we are 10,000 miles apart with a 15-hour time difference.
But I have always found the time to shoot them a message on Facebook, or even send them a present for their birthday. I always hear my teammates talk about how they only speak to 2-3 people from high school anymore. Why? Usually because there is a breakdown somewhere, someone couldn’t be bothered to reply to someone else. It takes a great friend to spend the time replying.
I have some of the best friends in the world, and being overseas has only brought us closer over the last four years. It’s incredibly tough at times knowing I haven’t seen them for eight months and I won’t for another 11, but friendships like these have kept me going through this crazy adventure, and of course, knowing that once I return home the wildest Australian welcome home party of my life will ensue.
February 2
Tomorrow is opening day for the baseball team in Valdosta, GA and we are currently about five hours into our 13+ hour bus ride. One of the things many people don’t realize is how far we have come over the last six months as a team. Besides the typical course load most students take, the baseball team also lifted four mornings a week, practiced for three hours every afternoon, and attended weekly sports psychology and nutrition meetings.
All of this adds up to around a 20 hour per week commitment, then add on 10 hours a week work and learn, 15 hours in class, and now four games a week (with up to 25+ hours travel time) you have a pretty busy schedule. For many players just making it up until this point is a great achievement, let alone what they will accomplish throughout the season.
Though coming this far does not come without its difficulties, everyone on the team has struggled at some point this year and it takes something special to keep you going through tough times. Perhaps this is why athletes understand other athletes so well. Many people don’t understand what it takes to commit yourself to that much a week. They don’t see the relentless hard work, the sleep deprivation, and the toll it takes on your body. But they will also never get to experience the euphoria of being a champion, and how that when you look back, it was worth every second.
January 31
Four years ago I made a decision to go play baseball overseas in college, having no idea what to expect. I jumped on a plane and unknowingly began the craziest journey of my life. Since then, I have experienced a life I never thought I would. Living in Texas and now Missouri, traveling throughout the U.S., playing baseball, and convincing every American that I didn’t ride a kangaroo to school, there is nothing I would change about where I am right now.
My name is Ryan Griffin and I am a native of Sydney, Australia. I’ve been a pitcher on the Lindenwood baseball team for the past two years. I have spent the past six months preparing for my final season as a senior here at LU. I am also a marketing major, passionate XBOX player, Taco Bell addict, and the proud owner of a pimped-out moped named Shaniqua.
Although I came to the U.S. to play baseball and live the college life, I never thought how much living overseas would change everything about me.
I hope to spend the next few months giving you an insight into the life of a college baseball player, what it’s like living almost 10,000 miles from home, and the unbelievable life of an Australian living in America.
