Day One of boot camp: Flustered, but excited

When I logged on for Day 1 of SJI boot camp, I didn’t know what to expect, which was also true for my 16 classmates. But I could feel the energy even though we were not all physically in one place. It felt like it was time to buckle our seat belts.

Greg Lee, one of the co-directors of the program, had on an LSU polo shirt, and he made sure to say he had noticed my USC polo. We all felt a little tense, but Lee kept things loose. We talked about Phil Mickelson and his eventual victory on Sunday and what we thought about it. The vibes were goodv--vthen the enforcer made his presence felt.

Call him Professor Carter or Mr. Carter, but definitely don’t call him Leon. He made sure we got the idea early of what’s expected and in doing so, he said something that startled us: He mentioned the possibility of getting kicked out of the program. Eyes grew wide as things got real quickly.

Then another feeling took over. I felt I was part of something special, so special I didn’t know if I belonged. There are some talented men and women here, and I’m excited to work with them. I think this will be a fun ride, but one with plenty of bumps.

The instructors asked what we wanted to get out of the week. I said I wanted to get better. That sounds bland, but it’s true, and it’s the way life is. You should want to be better in everything you do. SJI is something I want to win in, and to do that, I have to be better each day than I was the day before. That’s my gameplan.

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