#BlogSoHard

This post is dedicated to my love for social media. Social media is so imbedded into my everyday life now that I just can't help but love it. I have a twitter (@seagraves22), a Facebook page, an instagram account, and most recently this blog. I just love being connected to people with the touch of a button, I know that it is considered out of control at times, but I like it. In our first basketball meeting this season, I was even introduced as the team's "Social Media Contact"... I wonder if I can put that on a resume? Either way, you should still check out Ottawa Lady Braves WBB on twitter (@OULadyBraves) or Facebook(http://www.facebook.com/ottawa.womensbasketball). We live tweet from workouts, that's fun.

The sad part about social media is that people do not understand how to conduct themselves when they participate in activities such as status updates, picture selection, and tweets. First of all, people are way too negative. It is as if social media has become a contest for who can have the worst day. I'm not into that, I am also not into hashtags such as #suckstosuck. That is just way too much negativity for one comment, plus it means that you're making fun of someone's misfortune, more commonly known as being rude. As for picture updates, I love when people post funny things they see, their animals, or just pictures of their accomplishments. However, social media has taken picture taking to a whole new level. People, especially girls, have to attempt looking "cute" in every picture and strike the same hand-on-hip, butt-out, chest-out, turn-to-the-side, pop-a-knee pose all while wearing trucker hats, tank tops, and fake Ray Ban's and smiling their brightest faker-than-their-fake-tan smile...not cute.

Also, I don't think that people realize that other humans might actually read what they post. Curse words - not cool, talking about drinking - not cool, posting quotes about how much your love life sucks and you want to be with someone who doesn't want you back - desperate and annoying, posting quotes but not quoting them and saying, "I just want to say what comes to my mind" - plagiarism.

Social media is like today's business card! What you put on it can leave an impression on somebody. For example, the title of this post (#BlogSoHard) was inspired by a business card I received from someone at a basketball tournament where I was coaching. This certain gentleman wanted to train my players, I talked to him for a second and he was nice and all so I took his card. While I was walking out to my car, I turned the card over and saw this:

I am attempting to hold back laughter in this picture.

Needless to say, I laughed. Out loud. I also did not pass this gentleman's information on to my players.

Today, Twitter brought me one of the most exciting moments I've ever had, and was what prompted me to write this post today. It was one of those moments where I just totally geeked out, I can only remember a few times in my life this actually happening. Before I get in to why I was so excited, you need some background on my life...

I have wanted to be a basketball coach for just about my entire life, therefore a lot of my role models are basketball coaches and players. I grew up watching the Stanford Women's Basketball Highlight tape from their 1990 National Championship season. So I grew up admiring Jennifer Azzi and Tara VanDerveer. For those of you who don't know those people, I added a link to their Wikipedia page for your reference. I'm lucky enough to have a mom who knows a few people. She played for Tara in college so I have been lucky to meet her numerous times and work at her camp. When I was 8 I met her at a UT Longhorn's game and she signed a 3-point paper sign saying, "Dear Shae, come to Stanford. -Tara" I still have that in a scrapbook, I look at it every once in awhile. She even spelled my name right! And to a girl whose name is always spelled wrong, that means a lot.

I have also been lucky enough to go to six Women's Basketball Final Fours. The most memorable by far was the when my first geek out moment occurred, 2008 in Tampa. It was half-time and I was on a mission to get through the crowd in record time and make it to the bathroom. Of course, my mom had to stop and talk to someone, I remember being annoyed but I quickly forgave her when she said, "Wanna meet Jennifer Azzi?" Um, yeah, of course I did. I think my heart stopped, my palms immediately started sweating, and all I could think about was, "oh goodness, what do I say?" When I met her, I made a complete and total fool out of myself...let me repeat a complete and total fool. I shook her hand and stumbled over the words, "Hi, it's such an honor t-t-t-to m-m-meet you. I grew up watching the highlight tape of your 1990 championship," and next comes the worst part, "I-I-I'm such a huuuge fan!" (Followed by a very dorky giggle) UGH! what was I thinking?! Either way, I met someone who I had admired for my entire life and I still think about that moment probably once every other week.

After sounding ridiculous, Jennifer Azzi was kind enough to take a picture with me. I cropped out the sweat stains under my armpits.

Geek out moment #2 happened when I went to the NCAA Convention this past January. I was sitting at a table right next to Sherri Coale. At the meet-and-greet afterwards, I was too scared to talk to her so I just stared at her like a creepy person...I am probably better suited for a job as a paparazzi than I am as a coach with the track record I am way too quickly compiling. 

My third geek out moment took place today. I have been reading Joanne P. McCallie's (Duke WBB coach) book Choice Not Chance and absolutely love it and I have been a fan of hers since her time at Michigan State. So, naturally, I decided to send her a tweet. Much to my surprise she tweeted me back!!!!!!

How freaking cool is this?! This is equivalent to an aspiring pop singer receiving a tweet back from Brittney Spears, or a scientist getting an @reply from Bill Nye the Science Guy. Needless to say, I jumped up in my chair and danced around my room breathing "ohmygaw, ohmygaw" because I couldn't manage air. I still have butterflies in my tummy thinking about it. I ran and told everyone in the house about what had just happened, I called my best friend, and I called my mom who said, "Act like you've been there before" (an appropriate answer if you know her). But the fact is, I haven't been there. I'm trying to get there. So being acknowledged by someone who is there, someone who has accomplished so much, who you aspire to be like, is amazing. I actually would be worried if at this point in my life I wasn't this excited. I feel like it shows how much I love what I want to do and how much I respect what the people I admire have accomplished.

I hope I have many more of these geek out moments. In honor of today I plan on starting a new twitter trend, where people can hashtag all of the awesome things that happen to them. I hope that it will overtake the negative #suckstosuck. This new trend will be #rockstorock. Cliche? Yes. Creative? Not really. Positive? Heck yeah. Because if you're using social media to talk about all of the negative things going on in your life, Joanne P. McCallie, Brittney Spears, and Bill Nye the Science Guy may not want to @ reply you!

***Special thanks to my mom, she has a hand in everyone of my geek out moments in some way shape or form***

Look at what Momma Seagraves is holding...a Diet Coke.