How's it going for him? Is he adjusting well?
Go Canes
Everything is going fine... He said he feels like he has been in Miami a year already. When practice started he was third on the depth behind Gordiner and McCray. I explained to him that he is in a new territory... by not being number one on the depth chart. I went on to say that you have always been the starter.. the man. I told him that everyone else on the team was the man also... I told him not to be discouraged and you work your butt off regardless of your position on the depth chart. If you are not pushing the people in front of you then you are not doing your job... Then when he jumped from the 3rd spot to the 1st spot... I explained the same work ethic applies... but now if you are not pulling the personnel behind you then you are not doing your job. He says the biggest adjustment is the pace... The play is faster... the learning is faster... everything is faster... I talked to him about his weight.. he is satisfied around 240... I would like to see him around 230 - 235... we have compromised to 12.5% body fat by 1st day of fall camp. He has adjusted well to the class room... all but one of his classes are small... and that one large class makes him appreciate the small setting of the others. Time is flying everything is moving in a blur... I sometime forgets he still should be in high school ... I ordered his cap and gown and paid for his prom ticket today while making arrangements to go to Miami for a few days prior to the Spring Game... Looks like I will miss the Oxbridge scrimmage.. I have a grand daughter that will be celebrating her first birthday on the same day. I'm trying to set the B-Day with a tailgating theme... not sure how that will work... but Shaq knows and understand that everybody in the family carries the same weight and not one of us out weight the sum of the whole. He is loving Miami and thinks that is where he wants to live... He met DJ Williams the other day who was spectating Pro Day... He said Coach Rumph made him feel kinda good when he introduced him to DJ William.. by saying 'This is the Freshmen we were talking about', and at the same time he said it puts a little more pressure on him when people have such a high expectations of him... Told him no one should have higher expectations for Shaq... than Shaq... and all that you can do is your absolute best. I asked him if they still treated him the same as they did when they recruited him.. he quickly responded NO... He said the tone now is what have you done to get better in the last 5 minutes... He says there is a constant demand to get better... and he often hears some of you guys are not earning your scholarships... and its directed in such away that you are not sure who the statement is directed to. All in all he is having a blast.. already forming bonds that will last for the rest of his life.
