Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
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BEHIND THE DESK B A R RY A LVA R EZ ��� UW DIREC TOR OF AT H L ET IC S Goal is to send special group out right I don���t think it could have gone any better last week. Gary Andersen knocked my socks off in the interview and by the way he handled everything with his players at Utah State. Gary then sold the people of Wisconsin and our fans on what he���s all about. They���re excited about him. The national media was also really positive about the hire. Along with meeting our players, Gary jumped right into recruiting and hiring a staff. He got as much done in a few days that you could possibly get done. I couldn���t be more thrilled with the way things have fallen into place. At the same time, we���ve had good practices and our players have responded very well. After our final practice in Madison, I told our players that I was very proud of the way they handled themselves through all the change and adversity that they have gone through. I always used to spend some time each summer talking to my teams about dealing with adversity. And it���s not the type of adversity that just happens to a football team. You���re going to have it in your personal life ��� for the rest of your life. When it happens, how do you deal with it? It���s human nature to feel sorry for yourself, to mope around and ask, ���Why me?������ A strong person deals with it in a positive manner and really attacks it. When a team does it that way, it allows you to focus more. Our players haves done that, and it tells me 12 �� VARSITY D EC E M B E R 27, 2012 something about them. Number one, they have strong leadership. Number two, they have good chemistry. Number three, they like each other. After that same practice, I told them that they haven���t played their best game yet. The game in Indianapolis was their best game to that point, and we���re fixin��� to play a better one in the Rose Bowl. I also told them that they were absolutely the best, and I couldn���t be more proud of a group of guys than I was of them. I then reminded them of what I want out of them in Pasadena. First of all, I want them to take advantage of the entire bowl experience. I want them to do all of the things that I didn���t do when I was a player at Nebraska. Don���t think you���re going to outslick the system, like I did. My first bowl game was at the Orange Bowl in Miami. Every night there was something different that you could do. What did I do? A couple of buddies and I would go to the dog track. We had a couple of bucks in our pocket because they gave us spending money. Since all the activities were optional, we were going to do our own thing and go to the track. Years later, I���m a high school coach with two kids making $7,000 a year and I���m watching the bowl games on TV and I���m thinking, ���How dumb are you? Look at what you missed out on.������ I couldn���t afford to do the things that I took for granted and didn���t think were important. That���s why I���ve always looked at bowls as being a reward. I want our players to take advantage of it. The other thing that I told them was embrace the Rose Bowl. Just because it���s your third one in a row, don���t take things for granted. Enjoy the trip. Some day you���ll it appreciate more than you do now. I will give them the freedom to take in every possible thing that is offered to them. But the one thing I will demand of them is their full attention when we have meetings and practices. As a team, we���re right where we need to be. We wanted the game plan installed before we got to California and we���ve done that. It���s all about how you���ve prepared and our guys have prepared well. This is a good Rose Bowl matchup. Stanford is very good. This is the type of team that is built very similarly to the way our team is built. The playmakers will make the difference. Our best players will have to play their best or very well. I want to minimize mistakes and have our guys playing fast and with confidence. When you have a chance to make a play, make it. This could be a good old fashioned Big Ten game; a field position game. I like to coach in games like this, I really do.