First Day Jitters

ALL-NEW IHSSN.net
8/25/10

The new-look IHSSN.net made its debut today, August 25th, 2010. Big kudos to Donnie Laur, who undertook the project just weeks ago. At this time, it is still a work-in-progress. There will be some tweaks throughout. Bare with me as I learn the new site...I am not very techy!

Donnie and I have been exchanging emails at a frantic pace over the past two weeks. Last night, he said he was ready to flip the switch and take the new site live. He sent me some instructions, and my heart began to race.

I don't have many fears in life, besides snakes. I love watching snakes on TV, or looking at them through a glass case at the pet store or zoo....however if I pick up a rock and a slithering snake appears....there's a good chance I will scream like a baby.

Height doesn't bother me, I enjoy scary movies, spiders are neat, I've only flown a couple times and it was pretty cool. If I had another fear in this world....it is undertaking something that I have no experience at. There is nothing I hate more than to do something I am not comfortable with, have little knowledge of, etc.

When I set out to create a website, which turned into the Illinois High School Sports Network, it was a project, something to play around with when I got bored on an off night during the basketball season. With my obsessive-compulsive work ethic, ideas began to grow, and so did the website.

It was archaic, to say the least. I hated the look of the website, but not being technologically savvy, it was the best I could do on my own. I knew it had to be polished an awful lot, and the the site began to get press and built a larger following.

With the new website, comes a much different layout to work with. I am going to try and utilize the former way of updating the site with the new way, but I am learning quickly that there can be some bumps in the road.

In Donnie's email explaining how some of the updates worked, my brain turned to mush. My heart raced, and anxiety set in. I did everything but breathe into a paper bag. Okay, it wasn't that bad, but a bit nerve wracking.

Honestly, maybe since it's that time of year, the anxious feeling I had was reminiscent of the first day of school. Then I wondered....the first day of junior high, high school or college? I don't remember my first day of real school, but I do recall junior high.

Junior High, I decided, was the most unsettling first days of school. All through 5th grade, horror stories were passed down on what happens to 6th graders, the excessive amount of homework and reading, etc. Of course, they were all scare tactics.

Since we went through junior high unscathed, and the rumors were untrue, high school went a little easier. Sure, there were the slaps on the head by seniors with their class rings that gave me a headache all through Algebra....no wait...that was Algebra giving me the excruciating headache.

Then there was the first day of college. That was like vacation...only school. I remember saying...."we only have three hours of classes today....and we don't even have to go!" Of course, it's always a wise idea to go to class!

Here's hoping that my comfort level with the all-new website builds just like those first days of junior high, high school, and college.

I hope you enjoy the new IHSSN.net, Donnie has done a fantastic job. Check out www.illinoispigskin.com, as I will be helping him on that site gather football scores and stat leaders.

The IHSSN preseason football coaches poll has been released: http://www.ihssn.net/2010-football/preseason

That's all for now.