Pep Talk or Smack Talk?

By Tucker Rossmaessler |  September 30, 2022

IntSam Director of Engagement

All of us have different ways that we’re motivated.  Some of us prefer the encouragement from a coach or mentor, for others it’s a a team of friends running alongside us and pointing toward the finish line, and even others are best motivated by the competition of a rival, motivating us to try our hardest to win.  I personally like the pep talk approach.

Do you know who’s a master of the pep talk?  Father Frank Canfield, who has given countless students from U of D Jesuit, Saint John’s Jesuit, and Saint Ignatius in Cleveland personal pep talks through the years.  In the very first IntSam Global 5K in 2020, he even gave a short pep talk to us all to inspire us to run for tablets:

I prefer Father Frank’s style, but some people (like Mike Tenbusch) enjoy the competitive smack talk approach.  If you’re also here for the competition, Father Jim Gartland issues his challenge to you from Saint Mary Student Parish:

Do you feel inspired to run yet?  I hope you do, because the IntSam Global 5K is only two weeks away.  It’s time to rally your teams with your best pep or smack talk, register if you still need to, and finalize your race day plans.  We still need to raise $200,000 to make the Tegucigalpa water project a reality!

I can hardly ask you to give an inspiring speech to your teams without giving one of my own.  Let’s get clean, flowing water to Honduras!