Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Teammates Helping Olivier Embrace Change
September 07, 2015 | Cowboy Basketball
Story by Dominic Holden
Change is a difficult part of life.
Whether it's transitioning from junior high to high school or high school to college, you can learn a lot about yourself by seeing how you adapt to changing situations.
Enter Chris Olivier, someone who is all too familiar with change.
Olivier, a 6-8 forward, started his college basketball career at Northern Iowa, where he redshirted his freshman year. After appearing in one game for UNI the following season, Olivier decided to transfer to Eastern Illinois University, where he earned his Bachelor's degree last spring.
One year of basketball eligibility remained for Olivier, who was now faced with another decision.
Another change.
"I had a good last two years at Eastern Illinois," Olivier said. "I graduated and a lot of schools were coming after me from all around, but with coach [Travis] Ford, I felt like we had a connection. I just wanted to play in the Big 12 so I can prove myself."
After choosing the Cowboys over the likes of Iowa State, Memphis and Providence, it was time for the Chicago native to get to work.
Despite his success at Eastern Illinois, the transition to OSU was tough. Change, once again, was difficult.
"At first it was hard," Olivier said. "I didn't think I could do it. [Strength & Conditioning] coach Jake [Manzelmann] kept telling me that it was going to be like this for the first couple weeks. He kept saying I'd look back at this moment and laugh."
At that time there was no laughter, especially on a scorching summer day at Boone Pickens Stadium, when Manzelmann had the entire team running the stairs of the 60 thousand seat stadium.
"When we were running, he started struggling on his fifth one," said Cowboy guard Jeff Newberry. "So, Phil [Forte] got behind him and started running with him and I was talking to him and trying to encourage him. A lot of guys ran extra to make sure he knew that we were there for him. That particular workout is when I knew he wanted it. He never gave up, no matter how slow he was going."
Although change is difficult, it's a lot easier with support.
"My teammates pushed me through that," Olivier said. "If it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't have been able to finish it."
Olivier dug deep, pushing himself more and more as each day went by.
"I just had to work so much harder on and off the court, in the weight room and in conditioning. I worked so much harder just to prove myself to the guys and coaches."
The hard work made an impression on the rest of the Cowboys.
"I just saw that he wanted to be good and that he can help us a lot, so I took it upon myself, along with others, to try to push him and get him to as high as a level that he can get," Newberry said.
Fast forward to the second to last day of summer conditioning. The coaching staff offered a proposition to the team. If Olivier could improve his first recorded mile time, 7:43, by a full minute, summer workouts would end a day early.
He finished at 6:41.
"I was just pushing myself to get through it and make that time. I just felt so happy and relieved when I did and then wanted to keep pushing for more."
Suddenly, change was no longer difficult at all.
"I think Chris wasn't accustomed to a lot of the things that we did," Manzelmann said. "We took him out of his comfort zone and he exceeded my expectations. Everything we asked him to do, he did. The reason he's gotten to where he is, is that he's done everything we've asked him to do. He was on time, he worked hard and he was disciplined."
With the hard work and dedication put in during the summer, Olivier has generated excitement for the Cowboys' upcoming season.
"I don't want to speak too fast because the Big 12 is a whole different league from where he's coming from, but right now he's looking dominant, Newberry said. "I feel like this is what Oklahoma State has been looking for."
Change is a difficult part of life.
Whether it's transitioning from junior high to high school or high school to college, you can learn a lot about yourself by seeing how you adapt to changing situations.
Enter Chris Olivier, someone who is all too familiar with change.
Olivier, a 6-8 forward, started his college basketball career at Northern Iowa, where he redshirted his freshman year. After appearing in one game for UNI the following season, Olivier decided to transfer to Eastern Illinois University, where he earned his Bachelor's degree last spring.
One year of basketball eligibility remained for Olivier, who was now faced with another decision.
Another change.
"I had a good last two years at Eastern Illinois," Olivier said. "I graduated and a lot of schools were coming after me from all around, but with coach [Travis] Ford, I felt like we had a connection. I just wanted to play in the Big 12 so I can prove myself."
After choosing the Cowboys over the likes of Iowa State, Memphis and Providence, it was time for the Chicago native to get to work.
Despite his success at Eastern Illinois, the transition to OSU was tough. Change, once again, was difficult.
"At first it was hard," Olivier said. "I didn't think I could do it. [Strength & Conditioning] coach Jake [Manzelmann] kept telling me that it was going to be like this for the first couple weeks. He kept saying I'd look back at this moment and laugh."
At that time there was no laughter, especially on a scorching summer day at Boone Pickens Stadium, when Manzelmann had the entire team running the stairs of the 60 thousand seat stadium.
"When we were running, he started struggling on his fifth one," said Cowboy guard Jeff Newberry. "So, Phil [Forte] got behind him and started running with him and I was talking to him and trying to encourage him. A lot of guys ran extra to make sure he knew that we were there for him. That particular workout is when I knew he wanted it. He never gave up, no matter how slow he was going."
Although change is difficult, it's a lot easier with support.
"My teammates pushed me through that," Olivier said. "If it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't have been able to finish it."
Olivier dug deep, pushing himself more and more as each day went by.
"I just had to work so much harder on and off the court, in the weight room and in conditioning. I worked so much harder just to prove myself to the guys and coaches."
The hard work made an impression on the rest of the Cowboys.
"I just saw that he wanted to be good and that he can help us a lot, so I took it upon myself, along with others, to try to push him and get him to as high as a level that he can get," Newberry said.
Fast forward to the second to last day of summer conditioning. The coaching staff offered a proposition to the team. If Olivier could improve his first recorded mile time, 7:43, by a full minute, summer workouts would end a day early.
He finished at 6:41.
"I was just pushing myself to get through it and make that time. I just felt so happy and relieved when I did and then wanted to keep pushing for more."
Suddenly, change was no longer difficult at all.
"I think Chris wasn't accustomed to a lot of the things that we did," Manzelmann said. "We took him out of his comfort zone and he exceeded my expectations. Everything we asked him to do, he did. The reason he's gotten to where he is, is that he's done everything we've asked him to do. He was on time, he worked hard and he was disciplined."
With the hard work and dedication put in during the summer, Olivier has generated excitement for the Cowboys' upcoming season.
"I don't want to speak too fast because the Big 12 is a whole different league from where he's coming from, but right now he's looking dominant, Newberry said. "I feel like this is what Oklahoma State has been looking for."
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