Ah…I was right.

Sometimes the view from the soapbox is a good view.  Recently I was chastised by fellow coaches and club owners because I have a section on my website (down on the bottom of the page)that corresponds with a blog post made here awhile back. I stated that trampoline is dangerous. Some saw it as a statement that countered getting kids to…

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Kids hate gym class

One of my team kids the other day was telling me how she hated Physical Education . I thought it was interesting because she was a very fit and health conscious kid. She told me that she like the play and activity but didn’t like the  showers afterward. I remembered when I was in Middle…

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Why winners win

As a coach, you can bet, my family watched every conceivable Olympic competition over the last few weeks.  We watched track, triathlon, sand volleyball, court volleyball, tennis, water polo, biking, fencing, archery (online) wrestling, (we are BIG Jared Frayer fans). And we of course watched Gymnastics but we tried to see a little of everything.…

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Tired of hearing this discussion? Here’s my take…

At the Olympics in the All Around qualifications for women there was a little drama. Aly Raisman qualified to All Around finals over the expected favorite; Jordyn Weiber. There is a rule that states that a nation can only qualify up to 2 All Arounds into the finals and since Gabby Douglas, America’s deserving Golden…

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Remembering Old Friends

This has been a year of great loss. I have had 3 friends pass away and each has left a huge hole in my heart.  In the beginning of June, I got word from a mutual friend that my old coaching partner had passed. Apparently it was a heart attack and it came quite suddenly.…

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Our freedom can be detrimental

America is great. We have so many choices that our freedom offers us that sometimes we don’t even realize it. Sometimes it’s overwhelming. We are also overstimulated in all of the messages we hear: healthy “sports” drinks endorsed by our favorite sports star that are filled with sugar (stars never shine so brightly as when…

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love and friendship shouldn’t hurt

Why is bullying so prevalent now? I believe that it is because our children are on uneven ground when it comes to their own feelings of worth.  When kids are pampered and their egos are inflated they tend to feel that they are hollow and their self-worth is low if not non-existent. Sometimes these kids…

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Cyber-wusses and how to beat them

With the new world of social networking everyone has an opinion and everyone feels that their opinion should be heard. Not so. Sometimes kids act out their bully behavior online because they don’t have the strength to say or do anything face to face.  But kids don’t realize that once something is online, it’s very…

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How can sports keep our kids safe

What sports can do to stop bullies?  Being in sports is a good defense against bullies for three reasons: athletes exude confidence, they are stronger than their average peer and sports provides a positive network of support. Yet all of that can be the reverse. Some athletes have poor self -image and feel that their…

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How do we deal with bullies?

What happens when a kid is a bully? Sadly, sometimes nothing. In the movies the bully always gets their comeuppance, but life is not a movie and often what we wish would happen to the bad guys actually happens in reverse.  Often the aggressors are rewarded for their behavior. They get what they are seeking by…

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