I am not a distraction

Recently, my daughter came home from school and identified she had been 'dress coded' as what she was wearing did not meet the school's policy for dress code.  At first, I didn't think much of it, however, upon deeper reflection I began to ponder the notion of the school's dress code.  I went to my school district's website and found the Student/Parent Handbook.  Within this document I was able to find the dress code.  When I reviewed it, I was quite surprised as it seems this policy is rather sexist as well as culturally insensitive.  I looked a bit more in social media to see what others had posted and came across this great video a teenager had created - I am not a distraction.  I urge you to click on the link and view.

I think we can all assume there is a viable cultural norm with regard to how one would dress professionally.  For the profession of athletic trainers, we joke of the notorious khaki pants, collared shirt, sneakers.  Know, as well, each of us will be judged and stereotyped based upon first impressions we make.  This by no means is correct and does not affirm who we are, what our values are or how well trained we are to provide care to our patients.  I hope each of you are strong in your sense of yourself as all will be judged countless times throughout one's life.  I didn't realize, however, until my daughter came home from school, judgement would begin so early in life!

come back story

I love to see the tenacity of the human spirit and coming back against all odds. Surfer's Comeback is quite astonishing considering several years ago she had her arm bitten off by a shark while she was doing what she loved - surfing.

We fast forward a few years and see this young lady not only has recovered from the physical scars, but seems also to be recovering from the emotional scars that occurred when her accident took place.  It is inspiring to see someone having to face adversity, seeming to face the problem head on and take both the good and the bad that comes along with it.  I am hopeful, that if and when faced with difficult situations that come (as they will), I too, will have the courage to face them head on and move forward.

You Are Not Alone

With technology changing the way in which we live, it should come as no surprise that someone has created an 'app' to help walk them home when they are alone.  The companion app is something one can can download for free.  While an interesting idea, I am not sure how much testing has been completed on its' use.  It does, however, seem to provide some sense of comfort for an individual, and does allow for someone to be 'watching' virtually until a person arrives at their destination.

This seems like a long way away from the day and time when we used to simply have someone walk with us!  I am sure as technology continues to develop, there will be something else that comes along as well . . . . 

Thank You

With Veteran's Day fast approaching, I wanted to post the link to these very special 'homecomings' --

Military homecomings

Too often, I think we take for granted what members of our military do for all of us on a daily basis to great cost of them personally.  As a mother of two children, I cannot imagine what it must be like for the spouses who remain back, tending to the family, while their loved one serves for us.  Nor can I understand what it must be like for the person who serves our country (and many times on more than one tour), to have to leave their families.  Finally, when I see the tears in the children's faces when their loved one comes home, I know it must be stressful for them to have their family member somewhere else, and in many times, in harms way.

Take time to enjoy the homecomings, and if you are like me, get a tissue. 

Run Like a Girl

After I watched this video, I became more acutely aware of the phrase 'like a girl' and its' negative impact it may have on girls.  As a mother of two young girls, I began to wonder if I 'buy into' the negative notion the phrase 'like a girl' can have; or am I rather, a role model demonstrating that 'like a girl' is both powerful and positive.

During this very tumultuous time with so much information being placed in front of both our boys and girls in regard to social media, my hope is that we can begin to rebuild the idea of 'like a girl' and for that matter 'like a boy' to our children.  It seems much of what we carry into our adult lives were imprinted upon us when we were children. Sometimes this is good, and at other times this can be bad. We need to work at teaching both boys and girls what it means to be kind and respectful to others as well as building their own self-esteem, self-efficacy and confidence.  Growing up can already be a difficult thing; I don't want to add more difficulty for my children.  I hope I teach my girls  'like a girl' is a badge of honor and they should wear it proudly!

Love the Bengals! Heart Warming Story

Too often, it seems, we look to the many negative stories that are in the news, our schools and our communities.  This story (click here)looks at something positive in the world of sports, that too often, we hear about the negatives -- athlete caught using drugs; athlete arrested for DWI; athlete arrested for domestic violence.

This story warms the heart, but also helps us to take pause and perhaps be thankful of our blessings, but I hope too, to keep Leah in our prayers.

Here is a quick video link:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0PG556aOfE

To Multi-sport or Not?

Being a parent of children who participate in many activities, I find it rather interesting that there is dialogue regarding participation in more than one sport activity.  This article asked college lacrosse coaches their feeling  regarding athletes who participated in more than one sport in elementary and high school.  Most coaches who were questioned supported the notion of students who did not specialize, but rather had a varied experience in athletics.  Many of the coaches felt these student-athletes were able to 'bring more to the table' than those who specialized in only one sport.  The coaches were then asked what their own children did - specialize or multi-sport?  Surprisingly, all of the coaches had their children participating in more than one sport and were happy they do.

I believe many parents are led to believe their children must become a specialist within a sport at an early age in order to remain competitive and be the best within that particular sport.  Pressure that is created from club teams can be confused with the thought of the club thinking they are creating the next professional athlete.  Parents are then led to believe, in order to do what is best for their child, must keep their children on a crazy pace.

Proponents who support the idea of multi-sport athletes have demonstrated that children who specialize in one sport are at a higher risk of injury as well as obesity.  Interesting, many college athletes were multi-sport athletes in high school.

My hope is that parents recognize that club athletics, while they have a part in assisting in the skills development of our children, should also be recognized as a business venture for the organization who is actively recruiting your child, having the family pay 'tuition' as well as traveling.  Hopefully, we can keep this in perspective and allow our children to become involved in many activities rather than just one!