#Get a Grip Newsletter, #10
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Happy Halloween everyone!
I hope all of you are better with your Halloween sugar consumption than I am! Not going to lie, I am one of those people who can't buy Halloween candy early, or I eat it all before the trick or treaters arrive. Then, I have to go out on Halloween day to buy candy and find only Christmas candy on the shelves. Seriously, I gave out candy canes one year to neighborhood trick-or-treaters.
This year for Halloween, I am on a plane to visit my son at school. I will be going from fire weather to snow. Can you tell that I am a native Californian when I have never watched a football game in the snow? I am sure the college students are thrilled to have all the parents arrive on Halloween night. We should all have bets on the excuses used for the early exit from friends and family dinners to hit the Halloween parties. And, no, I am not one of the moms who attempt to party with their child, even when their child is an adult.
I want to give an extra shout out to an incredible teenager in our school and sports community, Kevin Barber. I have spotlighted Kevin and his work starting Wheels of Change, at the age of 16! And yes, he did this while being a successful student-athlete.
Have a great Halloween!
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What young athletes need to learn is that to accomplish their goals, they need to understand and protect their biggest asset: their bodies. Athletes must understand their bodies, know their limitations, and train within themselves.
Building recovery habits is an investment in a future career and long term health. Your body will not fall apart all in one day. It will break down slowly over time, and by the time you realize you did too much, you will be forced to take time off with an injury or burnout.
As parents and coaches in youth athletics, we are bombarded with articles, information, and research on how this generation is playing too much. Too much time practicing, competing, and training. We are all hesitant to be the ones to lead a new trend, so I thought I would take a different angle and talk about the importance of the rest day. Do what you want for six days a week, but your athlete MUST have one rest day per week. Let’s just concentrate on that piece of it. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?!
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TENNIS.COM PODCAST: NOAH RUBIN ON FINDING HAPPINESS
Not afraid to speak his mind, Rubin is doing his part to dissipate the stigma around mental health and is using his podcast with Mike Cation, Coffee Cast, and Behind the Racquet to give players safer spaces to be more open. He just turned the social media account into a website, complete with BTR swag.
Staying in the Game: Progress and Challenges in Youth Sports
In the often confusing and frustrating world of youth sports, some progress is being made. The Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program’s Project Play discovered these trends within research of kids ages 6 to 12:
Why Did Sam Quit Sports?
My friend recently mentioned in passing that her 10-year-old son quit basketball and isn’t playing ANY sports now. He decided a few months ago that he was done. He was retiring, like the recent Project Play, Aspen Institute’s #Don’tRetireKid campaign. And just like that, Sam became another statistic. According to the National Alliance For Youth Sports, nearly 70% of kids quit sports by the time they are 13…but not this kid?
Understanding how our children learn – a dynamic and messy process
Learning can be a really dynamic and sometimes messy process. For children to learn effectively they need to be challenged at the appropriate level and then learn through the process of trying different things and ultimately making plenty of mistakes.
Parents Should Limit Sports Participation for Children, Trainers Say
Young athletes are practicing too hard in just one sport, increasing the risk of injuries and burnout. New guidelines urge parents to reduce the intensity.
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I was recently asked:
"When you were competing, what was your biggest weapon? And what was your biggest weakness?"
We were discussing the importance of knowing your strengths and weaknesses while competing and how we have strengths and weaknesses in multiple areas... technically, tactically, and mentally.
I gave an answer with what I think was the core to my success:
my strength was that I had NO FEAR. I was never afraid to go for a shot. This is because I put the work in on the practice court and knew what I could and couldn't do. That work gave me the confidence to not be afraid. Having said this,
my lack of fear, was also my biggest weakness. I went for shot with low percentages on big points. I never doubted myself, and I had little discipline to rein it in.
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"Grown and Flown: How to Support Your Teen, Stay Close as a Family, and Raise Independent Adults", by Lisa Heffernan and Mary Dell
From the founders of the #1 site for parents of teens and young adults comes an essential guide for building strong relationships with your teens and preparing them to successfully launch into adulthood. Their website
grownandflown.com is one of my personal go-to sites for for parenting teens, leading up to―and through―high school and those first years of independence. It covers everything from the monumental (how to let your kids go) to the mundane (how to shop for a dorm room). Organized by topic―such as academics, anxiety and mental health, college life―it features a combination of stories, advice from professionals, and practical sidebars.
Even if you don't have kids in this age range... READ IT! It will help you avoid many of the common mistakes we, as parents, have all made. Myself included!
Enter the co-founders of
Grown and Flown, Lisa Heffernan and Mary Dell Harrington. In the midst of guiding their own kids through this transition, they launched what has become the largest website and online community for parents of fifteen to twenty-five year olds. Now they’ve compiled new takeaways and fresh insights from all that they’ve learned into this handy, must-have guide.
Has anyone else read this book or have a great book to share? I would love your thoughts and suggestions in our
#Get a Grip Facebook Group. Or you can
EMAIL me here.
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This issue's
Meaningful Meals
conversation starter:
"Which famous athlete would you love to meet?"
This issue's
Meaningful Meals
recipe:
I realize that if you want to toss some sausages and vegetables on a sheet pan on a weekday night and roast them to crispy, self-seasoned blister, there are innumerable ways to do it. I’ve fiddled around with broccoli and chunks of sausage.
The recipe is linked above to the Food and Wine Version. I tweaked mine a bit with fewer potatoes and more meat. Yes, we are a heavy carnivore family.
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 pounds mixed unpeeled potatoes (red, yukon gold, fingerlings or russet), if small/baby, cut in half, if larger, in 1-inch thick wedges
- 10 medium (about 1/2 pound) unpeeled shallots, halved
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, cut into 3-inch lengths
- One 5-ounce package of baby arugula
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar
Directions:
Heat oven to 425°. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss all of the potatoes and shallots with 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt (I use 1 teaspoon kosher), and a lot freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes to taste. Roast for 15 minutes, at which they’ll be barely beginning to color. Give them a toss and add sausages. Brush the tops with a little olive oil and return the tray to the oven for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the sausage is cooked through.
To finish: Transfer everything on the tray to a big bowl and add arugula (or not, if your kids are like mine), lemon juice, and more salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away.
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This issue, I am spotlighting an incredible teenager in our school community, Kevin Barber, who at the age of 16, decided to make a change for our homeless in San Diego by starting
Wheels of Change.
Wheels of Change is a job program for the homeless that a teenager, Kevin Barber, launched with Alpha Project (a nonprofit (501(c)(3)) and Mayor Faulconer in San Diego, February 2018. With over 11,000 homeless individuals on our streets, a recent Hepatitis A outbreak, and a mom who is an ER doctor working with the homeless, Kevin wanted to do something. He helped create
"Wheels of Change", modeling it after a successful job program in Albuquerque, NM. It is now run by Alpha Project, who has more than 30 years experience working with our homeless.
The program is simple. Our 2 vans go out 5 days a week to pick up homeless people who express an interest in working. The van takes them to worksites, where they pick up trash, pull weeds, clear brush, etc. At the end of the day, workers are driven back to Alpha Project's Bridge Shelter for the homeless, and are paid minimum wage. Here they may also possibly get shelter arranged.
The goal is to get the homeless connected with social services they may need, into housing, and offer them the dignity of working.
Wheels of Change empowers people and gives them work.
In July 2019, with the support of the City and numerous donors, we doubled the operation of our program so that 100 homeless individuals can work per week. This will allow us to provide over 5000 work opportunities this year! The program has been a huge success. The homeless love the chance to work and, unbelievably, 56 cites have visited our program, including LA, San Francisco, Dallas, Seattle, Vancouver, etc. Wheels of Change is a win-win for the homeless, the city, and our community.
The stories coming from the homeless employed by WOC are inspiring. Susan G. was contemplating suicide atop Coronado Bridge. “Wheels of Change saved my life,” she declared. “It’s a miracle. I am a miracle! Now, I want to be an example to others.” Rosemarie R. is another homeless WOC employee. With the $52 she earned, she said, “Now I have a bus pass and a new dress to go to interviews.” Charles B. shared, “Smiles of approval in the community bolstered my self-confidence. I found my head lifting higher as I helped beautify the area where I used to pitch my tent. You’re causing me to have faith in humanity again! THANK YOU!!" And, Regina M., one of the crew members, said she'd been homeless for five years and this was the first time she had worked. "It means everything to me. I'm going to start my life all over again." People have run up to us and given us hugs, letting us know about a college they subsequently enrolled in, or a new job they landed after finding the courage to apply, once they'd worked with WOC. It's been so rewarding and heartwarming to see their enthusiasm and hard work.
I have learned from this experience that we can all give back to our communities, if we try. If you have a good idea, be bold and act. Surround yourself with smart people who become a good team, contribute, and make things happen. And, by doing something, you will witness others struggles, bravery, and resilience.
Finally, keep your end goal in sight and do not be deterred by people failing to return phone calls or doubting your ideas. Funding, especially, may become an issue, but persevere! I've had the good fortune of having a tremendous team of strategic and financial supporters including the Lucky Duck Foundation, Una Davis, Danna Foundation, SDGE, the City, Jan Burrow, Bob McElroy, and many others. It takes a village, for sure!
Thanks to this generous support, we announced with Alpha Project an expansion of WOC with the Mayor this past week. We are expanding to 2 vans operating 5 days/week and will now be cleaning up trash all over San Diego. We will be offering 5200 work shifts for the homeless this coming year!
Engage in life, go all out, help those who are hurting…and be humbled and grateful by what you find. So who’s next?
RECENT CNN NATIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE:
If you’d like to join me in supporting Wheels of Change, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
please visit this donation link. Donations go directly to Wheels of Change to help fund our homeless workers.
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Do you have ideas for books, recipes, and organizations that we should share in a future newsletter?
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Thank you for reading!
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