#52 Stories--Story #3

What extracurricular activities did you get involved in?

While I was a kid in elementary school I participated in 4H at our local neighborhood club called Sunset 4H. A lot of neighbor kids were in the club too. I tried gardening (Mr. Scariot was our local gardening leader), photography (Huck Hagenbuch was our leader), Foods (I don't remember the leader but my one foods competition at the country fair I did Lemon Squares, I remember that much.) I tried cake decorating, floral design, and sewing.  None of those really stuck.  I did participate with Dairy Goats tough and I LOVED that. 

I got my first goats when I was about 10: Klara (an black and white Alpine) and Surprise (a LaMancha--they have minimal external ears--she looked like camel.)  MaryLou Rawitser was our goats leader.  We learned how to care fro them and to shop them from the time there were just little things and still ate from a bottle until they were at least a year old and were sent back to the dairy to get a little bigger and be bred.  It was a great situation for us as we fostered the goaties as babies which helped the dairy, then returned them to the dairy when they were old enough to get about being milkers.  The baby goats have personalities like puppies--only smarter.  They are AWESOME!  We'd show them all summer long and then live at the country fair in San Jose for about a week with the goats.  So. Much. Fun!

In junior high I also tried Girls Basketball and then Track & Field.  I was left handed but that was the only advantage I had in basketball.  I was pretty uncoordinated and really never like running.  For Track, I really enjoyed high jumping and the discus and shot put.  Probably becuase at hte junior leevl there isn't much running at all. 

In junior high I was part of the student government.  My role wasn't an elected one though--it was the faculty selection that partnered with the student elected leaders.  I was the Student Senate president--or some such title. I suppose I was pretty responsible and dependable.  I had had some leadership experience in 4H and then throughout Young Women at church. I just recall I got to call and book the DJs for the school dances each month or so.  Who lets a 13 year old do that?!

A little in junior high and then again in high school, at least my senior year, I was on the yearbook staff.  I had photography experience and could write fairly well. That was a fun time too!

I started a love affair with live theater in high school as a 4 year member of the Mime Troupe.  A group of kids across all four years that learned pantomime sketches and did some improv too!  I love the improv stuff.  We performed for the school, at elementary schools, local city celebrations and county fairs and once a year at the Shriners' Children's hospital in San Francisco.  That was always a good time.  I made great friends and learned a LOT!  I learned about auditions and along with the drama classes I took from Mr. Maya, the drama teacher, I learned to love performing and making people laugh. Again, I had opportunities for leadership here too as I eventually served as Mime Troupe president.

Eventually I did stage management for other plays and eventually acted in some and as a senior, had a leading role in the Senior Play and then directed the student directed Spring show that year with my friend, Darin Carter.

Because I had room in my schedule my senior year I also tried out for the brand spanking new Chamber Choir--which I made mostly due to the flexibility of my schedule than for my talent.  I learned so much from Mr. Robb, the director, and made terrific memories and friends.

Experiments in Volleyball

This morning was our final day of volleyball for our Young Women.  A stake representative was selected at last week's games so today was just for fun--and donuts.

We played the first game to 10 with all the girls on the big court, January-June birthday girls versus the July through December birthday girls.  Much giggling ensued.

Then, we played Buddy-Ball, where the girls found a partner who is about the same height and we tied their middle arms together.  Much like a three-legged race, the three arm volleyball players took a little time to get used to the new get up.  We quit keeping score.  Much giggling ensued.

And finally the last game we played Blackout Volleyball.  With glow sticks taped to the top of the net, and a volleyball wrapped in glow-in-the dark tape, all the girls played a game in the dark.  I am not sure how much of a game we had, but  much giggling ensued.

The seven dozen donuts I brought to celebrate together were polished off and the girls left smiling and happy.  I'd say that was a fun way to finish the season.

Now, if only basketball season would be that warm and fuzzy.  But we know that is just not the case.  Dangit.

Go Vikings!

I'm not a big wrestling fan, myself, but we have many high school friends who wrestle, or they have siblings who wrestle.  Last night was a pretty big night for our high school wrestling team.  Three individual state champions, and the team won the whole enchilada.  Congrats!!

Sadly, I cannot say the same for our swim team.  The Girl will be going to the state meet tonight and tomorrow in the alternate spot for the 4x100 yard freestyle relay team, but they got bumped out of the program by .06 seconds.  Going into their region meet they were in 14th place in the state--but between our region meet and the state meet three team snuck in between, bumping the Lady Vikings to #17.  Bummer.  But, The Girl seems to be looking at this as high motivation to qualify herself--in an individual event--for next year's state meet. 

Follow Up Post

OK, this is post number 890.  Just in case anyone is counting, besides me.

I picked up The Boy in Park City today after a day of snow boarding, solo.  Genius Golfer dropped him up there this morning on his way to watch The Girl's swim meet at the gorgeous Davis Aquatic Center, so The Boy could board and now complain at how slow the swim meet was moving.  I had young women basketball all morning, so that was going to be any more fun than a slow swim meet for the poor kid, so he opted to board.

Apparently, he was doing his dangerous thing...including being the first one into the freshly groomed half-pipe this morning, since he was there early enough to be the first one in line for the lifts.  Anyway, he must have warn out his danger-card because at some point he crashed and bruised his tailbone, hit ice with his helmet (thank goodness he will wear one...and not give me grief about that) and knocked the wind out of his pride. 

He tried calling Dad at 11 AM...who, in the middle of an indoor swim, meet can't hear his phone.  I got done with the basketball stuff and was home at noon, when two minutes later the kid called me to come get him.  Not quite what I had planned, but he sounded next to tears, so I jumped back in the car and made it up there in an hour flat.  With no tickets, thankyouverymuch.  The Boy is fine, but his bum was sore.  Nothing a little stop for lunch at Wendy's couldn't fix.

While I was picking him up, however, I noticed that the thermometer in my car read a full 10 degrees warmer than it had been down in the valley.  The sky was blue and the air was clear too.  It smelled so good up there.  We have a winter phenomenon here called an "inversion" where all the pollution and cold air gets trapped in the valley and with a high pressure system parked over us, that yucky air is trapped here until the next storm comes by that is big enough to scour out the gunk.  We are due for one tonight.  After seeing the sunshine and blue skies, I think I am going to cheer for the storm to show up.

GG just got home a bit ago and said The Girl shaved a full second off her breaststroke time but her 500 yard freestyle was slow, almost equal to her very first time for that event.  Oh well.  We'll focus on the breaststroke improvementt and call it good.  I'm just hoping that her iPod didn't get stolen--her first one was at this same meet last year.  It was an expensive weekend for her last time.

The day or two before we left for California for Christmas, he went skiing with The Boy and our nephew, Garett.  The boys saw GG at some point hit a snow pothole and basically face plant it hard.  The boys thought it was funny, and GG was sore, but he always is after a day of skiing--crash or no crash.  We went ahead to CA and when we got home, he was still sore, like a possible broken rib.  So he went in to see the on-call doctor for our local family clinic.  X-rays showed nothing broken, but the doctor told GG that the tissue that holds the lungs inside the rib cage may have been injured and the damage brings on inflammation that would cause that kind of pain.  He was told to take 800 mg of ibuprofen and take it easy. 

He did that for a week or so, and it was still hurting--even more--so he went back this week to our regular family doctor.  Sure enough, that was his diagnosis too, but he gave GG a prescrition for some steroid to bring the inflammation down faster, along with a muscle relaxer to keep the spasms at bay and good, strong pain killer--that, of course, he doesn't like to take, but that is his choice.  He is moving, but feels miserable.  Keep GG in your prayers that he can heal quickly, and be back to normal.  He is stiff and sore each morning trying to get out of bed, and if he starts coughing (with this air quality, it happens to the best of us) it is incredibly painful.   He is not a good patient, as he expects himself to heal as quickly as the kids forgetting, of course, that he is 40-something years old and his body doesn't like to be beat up like this.

I've got a full week coming up--funny how that happens so quickly after a long holiday break. But so far, as the rest of us are healthy, sore bums aside, it is a good thing this time of year.  Seeing the sun, however, sure made me anxious for spring.  I can keep hoping it will come quickly--though I know it is only January.  Dangit.

Now For Something Completely Different

In an effort to try something new--and that Genius Golfer is helping his brand new company with their convention tonight so won't be home--I'm planning on taking the kids to the HS football game tonight. It is Homecoming.

The Girl, as a member of the HS swim team, had a little say in the homecoming representative the swim team sent to the pageant, and technically she is 9th grade which should count as a high school student.

The Boy, has a lot of friends who play local pee-wee football (having played last year himself). I saw several of the boys last week when I went so I told him, he'd easily find some guys to hang out with. I think he just wants to wear his jersey and find his buddies.

We've never done anything quite like this with the kids. In fact, I can't recall taking them to a live sporting event where one of them wasn't playing. I think The Boy went to a BYU game with Grandpa Herb once...or maybe it was with cousins...but not as a family.

Besides, we have a full schedule of sports they are involved with this weekend anyway: The Girl has her Swim-A-Thon today. It is a fundraiser for the swim team where they earn money to cover their team bus, etc., by swimming the most laps they can in the class period. And tomorrow, The Boy (GG coaches the team) will play for the 7th-8th grade Boys' North County Soccer Championship. Whoo Hoo.

Here's hoping luck is spread all over this town this weekend!

Nice...Very Mature

I recognize that this is not generally a sports blog, but last night I saw something that I have to write about.

I caught most of the second half of the Oregon-Boise State football game last night. Both are top 20 ranked teams and being neighboring states, there is a fairly big rivalry. Worse yet, the Oregon Ducks are a Pac 10 team--therefore automatically included in the Bowl Championship Series post season games--while the Boise State Mustangs are part of the WAC and not invited tot he BCS dance. Yes, there is a little chip on the shoulder of the Boise State players, particularly after they won the Tosititos Bowl in 2007 which proved they were worthy to be included.

But my purpose in writing today is not to complain about the BCS system, or even the over hyped Pac 10 teams or the undervalued intermountain west teams. Nope. My purpose is to speak on sportsmanship.

Following the very sloppy game, the Boise State team was duly excited--this was the biggest game they've hosted and they were on ESPN prime time. It was a big deal. One of the Boise players made a comment to Blount, line backer for Oregon. It was most likely a post game retort to Blount's pre-game taunting. Boise's Hout even tapped Blount on the shoulder pad. The next moment Oregon's Blount, who previously had behavioral issues that had kept him from playing, laid a full out punch to Hout's chin.

There is no place for that kind of behavior. This IS a game, remember?! These guys make me wonder if they even belong in a university setting. They don't appear mature enough to be there. Why are they so amped up? This isn't anyway to represent your school.

Now, I'll give him a little credit in that he did apologize afterward, but on the way off the field, one of his coaches had to physically restrain him from going after the rowdy fans who were reacting to the punch. First the coach, then the stadium security. This guy was a loose cannon last night.

I love my favorite teams, like the next mom--you know, the ones my kids play or swim on. But I haven't ever gone so far as to resort to violence. Will someone explain to me what pushes someone to that? Over a game?!

A Universal Constant

Yesterday afternoon I got to go watch the first half of the high school girls varsity soccer game. Several of our stake's Young Women were playing on the team. The opponent was a Salt Lake City high school who, dressed in their bright orange uniforms, looked like highway construction workers. Plus they were pushy and mean. And they kicked our girls' trash. 5-0. Ouch.

Now, I haven't been to watch anything but my own kids in the high school stadium. The Boy had his football camp there a little over a year ago and The Girl has played a few soccer games there for the city league. When my kids are there, the high school students generally aren't.

I was a little startled at the group of punk high schoolers that still run out onto the turf during halftime and mess around. These, of course, are boys. I guess, little has changed since my own days in high school. They come out and some kick their soccer ball into the goals. Others kick a football, or make sorry attempts to kick the football, through the uprights. Still others play quarterback and throw the football down field to their "receivers". Some things never change.

Isn't that great?

Some people's parents!?!

Last night was The Girl's first soccer game. She had a great coach and a lot of friends already on her team. The girls played well together and best of all THEY HAD FUN! This is the final year of Rec League soccer for the girls--at 9th grade they are eligible for the HS teams. And I thought the whole point of Rec Leagues was for the fun and maybe some learning.

Well, no one must have told the other team's coach. I thought he might blow a gasket. He was screaming at his girls and pacing up and down the side line. This was their FIRST game for Pete's sake. Somebody get this guy a Prozac!

The other parents were very vocal too, and I know that that only gets worse as the season progresses. The Girl even mentioned that she heard one parent complaining about the refs (who were all of 15 years old) and yapping loudly that the rules were stupid. (???) Who are these people?!

Sadly, they are the same people that wonder why the PTA does the things we do, and that choose not to become members or even volunteer in their children's classrooms and then complain that THEIR child is not receiving enough personal attention. Argh!

Regardless of these party poopers (every party has a pooper, that's why we invited them...) the majority of parents are fabulously encouraging, wanting their children to, yes, do their best, but to to do it with integrity and within the rules. Most parents appreciate all those who volunteer to coach, tutor, mentor, or serve their children. Almost all the parents want the same advantages for the friends of their kids as they do for their own children. Those are the kind of parents I know, the kind I work with in PTA, the kind I have volunteered with in Swim Team, soccer and preschool. They are the kind of parents you wish every kid had.

So while the vast majority are just the kind of people we want parenting the kids that our children play with, learn with, and compete together with, there will always be that ONE. You know the type: the kindergarten room mom who, midway through the year, had to be sacked; the passive-aggressive soccer dad who threatens the refs, the coach who directs his teams to win at all costs. No thanks. I much prefer to have a good time--even if it means losing a game or two--than deal with parents like that.

So watch the parents around you this season--at the football field or the soccer pitch. Lehi, Utah had a Sports Parenting Class they mandated a few years ago for parents of youth sports participants, due to the brawls that were popping up at kids' games in their city. Jeeeze Louise! Maybe with a concerted effort we can convince these crazy parents that this is NOT the Olympics, the NFL, or a life or death situation. Everyone just calm down and reassess that this is Recreation League...it is for FUN...it is for learning...it is for our KIDS!