Updates from April, 2010 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Brian Gregg 1:07 am on April 24, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    Right To Play 

    The springtime in the Midwest has been beautiful.  I alway enjoy playing outside but the warm sun of spring draws you to do everything outdoors.

    Get off the computer and play outside

    The last few weeks I have had the chance to be at the Club everyday.  It is great to be with the kids at the Boys and Girls Club regularly.  My main goals are to get them active, preferably outside.  This spring we have enjoyed all of our favorite games and a few new ones.

    Last Man Standing- A form of kickball.  The game starts with one pitcher (usually me) against everyone else.  The pitcher works to get  everyone out by tagging a base or hitting them with the ball.  When a player gets tagged out they join the outfield until there is one person left standing.

    Worlds Fastest Game of Tag*- everyone is it.  If you tag someone they must freeze.  If one or more people tag each other at the same time, they both freeze.  If you tag a person who is frozen, they are unfrozen.

    *I learned this game from Warren Elementary in VT.  Thanks guys, everyone really likes it.

    Soccer- Right to Play donated a mini-soccer ball for every kid.  In addition to playing games, we are enjoying working on our juggling and passing skills.

    Shana, Coral, and Zoe happy with their new soccer balls

    Right to Play is an Organization working with volunteers and partners to use sport and play to enhance child development in areas of disadvantage.  Learn more about Right to Play and how you can help at http://www.RightToPlay.com

    Shana found the most clues in the Treasure Hunt.  She won the Right to Play Ball signed by Beckie Scott
    Gabe
    Victor, Bahi, Joe and Koons
    First Day of the 6-week Spring Run Series

    Each Wednesday the Boys and Girls Club hosts the Spring Run Series.  Over the next 6 weeks the community will build from running/walking 1 mile to 5km.  It is great to see everyone out running.  The top 15 in both the short and the long run won baseball caps donated by the Madison Winter Festival.   Additionally, the winners of each race won a soccer ball signed by Olympic Gold Medalist Beckie Scott

    Winner of Short Run- Steven

    Winner of Long Run- Brandon

    Thank You to Right to Play, Madison Winter Fest and Becky Scott for your support of the LCO Boys and Girls Club.

     
  • nygrenk 4:49 pm on April 9, 2010 Permalink | Reply  

    $95 Dollar, 2 Days in Court and Motivation for Next Year 

    As readers of my previous blog might know I received a ticket for skiing on closed trails while training for the last races of the season.  The ticket simply had a court date so I spent a lot of time calling around to figure out why.  I have even left multiple messages with the officer who left the ticket.  I got no answers and was forced to get a continuance because I was racing in Maine, at the SuperTour finals, on the court date.  After returning home I went to court, signed in, waited, talked to someone, waited, and then was told they could not talk to me further because the ticket had been issued to my car, which is still registered in my father’s name.  Standard procedure is to only give one continuance but after talking to multiple bureaucrats I was able to secure another date, which my obliging and now equally frustrated father could attend.

    Today my father and I went to court and jumped through the various hoops only to learn from the prosecutor that they know very little about the details of park tickets and that we only had two options.  We could either pay the fine and various court fees (reduced from $135 to $95) or schedule another court date to argue our case.  My Father had already arranged to arrive late to work once and I had missed a day of work so we begrudgingly paid the bill so we could be done with it.


    This entire incident has given me a couple of ideas.  First, maybe if more people knew the illegal nature of skiing it would become more popular.  Illegal activity tends to entice teens so perhaps this could increase participation from a broader demographic and enlarge the talent pool.  Second if skiing is illegal I feel officers should have to physically catch skiers.  This would encourage faster skiing and racing tactics to elude officers.

    On a serious note it is spring and time to enjoy some down time from training and refocus for next year.  While it is temping to be angry with the lunacy of going to court for skiing I have learned that training angry fails in the long run.  Anger burns too hot and too fast.  You end up training too hard too often and are left exhausted.   This also applies to those who are frustrated about this past season.   Now is NOT the time to hammer in anticipation for next year.   Relax, recover, enjoy the spring, and then start to once again build your aerobic system through long slow distance.

     
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