Tuesday, July 28, 2015

First T-Ball Game

First At-Bat
There has been a lot of discussion in recent years, and particularly this winter and spring, about the long-term benefits or drawbacks of pushing kids into youth sports.  Much of the discussion has centered around whether kids should specialize in one sport (I say no way!), but there has also been a lot of talk about how early you should start kids in organized sports.

Growing up in a very small town in Colorado, the opportunities for us to participate in organized sports were minimal at best.  We had Little League sponsored t-ball that started after first grade (age 7-9) and fast pitch (age 10-12).  We played ten games a year, and traveled up to about an hour away for a few of the games.  Our school district sponsored a pee wee basketball league for 4th - 6th graders.  We played only the teams within our own school district.  Finally, the sport we all waited for, organized football, started for us when we were in 7th grade.  As kids we felt like we were getting the short end of the stick; that there were kids out there in bigger towns and cities that had way more opportunities than we did and that we were somehow missing out.  Looking back, I'm glad things worked the way they did.  We stayed plenty busy as kids, and we were all hungry for any opportunity we got.  We had great participation rates all the way through high school, and most of us played at least two, if not three sports.  It was a great experience, one I'm very thankful for.

I say all this to lead up to Frances' first t-ball game.  I've been very conscious of not wanting to push her and Nora into too many activities of any kind, let alone too many organized sports.  Up to this point their two big activities have been gymnastics one day a week, and starting this summer we've done horseback riding one day a week.  That seemed to be plenty enough for them, but when Frances heard about t-ball this summer, she got very excited.  I was a little leery, but as I looked at the schedule for the league it was one hour, one night a week for five weeks.  This we could handle.  

Two weeks ago we went to our first practice, and this past Sunday night she had her first game.  It was very low-key, with Mom's and Dad's standing behind and beside their children, helping "coach" them all along the way.  Frances took her spot at second base feeling very nervouscited (her word), but she did great.  She ended up fielding several balls in the first inning, even throwing out a couple kids (though in this league everybody is safe).  Overall, she left the evening very excited about t-ball, and with a realistic sense of where she fit in with the rest of the group (not as good as some, better than others).  She's definitely looking forward to the next three weeks.

Celebrating With Her Biggest Fan
The old-school part in me fears that this type of setup for t-ball is just another step backwards in the "participation ribbon" attitude of our culture, but the father and the coach in me thinks it was a great deal.  Most of the kids in the league are of the same mindset as Frances.  They've been exposed to sports their whole life, but they're not as die-hard as some others.  Most are at an age where they could likely go either way with organized sports.  If they all had the experience Frances did Sunday night, I guarantee they'll want to come back for more next year, and that's all we can ask.  For my part, I hope both Frances and Nora will find one or two sports they can engage with, while also pursuing their interests in music or dance or horseback riding or any of a number of other activities.  Again, as a dad and as a coach, I can't wait to see what they do next!

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Midwest Conference Releases Academic All-Conference

The Midwest Conference recently released the Academic All-Conference teams for the 2014-15 academic year, and the Pioneers were well-represented.  For the second year in a row we had 16 student-athletes that earned the recognition.  That ties our all-time high for one season, and it is over 1/3 of our team!  Couple that with the nine guys named to the Dean's List in the fall and the three in the spring, and it is clear the Pioneers are excelling on the field and off.

The following guys were named to the team:

Aamir Walton Sr. Sociology
Carson Dunn Fr. Undeclared 
Clayton Desjardin Sr. Biology 
David Ternes Sr. Economics 
Edward Guen-Murray Sr. Biological Chemistry 
Edward Hardman Jr. English 
Ethan Lahn So. Biological Chemistry 
Gregory Ruzich Jr. Biological Chemistry 
Harrison Hoegh Fr. Undeclared 
Ibuki Ogasawara So. Mathematics 
Jacob Beecher Jr. Biological Chemistry 
Joseph Galaske So. Biology 
Matthew Medrano So. Political Science & Economics 
Samuel Poulos Jr. Economics
Scott Beecher Fr. Undeclared 
William Rebelsky So. Chemistry & Mathematics

Hardman and Ogasawara were also named to both the Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field lists, Galaske to Indoor Track and Field, and Rebelsky to the swimming list.

Congrats to all these guys.  Great work men!

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Grinnell Professor Kesho Scott Serves on CNN Panel

Kesho Scott, Associate Professor of Sociology and Associate Professor of American Studies, was asked to participate in a CNN panel discussing some of the early Presidential candidates.  The panel featured five Iowans, with Scott labeled as a "Democratic Voter."  The Republican field is one of the largest in recent memory, and between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, the Democratic candidates should be very interesting.  Election years in Iowa are always exciting, and the hype and discussion looks to be starting even earlier this time around.  At Grinnell College, we anticipate being right in the middle of things for the next 16 months or so!

Here is a link to the video:  http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/07/09/iowa-voters-on-presidential-candidates-berman-pkg-newday.cnn



Monday, July 13, 2015

When the Books You Read to Your Kids are Written by the Kids You Coached


Well, not quite, but close.

I'm late posting this, but my two girls Frances and Nora loved reading Know It All Nori, written by Grinnell's own Elizabeth Hereford.

Though I never actually coached her, Liz Davis '11, worked for me in the Fitness Center and was an outstanding volleyball player here at Grinnell.  She was part of two double digit win seasons, and in her junior year of 2009 the team posted their best record since 2002.  After graduating, Liz joined Teach For America and worked in the Chicago area.  She's now teaching kindergarten at Gary Lighthouse Charter School, and obviously writing children's books on the side.

Liz is married to Pioneer standout linebacker John Hereford '10.  

It's always nice to see our graduates achieve such great success as they head out into the real world, and its particularly gratifying when they do it in the field of education.  Congrats Liz, and keep those books coming!