When I heard about the passing of legendary great Pat Summit, the most winningest coach in the history of the NCAA, I reflected first on her courage as a human being thwarted by a devastating illness; I obviously did not know her on a personal level, but I remember watching and learning from her tenacity… Continue reading Pat Summit: A Model for Grit and Resiliency
This one right here. This one with spunky, waterlogged, blond pigtails, wet from swimming, giant blue eyes inherited from her flirty father, and her perfect white chiclet teeth. Yes her. She is headed to kindergarten this fall, following on the short heels of her brother. She is ready. I am ready. She asked the… Continue reading How Heading to Kindergarten is a Little Like Leaving for College…Only Different
I have this friend from college, Emily Cobb Henry, who writes these amazing notes for many mom friends in her life around Mother’s Day. This gift is unlike many others, requiring no money or space on a shelf collecting dust that would just mock me daily–just hours of precious time. She is a talented writer… Continue reading On the Day Before Mother’s Day…
T-ball is perhaps the most dangerous sport I’ve ever experienced- as a coach or athlete- twentyish preschoolers and kindergarten friends wielding bats, throwing errant balls (still hard and hurtful despite being “soft”), wearing mitts with little intention or ability of actually catching. And when the ball does mysteriously land in the glove, we celebrate… Continue reading The Perils of T- Ball…
Greta brought me an envelope today and asked if we could mail her dad a kiss to Colorado. Her earnest nature about missing her dad, in Breckinridge for two weeks, combined with her love of the post office prompted the above visit. We did not mail him a kiss because I explained he would be… Continue reading Our Love for the U.S. Post Office 03262
Frank Aurelio is as classic as Clark’s itself, but quick to tell me he was not “the original wolfman.” However, to speak with him individually about his Wolfman days was easier than the collective group of aspiring wolfmen back stage. For the first time since my Connecticut College days working for the The College Voice,… Continue reading In Search of the New Wolfman for Clark’s Trading Post
Twelve year old Silas Weeden, ranked 1st regionally and 13th nationally for freestyle, is headed out to Copper Mountain in Colorado to compete in the National Championships. He’s been hucking himself off of jumps at the Kanc since he could walk basically, and this year had the opportunity, through both Loon Mountain and Loon Mountain… Continue reading Local Lin-Wood Loon Mountain Freestyler Heads to Nationals at Copper
The kids were playing in the afternoon sunshine and rushed inside, “Mommy, look what the leprechaun left us in the snowbank!” Thank you to whatever neighbor dropped this mini REAL glass message in a bottle with shamrocks in the yard, reinforcing our children’s belief in leprechauns, fairies, dragons, etc. They were so excited, and Greta… Continue reading Irish Blessings…
Her technique is text book. Knees bent as to take pressure off her back. Hand placement on the back rest is perfect- direct pressure not too high, not too low to cause a flip backward. She has known this from birth, an inherent skill as a daughter of a wheelchair user. The rest of the… Continue reading A Sure Sign of Spring…
Every year, I overhear a student casually talking about a wife-beater. And every time, I cringe with the image that contrasts with the ones my students are talking about. Most recently, the conversation sounded a little like this, “I can’t believe he was skiing with only a wife-beater beneath his jacket. What a jackass.” The… Continue reading Eradicating the World of Wife Beaters, One at a Time
Heather Ehrman Krill: The "Write" Kind of Coach 