Not exactly.
Ever since my neighbor talked me into co-coaching our kids' Micro soccer team (thanks, Allison) I've been perusing the shelves at my local library, begging other coaches, and scanning the internet for soccer books for kids and new coaches. I've found quite a few, and some are good - but so far, none are "great."
And I need a great deal of help!
A "Micro" soccer team consists of four- and five-year-olds; in most cases, they are co-ed teams. After flipping through a LOT of books (see below) it seems the key is to get them to play and have fun. Running laps, standing in line for drills, even passing is too much to ask at this age - and way too dull.
The first book I found was an e-book, Fundamental Soccer for Clueless Parents, and it really is for very-bare-beginners. Which was ok by me!
There are some great web resources, including:
http://www.kidsfirstsoccer.com
http://www.usyouthsoccer.org
Anyone have any others to recommend? I'm all ears. And our first practice is Friday...
Update: the season went great, and we're still having fun - the vast majority of kid on that team are still playing, eight years later. And have moved on to more qualified coaches ;)
Got a soccer player at home willing to work to get better? Here's a
training program I came across recently that is designed for soccer players who are willing to work to "level up" and improve their skills and reach their goals (like making varsity!). Guaranteed results; 8 week money-back offer.
See you on the pitch!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
I'm Rich!*
My friends Matt and Gina Hutter are featured in the July (print) issue of Money Magazine because they... wait for it... wait for it... use cash.
Greenbacks.
Bills.
US dollars.
Remember?
If the answer is no, please, please read the article. A few times. We'll wait.
= - = - =
Doesn't that make sense?
To Matt's money-saving tips I can add but one: before you buy a book, check it out at the library first. :)
*Sure, you can file this under "misleading titles." But I am rich in friends!
Greenbacks.
Bills.
US dollars.
Remember?
If the answer is no, please, please read the article. A few times. We'll wait.
= - = - =
Doesn't that make sense?
To Matt's money-saving tips I can add but one: before you buy a book, check it out at the library first. :)
*Sure, you can file this under "misleading titles." But I am rich in friends!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Just for Kix
Ah, 'tis true: I do read cereal boxes.
Did you know Kix cereal is a very healthy choice?
A 1-1/4 cup serving has less sodium and fat and more potassium than a serving (1 cup) of Cheerios, and the same amount of fiber (3 grams) and calories (110). Huh.
They're both fortified, so they're pretty equally plumped up with the usual vitamins. And I have to admit Kix has more sugar (3 grams vs Cheerios' 1 gram) and Cheerios has 3 grams of protein to the 2 grams in Kix.
And now I really need to go to the library, and pull something besides a cereal box off the shelf!
Did you know Kix cereal is a very healthy choice?
A 1-1/4 cup serving has less sodium and fat and more potassium than a serving (1 cup) of Cheerios, and the same amount of fiber (3 grams) and calories (110). Huh.
They're both fortified, so they're pretty equally plumped up with the usual vitamins. And I have to admit Kix has more sugar (3 grams vs Cheerios' 1 gram) and Cheerios has 3 grams of protein to the 2 grams in Kix.
And now I really need to go to the library, and pull something besides a cereal box off the shelf!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Boo! Book Pages Shrinking
Looks like my local paper, the venerable Cleveland Plain Dealer, has recently sliced a significant chunk off its book review pages.
Boo!
We can only hope it's a temporary change.
Yes, yes, I know what's going on in the newspaper business. It's crazy. No one really knows how to plump up profits.
But it seems sort of - disingenuous? counterproductive? well, ironic, at least - to reduce the reading space devoted to the most devoted readers.
Sigh.
You read, right? Let the paper's management know you miss those column-inches. And you want 'em back. I sure do!
Boo!
We can only hope it's a temporary change.
Yes, yes, I know what's going on in the newspaper business. It's crazy. No one really knows how to plump up profits.
But it seems sort of - disingenuous? counterproductive? well, ironic, at least - to reduce the reading space devoted to the most devoted readers.
Sigh.
You read, right? Let the paper's management know you miss those column-inches. And you want 'em back. I sure do!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
It's Time for Another Artemis Book
The Time Paradox is the sixth book in Eoin Colfer’s series about young and ruthless criminal genius Artemis Fowl. Now Artemis is not quite so young - he spent the last three years in Limbo, so he’s effectively 14 although he should be 17 (remember, this is a fantasy) and he’s not quite so ruthless, either. Regular readers know the conniving kid has been mellowing since the first book was published in 2001; his journey toward a kinder, gentler antihero continues in this book. Fans also will be glad to know that Fowl’s haughty brilliance remains intact.
He’ll need it.
Artemis’s mother, Angeline, is dying - and Artemis may or may not be responsible for causing the killer infection. Making the antidote requires brain fluid from a silky sifaka lemur; unfortunately, Artemis killed the very last one a few years earlier.
The average boy would waste a lot of time feeling guilty, but not Arty. He realizes there’s nothing to do except go back in time and save the lemur. Of course, to do so he’ll have to outwit his (younger) self.
The kid has been in tight spots before, but never with his mother’s life hanging in the balance. And never with such human frailty or humility.
Of course “The Time Paradox” isn’t just about time travel, saving the world, a lemur, and mom, and righting old wrongs. That’s a code Fowl fans can understand: it means Artemis is up against more than a few formidable foes, and in this case, he also has to deal with his own failures.
Like previous books in the series, the climax of The Time Paradox is packed with so many near-death experiences and reversals of fortune that the final 50 pages are a bit too jarring; those pages give credence to some of Colfer’s literary detractors.
And I say ignore them. The final product is a high adventure, full of humor – sometimes wry, sometimes slapstick.
Colfer has said he will take a few years off from the Artemis series, and for that reason, series followers may be disappointed that some long-kept secrets remain secrets, including the narrator’s identity and his (or her?) reason for telling Artemis’s story. The author also stops short of allowing Artemis a real romance, although Arty does get kissed in book six...by a fairy, of course. But I've spilled way too much already.
If the Artemis series doesn't continue, will there really be legions of disappointed fans? Only temporarily. Many, I suspect, will pick up other titles by Colfer to fill the void, and they'll be glad. Like Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, So Long And Thanks For All The Fish, etc.) Colfer can tell a great yarn, and string along his readers, through the most fantastic of fantasy worlds.
Of course he glosses over a few details as he goes. Hey, if he really took the time to explain time travel, would you believe it? ;)
He’ll need it.
Artemis’s mother, Angeline, is dying - and Artemis may or may not be responsible for causing the killer infection. Making the antidote requires brain fluid from a silky sifaka lemur; unfortunately, Artemis killed the very last one a few years earlier.
The average boy would waste a lot of time feeling guilty, but not Arty. He realizes there’s nothing to do except go back in time and save the lemur. Of course, to do so he’ll have to outwit his (younger) self.
The kid has been in tight spots before, but never with his mother’s life hanging in the balance. And never with such human frailty or humility.
Of course “The Time Paradox” isn’t just about time travel, saving the world, a lemur, and mom, and righting old wrongs. That’s a code Fowl fans can understand: it means Artemis is up against more than a few formidable foes, and in this case, he also has to deal with his own failures.
Like previous books in the series, the climax of The Time Paradox is packed with so many near-death experiences and reversals of fortune that the final 50 pages are a bit too jarring; those pages give credence to some of Colfer’s literary detractors.
And I say ignore them. The final product is a high adventure, full of humor – sometimes wry, sometimes slapstick.
Colfer has said he will take a few years off from the Artemis series, and for that reason, series followers may be disappointed that some long-kept secrets remain secrets, including the narrator’s identity and his (or her?) reason for telling Artemis’s story. The author also stops short of allowing Artemis a real romance, although Arty does get kissed in book six...by a fairy, of course. But I've spilled way too much already.
If the Artemis series doesn't continue, will there really be legions of disappointed fans? Only temporarily. Many, I suspect, will pick up other titles by Colfer to fill the void, and they'll be glad. Like Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, So Long And Thanks For All The Fish, etc.) Colfer can tell a great yarn, and string along his readers, through the most fantastic of fantasy worlds.
Of course he glosses over a few details as he goes. Hey, if he really took the time to explain time travel, would you believe it? ;)
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Don't Start Smoking, but....
You might want to check out this article in Discover Magazine, A Nicotine Pill Could Help Dementia Patients. I think it's scary and awesome, the lengths to which we'll go to develop a pill... studies have suggested rats can concentrate better after they've been injected with nicotine. But of course, many of nicotine's other side effects are bad.
Naysayers are suggesting we could all avoid dementia by eating whole foods and generally having a better diet. Which is a great idea. Next time I'm at the library, remind me to visit the cooking section. I don't think hot dogs fall under the "whole foods" category.
Naysayers are suggesting we could all avoid dementia by eating whole foods and generally having a better diet. Which is a great idea. Next time I'm at the library, remind me to visit the cooking section. I don't think hot dogs fall under the "whole foods" category.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Recommendation Nation
An article in Technology Review's May/June issue offered more than run-of-the-mill insight into how willing people are to consider (machine code) recommendations while surfing the net. Modeling the very principles of the article, there are two ways to find the piece...
Click here to be subjected to a brief ad before reading the (whole) article, or
Click here to read the whole thing, if you're registered, or register (it's free) to read it.
(Yes, I'm STILL behind on my reading. Must be all those darned recommendations!)
Click here to be subjected to a brief ad before reading the (whole) article, or
Click here to read the whole thing, if you're registered, or register (it's free) to read it.
(Yes, I'm STILL behind on my reading. Must be all those darned recommendations!)
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