Inspiring elementary schooler with cerebral palsy runs amazing 400-meter race

Watch the Video Here! A must see!

The young man who refuses to be beaten by his own limitations in the video above is Matt W. (last name unknown), who attends Worthington (Ohio) Colonial Hills Elementary School. Like most elementary schools in America, Colonial Hills has a once-a-year track and field day, and like most kids, Matt was clearly eager to take part.

However, unlike most of his peers, Matt suffers from spastic cerebral palsy, a debilitating condition that limits his ability to undergo rigorous physical exercise of any kind. Incredibly, despite knowing those limitations, Matt decided to run the 400-meter event (roughly quarter of a mile) on the school's 200-meter track.

The result was absolutely inspiring. While all the other students in the event finished far in front of Matt, the student athlete simply refused to stop running, chugging his way around the track on his own, even as it appeared he might collapse.

Naturally, the inspirational Colonial Hills student needed plenty of encouragement, and he first got that from the school's gym teacher, John Blaine, who trotted up alongside his pupil and walked and then ran alongside him for the remainder of the race.


Then, after all the other fifth- and sixth-graders in the race had finished, they joined in, running over to follow Matt around the track and chanting, "Let's go Matt, let's go!" until he finished, spun around, hugged his gym teacher and then accepted a series of high fives from fellow students, all while his mother watched on, sobbing with emotion from the kindness shown to her son.

It's an inspiring video that shows the power of positive thinking and what children can do with a little encouragement. No matter what Matt's athletic future holds, he, his family and his classmates will always have his gritty, inspiring and joyous 400-meter jaunt during an elementary school field day to look back upon and smile.

A Solution for “The Parent Problem”

This is a great article and many more can be seen at this webite! Fantastic resource!

As I’ve traveled around talking to teachers and coaches, there’s one refrain I hear over and over: The kids are great. The problem is the parents.
 
I think this is deeply true, most prominently in youth sports, but also in other areas, like music and the classroom. It’s not because parents are dumb or ill-intentioned — though, okay, some are — it’s rather because a lot of parents genuinely want to help, and don’t know how best to do it, so they helicopter around and that makes things messy (I’ve been there, done that).

With that in mind, check out this letter written a few years back by a new Little League baseball coach to his team’s parents before the season began. And what makes it slightly more meaningful is that the Little League baseball coach happens to be Mike Matheny, who’s gone on to be the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals (he coached Little League just after he retired from pro ball).

If you’re curious, I would recommend clicking this link to read the whole thing, but here are a few excerpts:

I always said that the only team that I would coach would be a team of orphans, and now here we are. The reason for me saying this is that I have found the biggest problem with youth sports has been the parents. I think that it is best to nip this in the bud right off the bat. I think the concept that I am asking all of you to grab is that this experience is ALL about the boys. If there is anything about it that includes you, we need to make a change of plans. My main goals are as follows:

(1) to teach these young men how to play the game of baseball the right way,
(2) to be a positive impact on them as young men, and
(3) do all of this with class.

We may not win every game, but we will be the classiest coaches, players, and parents in every game we play. The boys are going to play with a respect for their teammates, opposition, and the umpires no matter what.

Once again, this is ALL about the boys. I believe that a little league parent feels that they must participate with loud cheering and “Come on, let’s go, you can do it”, which just adds more pressure to the kids. I will be putting plenty of pressure on these boys to play the game the right way with class, and respect, and they will put too much pressure on themselves and each other already. You as parents need to be the silent, constant, source of support.

I am a firm believer that this game is more mental than physical, and the mental may be more difficult, but can be taught and can be learned by a 10 and 11 year old. If it sounds like I am going to be demanding of these boys, you are exactly right. I am definitely demanding their attention, and the other thing that I am going to require is effort.

Their attitude, their concentration, and their effort are the things that they can control. If they give me these things every time they show up, they will have a great experience.

I need all of you to know that we are most likely going to lose many games this year. The main reason is that we need to find out how we measure up with the local talent pool. The only way to do this is to play against some of the best teams. I am convinced that if the boys put their work in at home, and give me their best effort, that we will be able to play with just about any team.

The thing I like most about this letter is how it so clearly establishes the relationship, and does so in a big-picture, friendly, personal way. As a parent, I wish I would have gotten more letters like this. As a former Little League coach, I’m wondering, why the heck didn’t I send one?

Why don’t more teachers and coaches use this technique? Could it be possible to use letters like this as a tool to change the dynamic, so that parents might stop being a problem and start being more of an asset?

(Big thanks to John Kessel and Jennifer Armson-Dyer for the heads up.)

The 10 Rules for Highly Effective Leadership

Powerful new book titled 212⁰ Leadership: The 10 Rules for Highly Effective Leadership. In chapter 8, Mac talks about the importance of leaders “taking full responsibility” and having a “personal accountability attitude” which includes these reminders:

• YOU have more control over your destiny
• YOU become an active contributor rather than a passive observer
• OTHERS look to you for leadership
• YOU gain the reputation as a problem solver
• YOU enhance your career opportunities
• YOU enjoy the satisfaction that comes from getting things done … the power of positive doing
• YOU experience less anger, frustration and helplessness – all leading to better physical health
• YOU realize a positive spillover effect into your personal life at home 

Lead well ... LEAD RIGHT!

Click Here to purchase the Book!

 

Balancing Hockey & Family Life

With Spring Hockey starting along with other summer sports here is a great article on balancing time!

More article about hockey - click here!

 


With any family it’s a challenge to find balance while engrossed in work, homework, activities and personal lives. Toss in hockey and it can be a true juggling match. One family found a way to bring harmony to their hectic family lives—ironically, through hockey.

The Cunninghams are a lot like most families today with their children well into their third and fourth years of playing hockey for two different leagues (including practices and tournaments), parents who work busy jobs, kids with growing homework demands and activities, and a burning desire for family down time.

Al Cunningham also coaches his son’s teams, which you would think adds another level of angst to the mix, but not for this positive dad. “Hey, I figure I’m going to be there anyway, I might as well help any way I can.” Growing up in Canada, Cunningham played hockey from the age 4, so he knows the sport well.

Like many other hockey playing kids, they pick up another sport off season, so there is little down time in sports. “My boys play lacrosse and it really is a sport that crosses over well with hockey,” Cunningham explains. When I asked him where the balance is in his family life, he replied with a smirk, “I talked to my wife about this and she sort of laughed because we are all very busy, but somehow, it works.”

In the beginning of the season Cunningham talks to the hockey families on his team, and always stresses that school comes first. “I tell the kids and parents that we all have to respect school.” He continues, “This is a competitive sport and it is great for the kids, but they have to learn to be organized and get their homework done on time. They have to get skilled at time management.”
The Cunninghams truly found balance with their hockey families. He explains, “Hockey families are a tight-knit group. Honestly, my boys’ hockey friends are some of their best friends because they have so much in common. And, it is the same with the parents. Some of our closest friends are other hockey team parents.”

Hockey families help each other out, too. “We all understand what each other is going through and we know the challenges of having to get our kids to different places at the same time. Most of our vacations (tournaments) are with the hockey families as well, and we really enjoy our time together,” he shares.

While tournaments do present traveling vacation time for the hockey families, or at least portions of them, they do spend time in the summer with their immediate families back in Canada. “We also love to go camping in the spring and summer, so that is how we escape on weekends, or even take day trips to Water World,” says Cunningham.

Some of the families even help the parents get some quality time together. “Our good friends offer to taker our boys on sleepovers so my wife and I can have a night alone. And we do the same for them. This is how close our families are thanks to hockey,” describes Cunningham.
Hockey team benefits:

• The kids learn how to be team players
• They learn how to be supportive teammates
• Parents share the same values and become integrally supportive of each other’s families
• The kids develop deep friendships through camaraderie
• The kids learn the importance of commitment and the responsibility that comes with it
• They learn in an environment that fosters integrity, respect and fairness
• They learn about the rewards that can come from hard work as well as the disappointments that can be encountered along the way, both valuable life lessons

Cunningham sincerely says, “Hockey is the ultimate team sport. Players learn how to fight for their teammates—not literally, but for a common goal.”
“I mean, we are always on a team in life, and if we can help our kids see this and learn from it, then we all benefit.”

Cunningham tells the story of one hockey mom who married into the sport on her second marriage. “She thought it was ridiculous how much money and time was spent on hockey. After many years of following the team, families and kids, she said it was all money well spent and her kids were running with the right crowd. It’s like the motto of the Colorado Youth Hockey Foundation, ‘A kid on ice is not in hot water.’”