Headlines From The Nation's Press

Each week we open the show with some of the most glaring and reoccurring stories chronicling the ugliness surrounding youth sports organized by adults; issues pertaining to our children's health and education. These headlines clap like thunder across the country signaling a warning to parents, coaches, administrators, lawmakers, and community stakeholders that widespread change is imperative.

My good friend, and frequent guest on the show, Professor Doug Abrams of the College of Law at the University of Missouri, will add you to his daily mailing list of these stories. Simply email Doug and ask him to add your name to the list.

The Weekly High School Sports Report - Expanded

Michael Hoffer, Sports Editor for the Forecaster, will report on high school sports, focusing on the "minor sports." We won't just be reporting scores and game results, but we'll focus on the kids who train hard and participate in those sports that receive less adult and media involvement. That said, Michael will keep us informed of all post season playoffs and tournament results, as well as behind-the-scenes and human interest happenings.

The Main(e) Event

In America, we have a strange, unbalanced view of sex. It is everywhere -- on TV, in movies, videos, and magazines, and is used to sell everything from jeans to yogurt. Yet, it is also taboo. Contraceptives can't be discussed in many classrooms, and even doctors feel uneasy talking about a patient's sexual history. Sex is everywhere in our culture, but sexual health is not.

Real Life Real Talk® is designed to increase open, honest, and balanced talk about sex and health, specifically in regard to teen development. The long-term goals are to achieve improved sexual health outcomes: decreases in the rate of unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, and abortions among teens.

At the heart of the effort are events, including a crash course in teen reality called Sex Ed for Parents, a play, an advertising campaign, and a website, www.realliferealtalk.org My guest during this segment will be Lauren Grousd, Project Director of Real Life Real Talk in Portland.

Real Life Real Talk is a broad coalition of community organizations from across the political spectrum, initially coordinated by Planned Parenthood and funded in part by the Ford Foundation, who have come together to support parents as they strive to raise healthy, responsible children in today's culture.

Bill Gayton is a professor of Psychology at USM, whose passion has been Sports Psychology. Each summer, Bill directs a 3-day Sports Psychology Institute at USM featuring noted experts from around the country.

Bill has worked with amateur and professional athletes, and with parents who want their kids to get those elusive college scholarships. We'll talk about what Bill calls "the over-identified parent," and "the over-identified fan," who bask in the reflected glory of their kids and/or favorite teams. These are people whose identity and self-esteem are overly dependent upon the success of the kids and/or favorite team. We'll learn what happens when people without multiple identities cut off reflected glory.

Podcast Update

I'm experimenting with Podcasting the weekly show. Since I'm self-taught, the learning curve is steep at this point. Nevertheless, there are three "sample clips" of the show that can be listened to and downloaded at:

 http://www.thecenterforkidsfirst.org/Podcasts.htm

I would appreciate any and all feedback, especially with regards to which player your browser used, i.e. Windows Media Player, Quick Time, etc. Were you able to download and save the file? How long did it take to download/play? What was the quality of the sound?

Once I figure out the best way to do this, anyone, anywhere will be able to listen to the show whenever it is convenient.

The Coaching Tip Of The Week

Remember: 1) These are just kids. Don't treat them like adults.  2) Make no mistake! It's about them having fun. Not you! It's not your game, so be sure you don't take it away from them. 3) First and foremost, you are a teacher and a role model. The most important lessons you teach will have nothing to do with the game you are coaching.

This week's Tip: Visit the website, use the "Coaching Tips" link or just click on the link below to see my Tips for Coaches. These tips come from my 48 hour Coaching Development Workshop and have nothing to do with X's and O's or game winning strategies. These tips are all about your professional and personal development as a teacher of kids who happen to be organized for playing a sport.

http://www.thecenterforkidsfirst.org/CoachTipsArchives.htm

The Parent Trap

Check out my blog on Mainetoday.com for some interesting articles, and comments from readers.

 http://www.mainetoday.com/kidsfamily/blogs/kidsfirst/008162.html Your comments are appreciated and wanted.

We invite our listeners to call in and share their views.

Listeners can take part in the show by calling:

207-775-2217 or 1-866-811-9505.

or email me during the show at:

Regis@thecenterforkidsfirst.org