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 the first hour, David Hilton, Middle School Social Studies teacher at Lyman Moore will be in studio with students who worked on a project to solve the Obesity Epidemic. I've listened to experts of all kinds talk about how to solve this national epidemic, so I figured it was about someone listened to what the kids are thinking.

As part of a national curriculum on bringing about social change, the students of David Hilton's class did the research on several societal problems such as drunk driving, teenage pregnancy, dangerous games, racism in Maine, carbon monoxide poisoning, and obesity. The students spent more than a month working in teams to study community problems in depth and to propose solutions as part of Project Citizen.

I attended an open house to view the work of all 13 Moore teams and was so impressed that I immediately invited them to appear on the show. This will just be the first of several teams to present their work on future shows.

In the second segment, Mark Kostin and David Ruff of the Great Maine Schools Project/University of Southern Maine Partnership will be in studio along with their special guests Duke Albanese, the Director of the Great Maine Schools Project and former Maine Commissioner of Education, and Colleen Quint, Executive Director of the Senator George J. Mitchell Scholarship Research Institute. Colleen Quint will talk about what the Mitchell Institute is doing to address the college persistence and success of Maine students through its ongoing scholar-support services and alumni efforts.

Duke Albanese will discuss how the Kick Start Campaign dovetails with the work of the Great Maine Schools Project in raising the awareness and understanding of Maine's students, parents, and educators about the educational challenges the state is facing in the 21st century.

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. 4) Never get angry or holler at your kids with an angry or impatient tone. Remember, there are two kinds of "holler:" a good holler to get their attention, and a bad holler that expresses anger, frustration, and disappointment. And 5) Be positive in all of your comments. Always focus on what the child did right even if it was just going up to the plate without crying!

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