The start of the school year is the time when we plan what sports and other extracurricular activities our kids will participate in during the fall. The challenge is to piece together a schedule that works for the kids but is not too busy, allowing enough time for homework and other activities and does not conflict with other commitments.

There is no one best way to do this, but I'll share what we do, which works for us. We start by talking to our kids about what they'd like to do, focusing first on sports/activites they've done in the past. In our case, that includes gymnastics, golf, soccer and scouting. The result: both kids want to continue gymnastics and scouting, one wants to stay with golf and neither want to play soccer. 

After determining their interest level in those, we talk about other possibilities -- things they want to do or things we'd like them to try. The result: our daughter wants to do ballet, which we can work into our schedule.

Before finalizing our plans, we meet with the kids again to review what we've discussed, and what this would mean schedule wise. We've learned from past experience that this step is essential, as they may want to do a bunch of things, but they need to know how this translates on a day-to-day basis. 

There is still no guarantee that everything will go smoothly -- as anyone with kids knows -- but involving the kids as much as we do in the decision-making process helps ensure their buyin and makes it harder for them to complain or ask to drop an activity. 

It will be fun to see how it all works out.

Posted by Chris Lindsley at 08:18 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I spent part of this weekend watching the PGA Championship golf tournament with my 8-year-old daughter. This brought back good memories of my doing this with my dad when I was her age.

Rather than just doing this to watch TV or to spend time with me, she was very interested in the action; I could tell this by the questions she asked. I really enjoy watching golf's four majors, and it was fun to do this with her.

Since my kids were born I've hoped that they might be interested in golf. Many of my best memories are of playing golf with my dad, and I'd like nothing more than to spend quality time with my kids on the course.

I attribute my daughter's interest in golf to her being exposed to it. So far this summer she's participated in a free golf clinic for beginners, has gone to a PGA Tour event and has played several rounds of miniature golf, in addition to watching some of the majors with me on TV. 

There's no telling whether my daughter will ever play a real round of golf, but she's now more interested in the sport than ever. I'll continue to give her opportunities to have fun with the game, and to share my passion for the sport. I'm also looking forward to having someone to watch the 2008 Masters with -- and answering the questions her curiosity is sure to produce.  

Posted by Chris Lindsley at 09:46 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno is one of a kind. In a profession where job security is fleeting, he's been the Nittany Lions head coach for an amazing 41 years, and at age 80 doesn't appear to be slowing down -- or considering retirement.

What makes Paterno so special is what he's accomplished both on and off the field. His Penn State teams have won two national championships and an amazing 363 games, the second most of any Division I head coach in history. He has also won a record 22 bowl games.

His teams on-field success, though, is just part of what makes Paterno unique. He believes in the term student athlete, and expects his players to go to class -- they usually sit in the first few rows -- and to graduate. In fact, over the past five years, Penn State's football team's graduation rate, as measured by the NCAA, was the highest in the nation three times. He knows full well that few of his players will reach the NFL, and that his main job is to prepare his players for life.

He also does things the right way. In an age when most top football programs have been under NCAA probation or received penalties for things such as recruiting violations, paying players, having undue influence from boosters and other various misdeeds, Penn State has not had any such problems during Paterno's tenure.

He has raised -- and donated -- millions of dollars for the Penn State library, and has used his influence after winning his first national title to challenge the Penn State Board of Trustees to make the university No. 1 in academics as well as athletics. Can you imagine other coaches doing this?

During my five years at Penn State in the mid-1980s I got to see Paterno up close while covering the team. Much like with his team, Paterno expected reporters to be prepared, be on time, work hard and to represent the university well, lessons that I've carried with me since that time.

The next time you're watching a Penn State football game with your kids, let them know about the person referred to as JoePa by fans and media alike. His off-field accomplishments should be shared as an example of the positive role a coach can have on his players, the university and the sport. We're not likely to see anyone of his kind again. 

Posted by Chris Lindsley at 06:13 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I've spent some time over the past few weeks talking to my 10 and 8 year olds about Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and the all-time home run record.

I told them I thought Babe Ruth was the best of the bunch, and that his accomplishments are much more impressive than the other two. Ruth often hit more home runs in a season than entire teams, something Aaron and Bonds have never done.

I told them that Hank Aaron was a model of consistency who never hit 50 or more home runs in a single season, but was a great hitter who overcame tremendous racial prejudice and numerous death threats to break the record while displaying tremendous class to everyone.

I told them that Barry Bonds has also had a great career, but that it's widely believed he used performance enhancing drugs like steroids to be more effective -- and hit more home runs -- at the end of his career than anyone else.

I told them that Bonds' body has gotten much larger over the years, supposedly from the steroids. I told them that he's consistenly denied using steroids, and that he hasn't been found guilty of violating any of baseball's rules, including its drug policy, so some say despite the evidence that he's innocent until proven guilty.

I told them based on what I've read that I think Bonds has used steroids, which have given him an unfair advantage that's not in the best interest of the game. I told them that many recent players are suspected of using steroids, but that doesn't make it OK for Bonds.

It's interesting that perhaps the recent baseball player my kids know best is Cal Ripken, who was recently inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame for what was one of the most consistently good careers of any player ever.

I told them that while Ripken stands for everything that's good about baseball -- hitting, fielding, playing hard every day, representing the sport well both on and off the field, etc. -- Bonds is far from a role model. His "me first" attitude and surliness make him very hard to like, and the steroid controversy is something that will always be hanging over his head.

I told them that I am already rooting for Alex Rodriguez and others to one day break the record Bonds is likely to set soon.

I told them no sport has a richer history than baseball, and the all-time home run record is arguably the best known record in sport.

I told them I wanted a player I could respect to hold this record, rather than one who fans greet with asterisk signs and boo heartily when Bonds is playing away from San Francisco.

I told them the attention surrounding Bonds is bad for baseball, and that I'm actually hoping Bonds breaks the record soon so we can move on and focus on other things -- like the trading deadline and pennant races.

They didn't have much to say, but I felt better for sharing my perspective on Bonds and underlying message -- that working hard and doing things the right way is better than taking shortcuts.    

Posted by Chris Lindsley at 10:54 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)