tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52586961349353766382024-03-05T03:24:38.945-08:00Catholic Youth Organization BlogThe CYO of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties is a youth sports organization serving Catholic parishes and schools in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-6906576182503939632016-01-21T11:24:00.000-08:002016-01-21T11:24:03.456-08:00The Importance of Communication<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" type="cite">
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<em>This is a blog post cross published to Play Like A Champion and was written by Peter Piscitello, the executive director of the CYO of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties in Kansas, and a longtime Play Like a Champion partner.</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhnZrvvTvoO5_Dh2hHgLRqRD8XRkp_fSQVbk-06vzJ3NM15SqKMDILy8roao4jiRbzT-ghfFbFRdcWdR1M2-P_vY_tgd370S-7V3hWuXuucVxky3kLHNl-fzq9yUBxNIMy30sFsz0oL6tEZ0bwU7SVvvMbS5oRguduFLfMaNCnSvvCBHTHLDAxhrB_1bjo=s0-d-e1-ft" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="CToWUd" height="203" hspace="0" name="1907009580_ACCOUNT.IMAGE.415" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhnZrvvTvoO5_Dh2hHgLRqRD8XRkp_fSQVbk-06vzJ3NM15SqKMDILy8roao4jiRbzT-ghfFbFRdcWdR1M2-P_vY_tgd370S-7V3hWuXuucVxky3kLHNl-fzq9yUBxNIMy30sFsz0oL6tEZ0bwU7SVvvMbS5oRguduFLfMaNCnSvvCBHTHLDAxhrB_1bjo=s0-d-e1-ft" style="display: block; font-size: 12pt; min-height: auto !important;" vspace="0" width="144" /></a>One of the most important skills needed to be a great leader is communication. A youth sports coach is no exception. The way a coach communicates with children, parents, administration, and other coaches will go a long way toward the quality of the experience. Let's take a quick look at the major areas of communication and how we can be great in each of them.</div>
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<strong>Communicating with Children</strong></div>
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Great coaches know how to communicate with the children on a team. This begins by assuring that the children know how much the coach cares through a positive approach to building relationships and teaching skills. Both verbal and nonverbal cues should reflect a desire to help every child improve, regardless of ability. A coach should also seek to understand how each child learns best; most children learn through trying new things and participating in drills, not by hearing the coach lecture. Consider that if a child isn't understanding something it may not be their fault, it's up to the coach to determine how to best communicate.</div>
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<strong>Communicating with Parents</strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiYNr91bsTbB1nj6XYV1kbToRqL6rwZFnM7s5tB4insN0ysfyfgAw-OMgXYY2R4FW6OLKQWdo1S3nIgsqJKgZBVZVNS1Q8mgv0wd3VMarYJRtOtVi1NEJxqJxipYgKxbXQUSdqPObg5fHEyGEOSQUF-OsZTciHRyuyZ1ZwnC5_yISJcCZ7L_kC754SMicU=s0-d-e1-ft" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" class="CToWUd" height="192" hspace="0" name="1907009580_ACCOUNT.IMAGE.413" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiYNr91bsTbB1nj6XYV1kbToRqL6rwZFnM7s5tB4insN0ysfyfgAw-OMgXYY2R4FW6OLKQWdo1S3nIgsqJKgZBVZVNS1Q8mgv0wd3VMarYJRtOtVi1NEJxqJxipYgKxbXQUSdqPObg5fHEyGEOSQUF-OsZTciHRyuyZ1ZwnC5_yISJcCZ7L_kC754SMicU=s0-d-e1-ft" style="font-size: 12pt;" vspace="0" width="144" /></a>The Play Like a Champion approach underscores the importance of "Parents as Partners" in the youth sports experience. Without healthy communication between the coach and parents of a team, the experience likely won't be great for anyone. This means that coaches should communicate their expectations and goals early in the season, ideally by holding a preseason meeting before or after practice. At these meetings, the coach can set boundaries for communication (no <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1826421115" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">10pm</span></span> phone calls!) and expectations for fans (positive and encouraging!) while expressing a willingness to have kids and/or parents discuss any concerns during the season (at appropriate times). By communicating well with parents, coaches can avoid problems that often stem from a lack of understanding between the two sides.</div>
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<strong>Communicating with Administration and Coaches</strong></div>
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Coaches should remember that they have support in their league structure and assistant or opposing coaches. Communicating regularly with Athletic Directors or league staff can be a blessing when it comes to dealing with issues that arise or simply working to get the best out of your kids. Coaches should also remember that opposing coaches are allies, not enemies. Coaches should all be involved for the same reason: to provide a fun environment for kids to participate and grow in sports. Communicating in a way that brings everyone together in this mission will help make the experience better for all!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-64263184258429387642016-01-18T09:10:00.001-08:002016-01-18T09:10:49.979-08:00CYO at the Movies: A Review of Concussion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Editor's Note: Executive Director Peter</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Piscitello</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">had the opportunity to screen the film</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concussion</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">as part of an evening put on by the Brian Injury Association of Kansas, which included a distinguished panel of local physicians skilled in the area of head trauma. It was a great format that shed additional light on the film's subject.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"It's a mindless, violent game... And then it's Shakespeare."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is a quote spoken by the movie version of Dr. Julian Bailes, a real-life doctor portrayed by Alec Baldwin in</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concussion</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I have no idea whether the real Dr. Bailes has ever uttered this phrase, but then I suppose that's not the point. This is a movie. At it's best</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concussion</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">tackles the topic of head injuries in football by presenting interesting thought pieces and with characters like Dr. Bailes reciting prose that reflect the nuance and passion on both sides of this debate. Overall however,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concussion</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">tells only one side of a complex story and seeks to set good versus evil in a battle that isn't nearly that clear.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concussion</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">opened on Christmas Day to mixed reviews after months of speculation and debate on how the movie would affect the conversation surrounding concussions in professional football. The movie is based on the true story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, the forensic pathologist who is credited with discovering the presence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in the brains of retired football players. A well educated and respected doctor, Omalu made his discoveries while working in the football hotbed of Pittsburgh, PA.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Omalu’s finding is identified as CTE, a disease that is characterized by the degeneration of brain tissue and the build up of abnormal proteins. It's affects have been found to cause depression, aggression, confusion, memory loss, and eventually dementia. Those affects seem to be broadly accepted within the medical community. The causes of CTE are the subject of the more complex debate on which </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concussion</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> focuses.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The movie would have you believe that the cause of CTE is football. The movie takes pains to make this a clear battle between good guys and bad, with Omalu representing the enlightened and the NFL portrayed as the multi billion dollar villain. The reality is far more complex, a fact stressed by a panel of physicians who spoke after the screening of the movie I saw. Both Dr. David Smith, a sports medicine specialist with KU Medical Center and Dr. Joseph Waeckerle, a nationally recognized physician who is also our CYO Medical Advisor, were on the panel. Both have worked for years with the NFL and both have been the team physician for the Kansas City Chiefs. They disagreed with the firm cause/effect relationship of CTE portrayed in the film. "We can’t conclude that because of what we see here we shouldn’t play sports," said Dr. Smith. With the panel in agreement he continued to explain that you simply can't define a causal relationship between football and CTE at this point.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the sample limited to only the deceased players studied by Dr. Omalu and another group in Boston, we don't have enough information about the other factors that could increase risk for CTE; we don't even have proof that the disease is actually more prevalent in athletes than the general population. We can</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">suggest</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">there is some correlation based on what we know about the disease and the ill affects of repeated head trauma, but it's simply a more nuanced and complex scientific discussion than the movie makes it out to be. With so much unknown, there simply isn't a verdict one way or another at this point. But that's not how </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concussion</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> frames the research. Instead, the movie</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">seems to portray any questioning of Omalu's theories as ignorance or willful neglect. That's where medical experts disagree, not necessarily on the premise that it’s plausible CTE can be caused by the violent collisions in professional football, but that it's a forgone conclusion we're all attempting to ignore. There just isn’t enough research to claim a causal relationship between football and CTE. As Dr. Smith pointed out after the movie, the same NFL portrayed as the villain in the movie also has spent more money than almost anyone to fund concussion research and equip their team doctors with the absolute best tools to assess and care for injured athletes. They may be protecting their business interests, but that doesn't necessarily make them a villain of science.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a movie, I'll admit</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concussion</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is entertaining. The movie does start slowly and had me briefly wondering if Hollywood had tried too hard to turn Omalu's story into a film. But it picks up and provides moments of solid drama, interesting content, and even humor. Will Smith in particular is fantastic in his portrayal of Dr. Omalu. By the end credits I had forgotten that it was Smith and not Omalu, high praise for any actor. It's a quotable movie and brings up some compelling questions we should all be asking. I'll probably watch it again and enjoy it as an entertainment product that focuses on the intersection of sports and science. Though as someone who has paid close attention to the concussion issue, I just couldn't get past what the movie leaves out.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dr. Waeckerle shared this same sentiment with the panel after the screening: "The movie offended me," he said. "It was so Hollywood and so one-sided. I was there, I can tell you the whole story. That was not the whole story.” His side may be one extreme, but he makes a valid point. If an uninvolved person like me felt the movie was leaving out an entire side of the story, those who were actually involved in the conversations and meetings depicted in the film must be shaking their heads. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the promotional build up to the movie, star Will Smith talked in an interview about how much he loves football and that he simply hoped the movie would prompt American to ask difficult questions and seek solutions to the concussion issue. I had hoped that the movie would do just that. In some ways it does. Dr. Omalu makes a point about the importance of seeking truth and what he refers to as the "gift of knowing”; the idea that knowing a potential problem exists can help us to research and overcome a disease like CTE. Dr. Bailes in particular raises compelling points about the power of sport in society and the complex relationship and emotion of doctors, players and fans of football. Whether intentional or not,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concussion</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">also does a good job of showing just how far we've come in our understanding of the issue. At several points the film shows hard hits during live action or through video of old NFL games. Each time, the theater's audience gasped and was clearly uncomfortable with the violent collision of bodies. I couldn't help but thinking how different this reaction was now than it would have been a decade ago.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yet instead of taking a national platform to shed light on all the aspects of the concussion conversation, too often</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concussion</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">goes back to being a Hollywood drama about its main character's struggle to win over his antagonists, whether real or imagined. Perhaps without these elements there simply isn't a good movie here, as movies tend to follow a formula. Still, I had hoped that the movie could shed more light on the nuance of the discussion rather than just picking sides. I happen to agree with much of what I've heard and read from Omalu in real life, but I also realize he's not perfect, nor is everyone associated with football trying to bury his findings to protect profit. There are two sides to the story and for the most part this movie only tells one.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But again, that one side is compelling. I would recommend seeing the movie, but understand that this is Hollywood, not a documentary. I suggest reading about the issue in advance and forming your own opinions one way or another. Watching </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concussion</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> with these things in mind should allow you to enjoy the story presented while understanding the picture is bigger than what is painted by this particular film.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There’s a fleeting moment in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Concussion</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> where the complex relationship between football and concussions is evident. As Dr. Omalu is at his kitchen table trying to work through what he’s seeing under his microscope, he also studies footage from old football games on the TV in his home. His then girlfriend walks into the room and stops to watch the TV. “It’s beautiful,” she remarks as a player dances through defenders on his way to a touchdown. She’s right, it is. Unfortunately, that side of football lacks further representation in a film that sticks mostly to its side of the story.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-54203037914549574072016-01-18T09:00:00.000-08:002016-01-18T09:00:12.482-08:00Press Release: CYO Concussion Protocol<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLKC9_TijhMtnsZVPTZL-zDNOMRorGrwpcaH8TEDOhp248y8TEA4ZQsx02XKTiIt3ArFawVbkkQEZnjkBjidJf3fPzOZlAqoKWk84yI0oVptUbrrzxh7YTdqjq5egayRER2Y2lCeuCzFn/s1600/Concussion+Management+Protocol.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCLKC9_TijhMtnsZVPTZL-zDNOMRorGrwpcaH8TEDOhp248y8TEA4ZQsx02XKTiIt3ArFawVbkkQEZnjkBjidJf3fPzOZlAqoKWk84yI0oVptUbrrzxh7YTdqjq5egayRER2Y2lCeuCzFn/s320/Concussion+Management+Protocol.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The CYO of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties (www.cyojwa.org) is proud to announce the release of a new policy that promises to impact the lives of children across the metro area. The </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CYO Concussion Protocol</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is a brand new policy governing education, assessment, and care related to concussions in youth athletes. This policy is now in effect in the CYO of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties and is expected to be adopted by the Parochial League of Kansas City Kansas in January 2016. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-82bd0d87-458b-a688-d0d6-eb3296a354c7" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We’re pleased to reveal that this is no ordinary concussion policy, but instead represents what is believed to be </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">among the most comprehensive concussion policies for a youth program in the nation</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Developed over the course of two years, the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Protocol </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is a collaboration between CYO and the Student Athlete Foundation of Kansas City (SafeKC), a local non-profit providing certified athletic trainers for area high schools and youth leagues in both Kansas and Missouri. Under the supervision of CYO Medical Advisor Dr. Joseph Waeckerle, the new policy was initially proposed by the CYO Football Panel. This panel, led by CYO Executive Board member Kevin Neenan, consists of high school and youth coaches, athletic directors and medical experts from the metro area who are committed to improving the game of football at the youth level. Once proposed, the Executive Board of CYO unanimously approved the protocol for use in all CYO sports.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CYO Concussion Protocol</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is highlighted by the following:</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Under the policy, any child with a suspected concussion will not only be pulled from practice or play immediately, but also required to see a concussion </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">specialist</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> within 48 hours of the incident. CYO and SafeKC have developed a list of all physicians in the metro area who meet exacting standards for expertise in concussion care. The list covers major local health providers and will fall under most insurance plans.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Certified athletic trainers will provide step-by-step counsel through the entire process and assure that the child is seen within the 48 hour window, an important step in assuring the best care. </span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Following clearance from a concussion specialist, each child will then follow the steps of the nationally accepted Return to Play guidelines with a personal athletic trainer who is certified to lead them through these steps and assure complete recovery before they resume participation.</span></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CYO and SafeKC will collaborate to spread awareness and education on concussion issues through a variety of online and in-person resources. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“We’re thrilled to collaborate on this exciting new policy,” says Peter Piscitello, Executive Director for the CYO of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties. “We believe the level of care this promotes will set a new national standard for concussion policies in youth sports leagues.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Libby Knox is the Executive Director of SafeKC, who adds “The CYO has really raised the bar on health and safety for youth sports participants. This Concussion Protocol should be a national model for youth sports organizations…(the Protocol) will ensure that injured student athletes will receive excellent care swiftly, whether in practices or games.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"CYO has adopted a progressive concussion program that covers all aspects of concussions management from education and prevention to assessment and treatment. It is an outstanding approach that ultimately will promote the concussed student-athlete's return to well being and minimize possible complications." Joseph F. Waeckerle, M.D., FACEP</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In addition to emphasizing education and awareness over the next several months, the organizations plan to promote this initiative nationally to other youth sports leagues to encourage them to develop their own comprehensive policies for concussion care.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For additional information or to contact anyone referenced in this release, please contact Shaw Leach, CYO Director of Marketing & Technology. He can be reached at (913) 384-7377 or shaw@cyojwa.org.</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-28701465494670969172015-10-16T08:43:00.001-07:002015-10-16T08:43:16.748-07:00The Eternal Hope of a Beautiful Game<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The game of baseball is a small glimpse of heaven. </span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-336d5f6a-714e-d35f-b7c1-98718c991b4a" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To me, there are few things more beautiful in this world than a sun-drenched ballpark with its green grass, fresh dirt, and the ambient noise of parents and children heard over the crack of the bat. It’s a game that is simple in its nature and yet deeply complex. You hit a ball with a stick and run until you are safely </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">home</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">; yet below the surface lies immense depth of structure, traditions and rich stories. Even still, I believe the game comes down to a single word that defines both its beauty and its connection to heaven: that word is </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hope.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m a lifelong fan of the Chicago Cubs, so you could say that I know something about hope in the baseball sense. At a young age my grandfather would tune into afternoon games on WGN and I was quickly hooked. If you don’t know the history of the Cubs, here’s a primer: their last </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">appearance</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in a World Series was 1945 and the last time they actually won was in </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1908</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Generations of Cubs fans have actually lived and died uttering the famous adage “Wait ’til Next Year” and having never seen a World Series victory. As you might imagine, being a fan hasn’t always been easy; yet somewhere along the way, loving this team became a part of my identity for better or worse. Each March as a child, hope “sprung eternal.” It was an innocent hope - the way a young boy hopes for pennants and trophies and presents at Christmas - but it was hope nonetheless. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fans in Kansas City know this feeling all too well. After the magic of 1985 it took 30 more years before the Royals would have anything to show but hope. Having lived in Kansas City half of my life, I lost track of how many times I went to Kaufmann Stadium on game day and sat in an empty stadium wondering how even these few fans remained loyal to a lost cause. How can someone hope when there’s no chance of victory? Yet frustrated by years of losing, Royals fans remained hopeful. I even got sucked in myself, adopting the Royals as my favorite American League team perhaps because I saw something similar to my experience as a Cubs fan. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So it was thrilling when the hope of all those fans was rewarded in 2014, when summer turned to fall and baseball was still being played in Kansas City. When a 4 run deficit became a thrilling Wild Card victory and spurred a ride that culminated in the World Series. I was blessed enough to be in attendance the night of Game 7, when a small white baseball fumbled around the Kaufmann outfield just long enough that 30 years of hope manifest itself by roaring through the screaming lips of a city. Those fans very nearly willed a runner to do the incredible before hope finally vanished into cold silence, defeated for the moment by the reality of a pitcher named Bumgarner. Despite the disappointment of so many, the indelible memory for me will always be the noise of that penultimate play, when hope very nearly </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">became</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the reality and a city experienced something powerful. </span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Earlier this week, the 2015 Royals found themselves back in the playoffs but down 4 runs late and staring at elimination. Most fans I know seemed resigned to defeat. We all should have known better. Improbably, the team stormed back to win and push force another game. On a Monday afternoon, Royals fans finally stopped pretending to work and once again dared to dream of postseason glory. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just hours later, real life re-entered the scene and reminded us that baseball is only a game. KCMO Firefighters responded to an apartment fire on the northeast side of the city, where they went into a burning building and saved at least two people from the flames. Four firefighters were injured as that building collapsed, with two being treated and released later that evening. Two men didn’t make it out. Larry Leggio, 43, left behind a wife and mother; John Mesh, 39, left behind a wife and four young daughters. It hurts to even type that sentence. Both were veteran firefighters who knew the dangers of the job and were committed to protecting and serving their community, even to the ultimate sacrifice. A city grieved. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But this is a story of hope, and as a dark night turned to dawn, there was baseball again. Quick to point out that they were only playing a game - one that suddenly didn’t seem so important - players and coaches emerged for practice donning KCMO Fire Department hats and shirts. They spoke honestly of their own experience with firefighters and police in their families and those who protect our city. They pledged to support the families of those lost. Then before a “must-win” game they held a stirring tribute. On the field with 38 local firefighters stood the wives and children of the two men who died in duty less than two days prior, their presence a somber reminder of just where everything fits. We were reminded that true courage and love are found in men and women who are willing to give up their life for another; that to truly hope is to strive for more than just our world’s definition of success. As Paul reminds us, we do not compete for the "perishable crown, but we an imperishable one” (1 Cor. 9:24). </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that’s when we return to the idea that baseball - or any sport - can provide a glimpse of heaven. You see, if we can hope in something as simple as a baseball game, how much greater can we hope in God? If we can see beauty in the green grass and fresh dirt of a ballpark, how much more beautiful must heaven be? To be clear, it’s still great to be a fan. Sport was created by God and thus is beautiful to enjoy and participate in, but like all things created by God it’s beauty lies in how it points to the Creator. I may have learned to hope in small things as a boy, but what good is this if it does not lead me to a greater understanding of the theological virtue of Hope? Fans in Kansas City understood this distinction tonight, hanging on every pitch of a thrilling baseball game while remembering that true hope lies not in sticking with our favorite team, but in believing that two men will spend an eternity in heaven because they sacrificed their lives for others. It reminds us that we must ultimately hope for the same. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As much as I love baseball, I’ll be the first to admit that it must pale in comparison to an eternity with God. To have hope in my beloved Cubs is nothing like the comfort I derive from hoping in Christ, in His death and resurrection that allows us to dream of heaven. I’m certainly not perfect, but I’d rather be known as a faithful Catholic, a loving husband and father, than for loving the Cubs. Yet I will always be a fan, and that’s okay. I will continue to curse defeat and revel in victory, just as I did last night when those Cubs won their first playoff series in 12 years and put themselves 4 wins away from the World Series. I’ll cheer with friends this week when the Royals try to get there too. Often I’m sure I’ll be tempted to pour too much of myself into these games, as if they are all that matters. Then I’ll ask God to reel me back in and keep my focus on Him. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s a bit sentimental, but I’m always reminded this time of year of a song written and performed by Eddie Vedder. Frontman for the popular band Pearl Jam, Vedder is the epitome of a rock star and a lifelong Cubs fan himself. In a song titled “All the Way" a fan favorite in pubs around Chicago - Vedder sings a tribute to his beloved Cubs, recalling the team’s past while echoing the hope of all fans. The song ends like this: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the day comes for that last winning run, and I’m crying and covered in beer,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ll look to the sky and know I was right, to think someday we’ll go all the way...</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I suppose in some ways that’s my prayer here. That we might all enjoy the ride that sport takes us on while remembering to look “up” and know that our goal goes beyond even our most wonderful dreams on the field. I realize Vedder is singing about a championship, but I like to think he does so with a wink and a nod toward eternity. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Go Cubs and Go Royals. May your October be filled with life’s blessings and your focus always be on the promise of eternity! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Christ, </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Peter J Piscitello </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 17.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Executive Director, CYO </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-69894050468703516992015-10-06T05:42:00.003-07:002015-10-06T05:53:49.486-07:00What Negative Coaching is Doing to our Kids...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YW_HiPCN66E/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YW_HiPCN66E?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-ey7Z6r7cYM4s_dHq3Ena9ckl3FYgYlvu1sb9Z9lxU-V_ra6jLpOKMRE1Qu-mGcdfPAy8aARgrHMbWVMpbUieDjQhArn6-JNONP_40KHwyXCMLQTKP8GwP2-59HY5KV6bW4zOHln2wED/s1600/Untitled+design+%252811%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm-ey7Z6r7cYM4s_dHq3Ena9ckl3FYgYlvu1sb9Z9lxU-V_ra6jLpOKMRE1Qu-mGcdfPAy8aARgrHMbWVMpbUieDjQhArn6-JNONP_40KHwyXCMLQTKP8GwP2-59HY5KV6bW4zOHln2wED/s320/Untitled+design+%252811%2529.png" width="320" /></a><br />
Negative and abusive coaching tactics have entered the spotlight yet again, as high profile cases at the college level have reignited public concern over the behavior of coaches at the amateur and youth sports levels. Last week’s Sports Illustrated featured an article by Alexander Wolff titled <a href="http://www.positivecoach.org/our-story/pca-in-the-news/news-detail/778/pca-in-sports-illustrated-%3E%3E" target="_blank">“Abuse of Power”</a> and a follow up <a href="http://www.si.com/more-sports/2015/09/28/brain-sports-podcast-abusive-coaching-effects" target="_blank">podcast</a> on SI’s media network took on the topic from the perspectives of morality, mental health and even physical ramifications in athletes. This media attention is a reminder that how a coach interacts with athletes is critical to the athlete's overall experience and can have long-term affects. While the SI magazine article above focuses on college sports, it too provides plenty of references to youth sports and gives us even more to think about. Many psychologists believe that the style of negative and abusive coaching stems from a cultural issue. Wolff cites those who believe that a lot of coaches were treated that way when they were younger, influencing their own coaching. Since kids now have the social media tools to vent or expose this coaching, it’s simply getting more awareness today than before. Others cite more pressure on coaches as causing them to lash out at athletes no matter the age. Whatever the reason, it’s clearly a problem in our society.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyLDYceTd5_RPaQKcQOoV4ZbzsLi1x-IbxAuFalq04fLwdtgH0dWyG9CWLS_MeA6iWt0o6A2IZhrou4KS8NjW7H0wIBWY-JjVjC-2ecIMGJgSLCRzXBfxLxy1Q9mFHhoOIqavUXPCM0Fo/s1600/DSC_0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyLDYceTd5_RPaQKcQOoV4ZbzsLi1x-IbxAuFalq04fLwdtgH0dWyG9CWLS_MeA6iWt0o6A2IZhrou4KS8NjW7H0wIBWY-JjVjC-2ecIMGJgSLCRzXBfxLxy1Q9mFHhoOIqavUXPCM0Fo/s320/DSC_0055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Pope Francis also took on this issue in relation to our youth athletes last spring when he addressed <br />
the importance of coaches as positive models of faith and character at the most formative ages. He noted "how important it is that a coach be an example of integrity, of coherence, of good<br />
judgment...but also of joy of living, of patience...and of benevolence to all." In adding that it was important the coach "be an example of faith," Pope Francis concluded that this "always helps us to raise our gaze to God...and thus have the right detachment and wisdom to relativize the successes or the failures." To me, that certainly describes the importance of a coach who uses positive methods and avoids negative or abusive coaching.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTnG4jSBGPxm6KBf_9ITIP61P2amcDlh17a25NoEtp9aP68nWgmLtVD3rxFDwI6ULzzEXdalKrMrDWo40s8lQOa4IiErhvTcPlbbdDZblPVP3BC4w6eRJnvzqkE_9C57B9_aw2ODUm2R9/s1600/DSC_0353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZTnG4jSBGPxm6KBf_9ITIP61P2amcDlh17a25NoEtp9aP68nWgmLtVD3rxFDwI6ULzzEXdalKrMrDWo40s8lQOa4IiErhvTcPlbbdDZblPVP3BC4w6eRJnvzqkE_9C57B9_aw2ODUm2R9/s320/DSC_0353.jpg" width="212" /></a>The bottom line is that athletes of every age deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, as we are all created in the image and likeness of God. That doesn’t mean athletes can’t be critiqued in an effort to improve performance, but it is important this is done in a positive way. Nothing should ever be negative! But if the long-discussed moral and mental health issues associated with negative treatment don’t convince coaches, perhaps this will: new research is providing solid evidence that the effects of negative coaching are quite physical as well.<br />
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Sports Illustrated writer Jon Wertheim and professor Sam Sommers do a great job of highlighting this in their podcast, but the summary is something like this. As a person feels anxiety, their body instantly takes on certain physical properties designed to cope. In a study headed by Dr. Barbara Fredrickson at the University of North Carolina, research found that positive emotions expanded awareness, while negative emotions caused their awareness, including their field of vision, to narrow considerably. What’s this mean? It means that as a coach is yelling negative things at an athlete they are actually lowering the athlete’s physical ability to perform! What’s more, evidence suggests this is only more dramatic at a younger age. So the coach who yells at a child after they make a mistake? They’re only serving to increase the chance the same mistake is made again! It’s not only morally wrong, it’s counterproductive to the coach’s goals!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYnGotDiQM0hIMCuWJezRfl-vgi9ELBEPXnWN0FtbKWSmHCAkZe7YOZ1eQg0ZAb1cIui96GapDyxTJJtJ0Hjyc4dY1dW48_CaJqGRqawq6nWsr_E9uwTok6HItFqVJ8F0n-o8mLY6gj-mK/s1600/DSC_0024-122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYnGotDiQM0hIMCuWJezRfl-vgi9ELBEPXnWN0FtbKWSmHCAkZe7YOZ1eQg0ZAb1cIui96GapDyxTJJtJ0Hjyc4dY1dW48_CaJqGRqawq6nWsr_E9uwTok6HItFqVJ8F0n-o8mLY6gj-mK/s320/DSC_0024-122.JPG" width="320" /></a>At the end of the day it comes down to coaches making a conscious choice to interact with their <br />
athletes at all times in a positive manner. What for years was simply an argument from morality - that we should treat people in a certain way - is now quickly becoming solidified by evidence in the areas of mental health and physical performance. In coaching, positive coaches not only provides a better overall experience for kids, they also improve the athlete’s opportunity to learn new skills. It’s truly a win-win! Lets make sure our coaches continue to take the positive approach and we can all help rid sports of the negativity that threatens to ruin the experience for so many.</div>
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In Christ,</div>
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Peter Piscitello</div>
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Executive Director, CYO<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-83504160577475351002015-08-26T06:09:00.003-07:002015-08-26T06:09:52.644-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">The most asked questions the CYO Office receive are about:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Schedules! Schedules! Schedules!</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMg4qLcz5AWgii_xEMUZyXK8P1GU_3-14iDw0SWWJsFiSUJyVDWAiu3yMDQaE6Pgpb4uRns1JE3-YfWwnTLDg-MRwkXHncZRNgejfQPHjglmcT4JpV4SO7mVUduZB1x9zvVrqfaK4zeY7/s1600/Untitled+design+%252811%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMg4qLcz5AWgii_xEMUZyXK8P1GU_3-14iDw0SWWJsFiSUJyVDWAiu3yMDQaE6Pgpb4uRns1JE3-YfWwnTLDg-MRwkXHncZRNgejfQPHjglmcT4JpV4SO7mVUduZB1x9zvVrqfaK4zeY7/s320/Untitled+design+%252811%2529.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-901acbe6-6a1e-12bf-c119-b2176305019c" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dear CYO Community,</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fall is among my favorite times of the year. The air is crisp and perfect for a sweatshirt, everything is somehow flavored with pumpkin spice, and along with the beginning of a new school year comes the beginning of sports seasons. So while the end of August is still technically summer, I</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">d prefer to start thinking in terms of fall and extend the season a bit.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course, that</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s exactly the mode we</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">re in here in the CYO Office, where we</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ve been thinking fall since the beginning of this month. Practices for fall sports are now in full swing, with the thud of volleyballs filling gyms, the familiar whistle of coaches on football fields, and the steady rhythm of running shoes hitting the pavement. Most of you at this point have registered your children online and placed them on a team at a parish, though if you haven</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">t there</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s still time! The next step is getting game schedules and heading out to the gyms and fields to experience the fun of competition. Along with facility preparation, those schedules are what I</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">m working on beginning this week.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I thought I might take a few moments to talk about this process. While this can be a bit dry, the scheduling process probably results in the most asked questions regarding CYO. Needless to say, there are a lot of people involved, many variables, and a lot of work that goes into creating these schedules!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The work of scheduling teams begins during the summer when we begin to get a feel for the teams and facilities we</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ll have to use in the upcoming year, as well as any changes or additions in our process. Most of the facilities remain very similar from year-to-year, but there are always a few changes. This year is particularly interesting as we begin a relationship with a new platform for creating and displaying our season schedules online. Our CYO Office spent months researching possible systems and software that could make scheduling our games as efficient and reliable as possible, while providing a smooth experience for families as they access the schedule on their computers or favorite mobile device. We narrowed the field of candidates down to around 30 and then did more research to get down to about 5 finalists. We had more detailed conversations with each of these companies before making our decision. For 2015, we</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">re pleased to be working with Team Sideline to create and publish schedules for CYO sports. The company has been terrific to work with and comes highly recommended by other CYO programs who have used it. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This platform has a variety of elements that we believe will help us to turn around schedules faster while accommodating facility conflicts and team schedule requests. Long-term, it should help us to balance home and away games more efficiently and provide quicker updates to scores and standings after games are over. It makes schedule changes a bit easier when weather washes out games or a facility becomes unavailable. Most importantly, we believe it will provide a better user experience. In the end, that</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s the primary goal in moving this direction. With most adults (and children) accessing information on phones or tablets today, it</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s critical that we have the ability to do this and present schedules in a way that is easy to access and read. You also need schedules, changes and results communicated clearly and quickly.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I mentioned that there are a lot of people involved in this process, which primarily consists of your parish coaches and Athletic Director (AD). These individuals are tasked with gathering a huge amount of information ahead of scheduling. They need to determine facility availability (in concert with other parish ministries using the facility), assess school, parish and team conflicts, and set practice schedules</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">…</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">all while forming teams, managing a facility, and putting together rosters. The biggest variables around any team</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s schedule stem from the availability of the team, it</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s opponents, and the facilities needed to host the game. If you find your team doesn</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">t have as many home games as you would like or isn</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">t playing at the time you would prefer, it</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s almost always because a team or facility had parish or school conflicts that dictated scheduling. As you can imagine, collecting this information is a lot of work and takes up most of late July and August. By late August, parish ADs are finally able get all their information to our CYO Office so that we can begin the business of putting together season game schedules. This year, that deadline is August 28th.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Once we have all the information, it will take about a week of around-the-clock work to turn around schedules that you can view online publicly. It helps that we do weeks of preparation before even receiving the final team information from parishes, but it</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s still a detailed process with many variables. Today, I</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">m blessed to have the help of platforms like Team Sideline, but I can only imagine the amount of work my predecessor did when he had to create schedules with a pencil and paper. I can automatically generate portions of the schedule, then click and drag to make changes between various drafts. Not too long ago this would have required lots of erasing and re-writing. Now, no system is perfect when working to schedule amongst 200+ teams, more than 25 facilities and with so many different needs and requests, but being able to do some of this electronically is a big help. I also rely on the help of our CYO Administrative Assistant Becky Skaggs and Officiating Coordinator Gerry Labayen to edit multiple drafts of our schedule and double-check some of the key elements.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The end result is that by Labor Day weekend, you should see your individual team schedules on the CYO website, from whatever device you choose. For 5th-8th grade, standings will be updated on that same page throughout the season, and postseason tournament (or playoff) brackets will be created, teams seeded, and those schedules created in the middle of October. By that time, the process is beginning all over again for basketball!</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course, all of this is well worth the time when it results in your children experiencing the joy of youth sports and growing in virtue throughout the season. If we do our jobs correctly, each family should easily know where to be for games and get to focus on having fun playing or watching. That</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s the goal, but it</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s not possible without a ton of work by volunteers in every parish. If you see your coaches or ADs around this time of year, please thank them for the tremendous amount of work they do to make your child</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s youth sports experience possible. I know I</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">m grateful for all the time and talents they offer to benefit our amazing CYO community.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now if you</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ll excuse me, it</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s almost time to bunker down and get those schedules ready! Until next time, be assured of my prayers and I look forward to seeing you in the gyms and on the fields beginning September 12th!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In Christ,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Peter J Piscitello</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Executive Director, CYO</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-70210797445519246562015-08-03T08:51:00.003-07:002015-08-03T08:51:52.330-07:00The Most Important Job in Sports<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SC-ptQCV3L5id6GEb4M_GxBvkbKtyrowBG8ZmO-TxFN9bKclvOPu184iJ6mT5Dx0AAMsoTShfXaCYCirBX40xFVN_mUb4kKWNhkZ7ZNgNaeEViOtq9ExDkIJokJ8W0owFJ25521BMvCQ/s1600/SPORTS.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SC-ptQCV3L5id6GEb4M_GxBvkbKtyrowBG8ZmO-TxFN9bKclvOPu184iJ6mT5Dx0AAMsoTShfXaCYCirBX40xFVN_mUb4kKWNhkZ7ZNgNaeEViOtq9ExDkIJokJ8W0owFJ25521BMvCQ/s400/SPORTS.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIsM91nkk-Ir6RyfUE5F7Q6jduzrO461fniQdyQPA63UN15GlNx4hnQSdpkCNPKIPwI0jgvICAV8vuswkEqwJp40DXMJhVDh5BWrxugc6PRg2U07KF5Nrdb89gaubzTD3wb9uE9X_xCet/s1600/coach-551562_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIsM91nkk-Ir6RyfUE5F7Q6jduzrO461fniQdyQPA63UN15GlNx4hnQSdpkCNPKIPwI0jgvICAV8vuswkEqwJp40DXMJhVDh5BWrxugc6PRg2U07KF5Nrdb89gaubzTD3wb9uE9X_xCet/s320/coach-551562_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I believe that our CYO volunteers and staff are doing the most important job in sports. I include our coaches, athletic directors, board members and office staff in that statement and I don</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">t mean it lightly. The most important job in sports. It</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s a bold statement to be sure, one that might get me called arrogant or even crazy. It</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s certainly not the opinion of society. Last I checked none of us are on the various lists of most influential or important sports executives. I enjoy reading about great coaches but haven</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">t seen any of our coaches listed alongside Mike Krzyzewski or Vince Lombardi. So what gives?</span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-55bc5dd2-f418-09cc-2c87-1d586bb81003" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I should be clear that when I refer to our CYO coaches and administrators, the same could be said of folks and organizations in similar positions across the country. This isn</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">t about our own CYO or even parochial athletics as much as it is about the high standards we should hold all coaches and administrators to. Perhaps some figures will begin to help explain my position. The chart below indicates the number of children in America that participate in each level of sports each year, from youth sports to the professional ranks:</span></div>
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<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none;"><colgroup><col width="127"></col><col width="156"></col><col width="173"></col><col width="156"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Level</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"># of Participants</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">% of Population (Under 18)</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">% of Previous Level</span></div>
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<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #eeeeee; border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Youth Sports</span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: #eeeeee; border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">30 million</span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: #eeeeee; border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">40%</span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: #eeeeee; border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">N/A</span></div>
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<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">High School Sports</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8 million</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">11%</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">25%</span></div>
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<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="background-color: #eeeeee; border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">College Sports</span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: #eeeeee; border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">460,000</span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: #eeeeee; border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">0.6%</span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: #eeeeee; border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5.75%</span></div>
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<tr style="height: 17px;"><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Professional Sports</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2,000</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">0.002%</span></div>
</td><td style="border-bottom: solid #000000 1px; border-left: solid #000000 1px; border-right: solid #000000 1px; border-top: solid #000000 1px; padding: 5px 5px 5px 5px; vertical-align: top;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 13.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">0.4%</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 9.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Statistics courtesy US Government and </span><a href="http://ncaa.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 9.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">NCAA.org</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 9.333333333333332px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, 2014</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiaE2xJNPDYun36tfiHn8mO4g8wPQFNfjElFKS5YnIrJzJ3yiPVlTvcVllTkRJM52TlR2P7nRsUyxMEUVXr9l9Lhpzm2kgjSllGE8nIT67tJJslJwEs2hsho4MVvVmIbh73Yrk0-jzIn7/s1600/flag-football-551587_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiaE2xJNPDYun36tfiHn8mO4g8wPQFNfjElFKS5YnIrJzJ3yiPVlTvcVllTkRJM52TlR2P7nRsUyxMEUVXr9l9Lhpzm2kgjSllGE8nIT67tJJslJwEs2hsho4MVvVmIbh73Yrk0-jzIn7/s320/flag-football-551587_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The youth sports level clearly has the biggest reach and impacts the most children, reaching nearly one of every two children between 6-14 in the United States today. When you go beyond the numbers, the impact becomes even more profound. Parents understand that kids at this age are in some of the most formative years of their lives. The things they learn, see, and do will form their personality, character and faith for the rest of their lives. With all due respect to the excellent and important work that is done at the high school, college and professional levels with athletes, they simply don</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">t have the reach or impact that adults involved in youth sports have. High school is really the only level that comes close.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I could cite more evidence, but for the sake of time lets agree that the youth sports level simply has a huge reach at an important time in the life of children. How does this support my bold statement about the importance of our job in youth sports? The fact is that we are in a unique position. For CYO in particular, as a Catholic, faith based organization, we have both the opportunity to form the entire child (mind, body and soul) as well as the ability - indeed the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">calling</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - to change the culture around us. Allow me to explain.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwhUWfs_gLglJLzeoMObJVifNXcacCXglbSvIVPSzJILcsSiMUNALqUa6QlT6ocZVlpHU7vGb768e2-KI-_ncMAeqvQPgxPMia6MUwWpwCbqVrilZp-JjaA1pYRuxjDjdQa1-yNoB7vSQ/s1600/boy-764995_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwhUWfs_gLglJLzeoMObJVifNXcacCXglbSvIVPSzJILcsSiMUNALqUa6QlT6ocZVlpHU7vGb768e2-KI-_ncMAeqvQPgxPMia6MUwWpwCbqVrilZp-JjaA1pYRuxjDjdQa1-yNoB7vSQ/s320/boy-764995_1280.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As Catholics, we believe that our goal in life is to become saints - that is, to get to heaven where we can spend an eternity with our Lord. As an extension, we believe that our goal in forming our children is to develop saints who will also know eternal life. Put simply, that</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s our life</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s mission. In CYO, we</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">re certainly still interested in developing the gift of athletic skill that God has given our children. We still work in the medium of sports and should strive to help all kids reach their potential. On the surface, that</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s a huge goal of CYO. Yet if we truly believe in the mission above, then it changes the way we think about this opportunity, dictating our approach and priorities. Youth sports becomes more about an opportunity to lead children to Christ than a means to become a high school or professional athlete. It becomes more about forming the mind, body and soul of a child so that they can excel wherever God calls them. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And therein lies the second unique and important purpose of CYO. When we view the statistics above through the prism of our faith, we realize that our primary goal involves forming the children that will grow up to be adult members of our society in a wide range of roles. From mothers and fathers - or priests and religious - to police officers, business executives, doctors, lawyers, politicians, and all sorts of other important roles. Even in very few cases, athletes. The fact is that every child in youth sports is going to grow up to be </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">someone</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in our society. Being involved in their formation is a critical role. Within our CYO right now might reside a mind that someday cures cancer, creates beautiful art, or preserves our religious freedom. Right now, those minds are young and looking to their parents, teachers and coaches to educate them and model what it means to be a man or woman of God. Certainly coaches at all levels have the opportunity to be a part of this, but none have the opportunity to do so with such a large percentage of the population or at such an impressionable age*.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*As a quick aside, our coaches and administrators also have the unique responsibility of keeping kids active and involved in youth sports. Recent studies by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play Initiative and the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) show that participation among children ages 6-12 has decreased from 34.7% of the population in 2007 to 26.9% last year. In 13-17 year olds, the drop was 5%. We now also have the added goal of simply keeping kids involved so they can realize the tremendous benefits sport offers. Coaches and executives at higher levels of sport can’t have an influence if nobody is playing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcda0d1kIwwmFs-yiucWGot0HryB2weisFOI7oiPBZpmhdR9R_uFlBPO5wtG_k74Wpc_jGyLOuFRT7hYmD7P994QvM3lZCOoiSffemVXVskyreLWCazkHuZU5JHwGCpNQUKWCp301ihh2/s1600/shadow-205510_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcda0d1kIwwmFs-yiucWGot0HryB2weisFOI7oiPBZpmhdR9R_uFlBPO5wtG_k74Wpc_jGyLOuFRT7hYmD7P994QvM3lZCOoiSffemVXVskyreLWCazkHuZU5JHwGCpNQUKWCp301ihh2/s320/shadow-205510_1280.jpg" width="239" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are all called to be saints. It</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s something I</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">m fond of saying in reference to our ultimate mission that I mentioned above. Our coaches and administrators in CYO have the awesome opportunity to help form children and teach them valuable lessons and virtues through sport. I believe this is a unique responsibility we have been given on the way to sainthood. It can be a thankless job at times, and youth sports is not without its controversy or frustration, but I promise you that it</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s worth it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">High school, college and professional coaches and administrators should be recognized for the incredible job they do and the influence they have in both the business and the formative aspects of sport. This isn</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">t meant to take anything away from some amazing individuals. Yet sports wouldn</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">t exist at those levels if not for the efforts of so many volunteers and hard-working staffs at the youth level. In youth sports, we have the responsibility of engaging, forming and educating children on their journey to sainthood. It</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s on us to change sports from the ground up by putting the focus on Christ and helping kids to grow into adults who impact the world in so many different ways.</span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe I</span><span style="font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">m biased having seen the incredible impact of sports on a child or having worked with so many amazing youth sports coaches. I suspect many others would agree with me. I think we</span><span style="font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">re doing the most important job in sports.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Peter Piscitello</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.6000003814697px;">Executive Director, CYO</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">5041 Reinhardt Drive, Suite 310</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Roeland Park, KS 66205</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Phone: 913-384-7377</span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-73546755748235693202015-06-24T09:18:00.000-07:002015-06-24T09:18:31.641-07:00Sports as MinistryDear CYO Community,<br />
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A happy summer to everyone! Though it's not "officially" summer for a few weeks, I think it's safe to start thinking summer once we hit June and the kids are out of school. I hope that all of you have some fun plans for the next two months - whether that's a family vacation or taking in some of the fun events around Kansas City, we all deserve some time to relax with loved ones.<br />
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We'll be busy as usual in CYO this summer as we plan for new sports and prepare for a busy year ahead. One of the blessings I have each June is the opportunity to travel to the campus of the University of Notre Dame for the annual <a href="http://playlikeachampion.nd.edu/annual-leadership-conference/" target="_blank">Leadership Conference</a> put on by the <a href="http://playlikeachampion.nd.edu/" target="_blank">Play Like a Champion</a> program. In just a few weeks, leaders of youth sports leagues from around the country will gather for this great two day conference. It's an opportunity to learn from each other's organization's and from the exciting group of speakers that present each year. Most of you will know the Play Like a Champion program from the parent or coach programs we have hosted in our CYO for the past four years, but the program's reach goes well beyond just these workshops. At it's core, this is about an approach to youth sports that places Christ, children, and the development of virtue at the center. It's about realizing that sports can be a ministry that goes well beyond simply x's and o's.<br />
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This is an area that has been the focus of our own efforts in this CYO. While providing resources for children to grow in individual skill is very important to what we do, helping children to grow in their relationship with Christ is an even greater call. As Christians, we are often reminded that our relationship with Christ is rooted in eternity, that our earthly endeavors are but fleeting moments in the scope of an eternity with Him. That is why we make our faith a priority: we desire to grow in our relationship with Christ during this life so that we can one day know Him in heaven. Sports should be no exception here, as Saint Paul's famous quote helps set us straight:<br />
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<i>Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. - 1 Cor 9:24-25</i></div>
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Though his context was a bit different, his words remains quite relevant. If winning the "race" in any sport is important, how much more important is it to win the eternal splendor of heaven? With that in mind, we strive in CYO to go above and beyond simple strategies for athletic success in order to always remember to develop the whole child - mind, body and soul - in order that every soul may one day be "fit" for heaven. It's why viewing sports as a ministry is so important to our mission and why so many parents nationwide enroll their children in Catholic based sports organizations like ours.</div>
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As I travel to Notre Dame this month, this mission will be top of mind. I'm excited to see some of the programs our counterparts in other organizations have created to further their ministry. I'm also excited to see how some national "experts" in sports medicine, coaching and our Catholic faith tradition can provide tools to this end. Of course, I'll be bringing back plenty of information and ideas for our CYO. </div>
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A reminder that our CYO Office is open all summer, so please don't hesitate to contact us with questions. I'll continue writing here all summer long as well. Until next time, I pray you will all enjoy the start to your summer months, wherever that leads your family!</div>
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In Christ,</div>
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Peter Piscitello</div>
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Executive Director, CYO</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-41334213713985557882015-06-24T09:17:00.003-07:002015-06-24T09:19:03.677-07:00David H. Nick, September 19, 1946 -- June 21, 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUK7MZ-NPBc0O1JNbpFtKiuqm9rzPrN5Ebn8vN7aFWCBsrCwzKy86GHoBKB70CzQxytcfx_jplCOT80HXIx2Ln4qpQtVbwzc1QOICSSmI1MdqwohM3KY1w_2g3szVCSl7mNhaly8yjfO3/s1600/855667ObitPic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUK7MZ-NPBc0O1JNbpFtKiuqm9rzPrN5Ebn8vN7aFWCBsrCwzKy86GHoBKB70CzQxytcfx_jplCOT80HXIx2Ln4qpQtVbwzc1QOICSSmI1MdqwohM3KY1w_2g3szVCSl7mNhaly8yjfO3/s1600/855667ObitPic.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The entire CYO Community was saddened this week to learn of the sudden passing of Dave Nick, formerly the Executive Director of CYO. Mr. Nick retired in 2010 after serving as the Executive Director for over 36 years, during which time he was responsible for developing this incredible organization into what it is today. In fact, Mr. Nick leaves behind a considerable legacy not only in CYO, but in the local community and beyond. While this brief reflection cannot possibly do justice to his tremendous impact, I hope that it can aid in our remembering a man who meant so much to so many people. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I first met Mr. Nick in July 2010, three things were immediately apparent: his devotion to family, his loyalty to friends, and a tremendous commitment to the children he served through CYO programs. Pictures of his wife Vicki and daughter Jennifer sat prominently on his desk and our initial conversations made clear his love for them both. I also learned that Mr. Nick</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s circle of friends was considerable. While he certainly never boasted of his impact in so many different aspects of the local community, it became clear by talking to those who befriended him in one activity or another. He was a teacher, a sports official, a long-time parishioner at St. Pius and then Holy Trinity, and an avid golfer. Nearly everyone I met my first few years on the job had a favorite story they would tell while smiling and laughing. His impact could be felt nearly everywhere.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yet perhaps Mr. Nick</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s broadest impact was made in developing our modern CYO. In the fall of 1974, Dave Nick was hired as just the second Executive Director of CYO. As you can imagine, the organization he took over looked nothing like what he created. From the brief history of CYO on our website:</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Over his 36 years in the position, Nick took the organization to new heights, as participation surged and sports programs grew into what exist today. Football, Volleyball, Basketball and Track became the four core sports played across the two counties. CYO also developed a partnership with Kansas City Missouri's Parochial League, with student participation and the creation of annual "Mo-Kan" tournaments. During this time, the CYO Office also made its way to Bishop Miege High School, where it remains today.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 2010, Dave Nick retired after serving the CYO across four decades. At the time of his departure, the organization had grown to include over 5,000 participants from 23 parishes across the region.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Statistics never tell the whole story, but they do a great job here of illustrating just how many individuals were touched by Mr. Nick</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s vision and leadership. By the time of his retirement, over 5,000 souls each year were growing in their athletic ability and their relationship with Christ as a result of his hard work. Over the course of nearly four decades, Mr. Nick created countless opportunities for children who would have otherwise not had them and had a profound impact on the lives of so many. I know this because they still speak about Mr. Nick today, asking about him and telling their story as they watch their own children participate in the CYO he built. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Perhaps it</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s fitting that on the afternoon of June 29th, the same day that Dave Nick will be laid to rest with the Mass of Christian Burial, CYO is scheduled to host our second annual youth golf tournament at Sunflower Hills Golf Course. When I last spoke with Mr. Nick just a few weeks ago, he lamented the rain and an injury that had kept him off the golf course for much of the spring. So it</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arimo; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">’</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s appropriate that as he watches down from his eternal rest, a group of children will be playing the sport he loved in the organization he largely built. A small but appropriate tribute to a man who spent so many years dedicated to youth sports in our community. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dave Nick will be missed by the CYO Community as well as the family and friends he leaves behind. Yet his legacy in CYO will go on in the many parents, coaches and administrators who owe a great deal to the man who spent 36 years working to make our CYO what it is today. Let us pray in thanksgiving for the time Mr. Nick spent here on earth as we also pray for healing for all those family and friends who mourn his passing.</span></div>
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Obituary: David H. Nick, 69, of Lenexa, passed away June 21, 2015. He was born September 19, 1945, the son of William C. and Helen Marie (Kobetitsch) Nick, in Kansas City, KS. He attended Basehor Elementary school and graduated from Immaculata High School in Leavenworth. David served in the United States Army operating a personnel carrier during the Vietnam War. Following his military service, he enrolled and graduated from the University of Kansas. After college, he married the love of his life, Victoria J. Jones. They are members of Holy Trinity Catholic Church. <br />
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David began as a teacher at St. Agnes Grade School and later in his career, worked at Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park. He served as the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) Athletic Director for both Johnson and Wyandotte counties for more than 30 years; retiring in 2010. David was an avid golfer playing regularly at the area courses. He also enjoyed playing cards with his regular card group. <br />
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David is preceded in death by his sister, Mildred Romey; and nephew, Bill Kelly. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Vicki; daughter, Jennifer Helmstetler and her husband John and his children, Dillon and Alex; three sisters, Helen McGraw and husband Gene; Rosalie Kelly; Elizabeth Stafford and husband Tom; and Rita Crubel and husband Mike; two brothers, Wm. C. Nick, CSC; Joseph Nick and wife Elaine; and his nieces and nephews. <br />
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Visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, June 28 at Porter Funeral Home, 8535 Monrovia, Lenexa, KS; the rosary will be prayed at 5:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 29 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 13615 W. 92nd Street, Lenexa. Inurnment will be 1:30 p.m. Monday at Leavenworth National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to Catholic Education Foundation, 12615 Parallel Ave., Kansas City, KS 66109.- See more at: https://porterfuneralhome.com/obituary-detail.php?obituary_id=57701#sthash.L7VolZHy.dpufAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-25705566839021334302015-05-27T07:03:00.000-07:002015-05-27T07:03:45.232-07:00From the Director's Desk 5.19.15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dear CYO Community,<br />
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I am always fascinated when the Pope takes a moment to speak about sports. This probably comes as no surprise given my profession and strong belief about the formative role coaches and sports can play. During most of my life, Saint John Paul II provided plenty of material on the subject. An avid outdoors man himself - he loved to hike and ski - the former Pope <a href="http://www.laici.va/content/dam/laici/documenti/sport/eng/magisterium/jpii-pastoral-messages.pdf" target="_blank">spoke and wrote enough on the topic of sport to create a small Vatican collection</a>. While Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI didn't spend much time on the topic, Pope Francis has already discussed sports several times in his young pontificate. A <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/wp/2014/09/11/argentina-soccer-club-san-lorenzo-to-name-new-stadium-after-pope-francis/" target="_blank">longtime soccer fan in his native Argentina</a>, the Holy Father has made it clear he sees great possibilities for all sports to be a witness to Christ in the modern world. So when a number of administrators from around the world were asked to come to Rome this month for a seminar focused on coaches, I was eager to see what Pope Francis would have to say.<br />
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The Pontifical Council for the Laity's "Church and Sport" Office hosted the seminar titled<i> Coaches: Educators of People</i>. Global sports leaders from around the world attended the seminar on May 14-15th (though apparently my invitation was lost in the mail...I kid). The seminar, which featured a variety of presentations and discussions on the topic of coaches and the state of sports today, had a special emphasis on the role of coaches in youth sports. This was highlighted by comments from Pope Francis himself made in a letter to the attendees. The full transcript can be found <a href="http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-francis-message-to-vatican-seminar-on-coaches-educators-of-people" target="_blank">here</a>, but I found one comment in particular especially relevant to our CYO. Pope Francis wrote:<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Therefore, the coach can be a valid formator of young people, beside the parents, the teachers, the priests and the catechists. However, every good formator must receive a solid formation. It is necessary to form the formators. Therefore, it is opportune that you Seminar appeal to all the organizations that operate in the field of sport, the international and national federations, the lay and ecclesial sports associations to give due attention and to invest the necessary resources for the professional, human and spiritual formation of coaches. How good it would be if in all sports, and at all levels, from the great international competitions to the tournaments of the parish oratories, young people found in their coaches authentic witnesses of life and of lived faith!</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">(You can also read more about the seminar and the Pope's comments <a href="http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1502090.htm" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-says-sports-coaches-must-be-models-of-integri" target="_blank">here</a>.)</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To me, that statement speaks to the importance of our mission in CYO and what we're trying to accomplish through a variety of initiatives put in place over the past few years. Given the formative power of a coach, it is critical that we are creating resources for our coaches and training them to be ministers to the children they educate through sports. Through the Play Like a Champion Program (<a href="http://playlikeachampion.nd.edu/news/57985-play-like-a-champion-participates-in-seminar-at-vatican/" target="_blank">whose leaders were in Rome for this seminar</a>), coaching clinics, new certification requirements in football, and the <i>5 Minute Game Plan</i>, we're giving coaches the tools to live out the Pope's great wish in our CYO community. Indeed, <i>h</i></span></span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ow good it would be if in all sports...young people found in their coaches authentic witnesses of life and of lived faith!</span></i><br />
<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">I would also encourage you to hold your coaches in all sports and organizations to this same standard. Whether in CYO or any of the other great sports organizations in this area, we must expect our coaches to be committed to educating our children in more than just X's and O's while living as models of virtue for our kids. For some reason, our society has high expectations for teachers but fail to hold coaches to the same standards simply because they do their teaching in a different classroom. To be very clear, I hold the teachers in our Catholic schools in high regard and believe we should all make the classroom a priority over the field. A faith-based education is a critical part of a child's development; along with parents, these educators provide the foundation for a life well-lived. Yet we must not underestimate the importance of coaches as a further extension of the home and school. In many cases, kids count coaches among the most influential figures in their lives. It's imperative that we do our part to assure those coaches are ready to meet that challenge.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">During his 2+ years leading the Church, Pope Francis has demonstrated both a deep compassion the human person and a wisdom in understanding how we function. I'm thrilled the Pope recognizes the impact that sport has in the modern world and sees the ability for this to be a true vehicle that leads our youth to a greater relationship with Christ. Still, his words above belay the truth that we are not yet there, that there is work to do if we are to succeed in realizing his vision for sport. Let us do our part in our own CYO community to form coaches and youth while glorifying God in all our sports. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">That's all for now, as the school year ends I pray for all of you that God will bless your families in the summer ahead. Many thanks to all of you who help make our CYO the amazing organization it is. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">In Christ, </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Peter J Piscitello</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Executive Director, CYO</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><i><br /></i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-17223702511443231442015-05-21T08:30:00.000-07:002015-05-21T08:40:07.369-07:00CYO Hires New Director of Marketing and Technology!<br />
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Shaw Leach will begin work on June 1st as the Director of Marketing and Technology for the CYO of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties, creating an exciting new position. The full-time position was created to serve the growing needs of the organization in an increasingly digital environment. The hire also culminates nearly two years of planning and discernment by the CYO Executive Board, a process that began by publishing a <a href="http://media.wix.com/ugd/7ad08f_2577c5bfff1a40c0b1874c441ff1712e.pdf" target="_blank">Digital Strategy</a> for CYO. Leach was originally hired in a limited part-time capacity with CYO in October of 2013 as an IT Specialist.<br />
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"We're thrilled to have Shaw join the CYO family," said Executive Director Peter Piscitello. "He has been a tremendous asset in a limited capacity for the past 18 months. This new position is an exciting step for CYO as we seek to live out our mission and serve both existing and future participating families and Shaw is the perfect person to lead our marketing and digital efforts moving forward."<br />
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During his 18 months as the IT Specialist for CYO, Leach created a new <a href="http://www.cyojwa.org/" target="_blank">CYO website</a> and developed a mobile version that have received great feedback from our community. The website is setup to provide a future platform for many of the organization's exciting digital initiatives that will see more development in the coming months. In recent months you have been able to find him alongside Piscitello as the <a href="http://sportsapologist.com/2015/05/15/7-the-sports-apologists-show/" target="_blank">host of the Sports Apologists podcast</a>. He also helped design and develop our <a href="http://www.cyojwa.org/#!sports/c24z7" target="_blank">CYO logos</a> that debuted in 2014. Perhaps the most anticipated project will be Shaw's first as a full-time employee, as an updated registration system debuts in July. Already well underway behind the scenes, the system will create a smoother registration for parents and easier processing for parishes. It's one small example of the great work Leach will be bringing with him to CYO in the new role.<br />
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Leach comes to the CYO after spending the last 8 years working with other ministries in our Archdiocesan community. Most recently Shaw was the Director of Youth Ministry at St. Ann Catholic Church in Prairie Village, where he oversaw programs in grades 7-12 and developed a number of outreach and in-house initiatives designed to lead children closer to Christ. Before that Leach was a teacher of Theology at Maur Hill-Mount Academy in Atchison, KS. In addition to these positions, Leach also founded a local food e-commerce website and developed a number of other digital initiatives for local organizations. "His knowledge of the Catholic faith and technology, as well as his passion for using this expertise to lead families to Christ, will be a great asset for our CYO community," indicated Piscitello.<br />
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Originally from Spokane, Washington, Leach is a 2007 graduate of Benedictine College (majoring in Theology) who also holds a Masters in School Leadership from the Catholic school. He lives in Overland Park with his wife Maureen and their three adorable children: Sophia, Monica and Augustine. A dedicated husband and father, Leach begins his new role in CYO on June 1, 2015.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-56051057743249585522015-04-24T13:00:00.001-07:002015-04-24T13:00:07.577-07:00What is Greatness?<div class="p1">
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<span class="s1">I am fascinated with greatness. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I would argue that nearly everyone is fascinated with greatness, actually. We all admire individual achievements, be they moments of great love or sacrifice, the genius of invention, or a tremendous work of art. In the context of sports I think this is particularly true. From a young age, our children emulate the best athletes and play out human’s greatest athletic achievements in their backyard. A generation of kids grew up trying to soar through the air like Michael Jordan, wishing they could recreate his pure shot or majestic dunks. A boy or girl today might envision themselves dancing across a crowded grass field, a soccer ball clinging to their feet as they imitate the fluid movement of Lionel Messi, a magician in shin guards. Adults do this too, though they might hesitate to be as obvious as a child at play. What golfer a decade ago could approach a 25 foot putt without thinking of Tiger Woods pumping his fist as he commanded yet another incredible shot into the hole? Alas, some greatness is fleeting.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">We all seem to sense greatness when in the presence of someone to has reached out and touched it. So how do we define it? How can we even begin to achieve it in our own lives?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">One of my favorite past times is to read about great minds and achievements, to try to learn what makes them great. I’m partial to reading on athletes and coaches in this regard, though the story of any great man or woman will keep me reading into the late hours of the night. Initially, I found myself drawn to biographies of the classic sports figures - those that need just one name like Lombardi, Wooden, or DiMaggio. As I grew older, I found myself intrigued by musicians like Sinatra or the Beatles, business minds like John Maxwell, Jack Welch or Walt Disney. In their midst I did my best to manage some religious reading as well, reading the occasional biography of a saint or perusing the writings of the Pope.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Then one day after considering scriptures it hit me. I had been looking at greatness from the wrong angle. Not completely wrong, I suppose. All the names above are certainly examples of greatness in their own fields. Yet if I was truly interested in learning about enduring greatness, about how I could begin to achieve greatness myself, I was starting in the wrong place. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I needed to start with God. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">This is where I do the obvious commentary about how all these things are gifts from God, that we have nothing without him, etc. etc. That’s true, of course, but it’s not my point here. You see, I believe that each of the examples of greatness above have something important in common. It’s just not what I would have thought, perhaps not what most of us would think. When we think about greatness, we think about personality traits, special talents or circumstances, often times a certain drive to succeed in a given field. Yet we’re often missing something about the way these things are applied in the lives of those who become great. That is what I eventually learned from the saints.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I took this to prayer recently as I considered my roles as a husband and father, my leadership role in youth sports. I came up with the following as my definition of greatness:</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>Greatness is achieved when one uses the particular talents, passions and wisdom granted to him by God and joins those perfectly with the proper discernment and application of God’s will in his life. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Think about that for a moment. We simply cannot do better than that in our life; taking the gifts God has given us and using them for the purpose he created us for. A thing cannot achieve more then to do well that which its creator desired it to do.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">We all have special talents, things that we can do perhaps better than anyone we know. We recognize that we also have a passion for certain things, be it raising our family or playing music. In addition, we gain wisdom through our lives that allows us to display experience, knowledge and good judgement in our actions. Lining up those three things can yield impressive results: a person who does his work well, enjoys doing it, and uses knowledge and experience to his advantage. It still doesn’t get to what we’d identify as <i>greatness</i>. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">What’s missing? Let’s return to an example from sports. Michael Jordan is often called the greatest basketball player ever. He checks off the boxes of greatness: clear talent, unrivaled passion, the wisdom to beat players of any size or strength. Yet for two years in the middle of his basketball career, Michael Jordan paused to play baseball. He was not great at baseball. Those other traits were still there. You can see his natural athleticism in old minor league highlights. He was said to show his iconic passion and drive to succeed. He even demonstrated the ability to apply what he learned through experience. He may have gotten pretty good had he stuck with it, but he was not going to become great. When he returned to basketball, his greatness was quickly apparent once again. So what gives?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">On a superficial level, this example demonstrates what happens when a person with the characteristics to be great lacks the second part of this definition: <i>to join those</i> <i>perfectly with the proper discernment and application of God’s will in his life</i>. I don’t claim to be the judge of God’s will but I think we can safely suggest that at least in terms of career choice, Jordan was meant to play basketball. He may have done just fine for himself in business or as the lead guitar in a band, but would he have been truly great in those areas? As another example, does anyone think the Beatles would have been similarly transcendent had they spent years trying to be basketball players? People who achieve greatness in any discipline do so because find what they were created to do.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">The saints help make this point. These great men and women are saints precisely because they exemplify what it means to serve God and His Will. They all had special talents, passions and wisdom. By putting those to use for the glory of God, they transcended their life on this earth and have returned to their Creator in heaven. One saint in particular strikes me as a great example here. Saint Augustine was considered brilliant by plenty of people while he lived a life of sin, openly opposing Christians. In fact, Augustine was on the path to quite a bit of success in his fourth century world. Yet he is considered one of our greatest saints because he returned to the Divine Truth and sought out God’s will for His life. When he sought to use his considerable talents to do what God was calling him to do, he became not only a talented orator, but one of the greatest speakers and writers the world has ever seen. In finding what he was truly meant to do - how he was truly meant to apply his gifts - he was able to impact the lives of countless people through the centuries. Augustine might have written critically acclaimed books had he continued down his original path, but I doubt they would be sitting on my bookshelf or many others nearly 1700 years later.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">The problem is that many people never truly realize the potential of the gifts they have been granted because they never attempt to join them to the holy will of God. Many are stuck in the same trap that held Augustine, content to achieve worldly acclaim and live a “good” life. In his tremendously popular book <i>Good to Great</i>, Jim Collins wrote that “good is the enemy of great.” This is a fantastic insight. If we want to be truly great, we must avoid simply settling for what the world considers good enough. I would add that we must reach beyond our earthly desires or what the world considers success to find that God has an even greater plan for us. Collins is a business thinker, not a theologian, so he does not consider how the saints apply here. We would do well to consider just that. Saints have in-common a radical desire to live out God’s will in their lives, to use the gifts he gave them to glorify Him and bring about His will in the world. They don’t always understand what His will is for them, often it takes years of prayer to discern. The result is that they achieve greatness that separates them on earth and endures here long after they are taken into heaven. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">To be clear, living out God’s will isn’t always easy. Like the great athlete, it takes sacrifice and hard work. It may take us from a job we enjoy or a way of life that is comfortable. Blessed Mother Theresa could have lived a much more comfortable life had she taken another path. A young Karol Wojtyla never had ambitions to become Pope, yet in serving God’s will he had a tremendous impact on world history and is responsible for millions of souls who know God as a result of his work. For years after his death he was even called Pope John Paul <i>the Great</i>. Now we call him a saint. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">While the examples I use here are famous, greatness is not beyond our own reach. I believe that it is precisely that so few people actually put these things together that makes those people stick out to the rest of us. The truth is that greatness comes from everywhere. We can’t all “Be Like Mike,” but then I’m guessing there are other things we do better than he does. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux is considered a great saint because of the many little things she did with great joy and love for God. Things we can imitate on a daily basis. For most of us it’s simply a matter of turning to prayer to determine what our true gifts and passions are, then discerning how we use those to do God’s will. This isn’t easy and it doesn’t usually happen overnight, but it’s entirely doable. In fact, it’s what God is calling us to do each and every day. An ordinary teacher, nurse, lawyer or salesperson needs only to find the path that God desires for him in this field in order to do extraordinary things. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I’m fascinated by greatness because I long to be great. I pray that you do too that you may seek to realize that greatness through the will of God for your own life. We have the awesome opportunity through sports to see the components of greatness manifested in unique and powerful ways from children to adults. Through the gift of technology we don’t have to go far to find incredible feats of mind, body and soul. Sometimes it seems unattainable, but Christ reminds us that we are all meant to attain it. He died for us because He knew this to be true. We too are made for greatness, we simply need to turn to God to discern how we get there. </span></div>
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<i>Peter Piscitello is the Executive Director of the CYO of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties. </i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-72984108159577021392015-04-17T11:48:00.000-07:002015-04-17T11:48:11.374-07:00From the Director's Desk 4.17.15<div class="p1">
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<span class="s1">Dear CYO Community,</span></div>
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<span class="s1">It seems ages since the last time I wrote to update on the happenings in CYO! There’s good reason for that of course, as we’ve been as busy as ever in the office. Basketball season led right into track this year - with a little Spring Break thrown in - and a number of exciting developments for the future of CYO were discussed and approved at our spring Athletic Director and Executive Board Meetings. What are those exciting additions? I’m glad you asked…</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I’m excited to announce two new programs that will debut during the 2015-2016 CYO year. Flag football will begin this fall, with a youth soccer program debuting next spring. These two excellent additions will mark the first new programs since we debuted CYO Cross Country over two years ago. Just as we saw a need with cross country that has been realized with over 300 participants each year, we also expect the latest additions to be popular among our CYO families. Our research demonstrated a clear desire among children and families for these sports and we’re thrilled to provide them. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Flag football will begin this fall and be played largely at the same locations as our tackle football program. The rules passed allow for leagues from Kindergarten to 5th grade and while we’ll certainly begin with the older children, our initial year may only go down to the 2nd grade level. There’s also the potential we will expand to a high school league as soon as 2016. One of the wonderful things about flag football is that it is so easily accessible to children, with equipment limited to a “uniform” t-shirt - CYO will provide the flags. That allows us to provide the program at a lower cost and get as many children involved as possible. More specific information will be provided in May as we finalize details and plan for registrations.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Soccer will begin next spring. While open to <i>all</i> children and parishes eligible to participate in CYO, games in the initial year will be played specifically in Wyandotte County. This will be the case for a few reasons. The primary reason for beginning a soccer program in CYO at this time is to provide an opportunity for the children in Wyandotte County that simply doesn't exist in the same way it does for Johnson County families. While families in Johnson County have access to dozens of opportunities from county recreation leagues to club programs, many children in Wyandotte County just don’t have those options available. As a result, we’ve worked with our parish priests and members of the local government to create an opportunity that we’re excited about. CYO Soccer will be a low cost opportunity for any child to get involved. Again, that extends to all our CYO area, though the reality is that facility availability plays a major role in where we can host games. Hopefully in the future we can continue to expand. Overall, we’re thrilled to bring our CYO approach to a sport that has long been hugely popular in the Kansas City area. More information in the year to come, so be looking for your opportunity to get involved!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Finally, I’m excited to “tease” a few yet to be announced changes that will take place behind the scenes here at CYO. I can’t say much until next month, other than it will have a big impact on changing the way you interact with CYO from registration to experiencing your child’s games in the years to come. What began last year with the unveiling of our new website will continue with some exciting additions this summer, so stay tuned! </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Whew, that’s plenty for now. Here’s hoping for a fantastic finish to our current track season and I’ll be excited to write in a few weeks with more news. In the mean time, enjoy the spring weather, stay dry, and may God bless you and your family during this Easter season!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">In Christ,</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Peter J Piscitello</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Executive Director, CYO </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-22995610361695124642015-04-17T07:57:00.002-07:002015-04-17T07:57:37.614-07:00Causes for Concern: Nutrition and the Young Athlete<div class="p1">
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<i>[Editor’s Note: This is the second entry in the series “Causes for Concern: A Look at Today’s Youth Sports Culture.” You can read the introduction to the series by clicking <a href="http://cyojwa.blogspot.com/2015/01/causes-for-concern-series-introduction.html" target="_blank">here</a> and the first entry on Specialization by clicking <a href="http://cyojwa.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-rise-of-specialization-in-youth.html" target="_blank">here</a>.]</i></div>
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<span class="s1">Nutrition is an area often overlooked when talking about causes for concern in youth sports. We talk a lot about how over-competitive parents are ruining the game for their kids, or how specialization is hurting our young athletes, but we regularly set aside the nutrition conversation. As parents, we are often (rightly) lauded for combating the obesity epidemic simply by signing our kids up for sports, led to believe that their participation alone is a significant health victory. In some ways this is true. Yet in many ways participation in physical activities is just the beginning. Now that they are active, do we as parents understand how our children's dietary habits impact their ability to function each day in the classroom, at home and on the field? Do we consider hydration and research to determine what they should be drinking? As they get older, do we stop to talk with them about the dangers of steroids? Do any of us really understand supplements at all? </span></div>
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<span class="s1">These are important questions. In the paragraphs that follow, let’s take a look at each of these categories and start to consider how they affect our young athletes. Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter here whether your child is brand new to a sport or has been playing for years, a prodigy or not. Though the frequency and intensity of their participation may impact some of their nutritional needs, the basic principles remain largely the same. Hopefully the research and tips below can help you to provide for your young athlete as they have fun and compete each season.</span></div>
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<span class="s2"><u><b>A Healthy Diet</b></u></span><br />
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<span class="s1">Eating a healthy, balanced diet is important for all children. For young athletes this can be even more important to their functioning on and off the field. The key here is energy: as active children use more energy it becomes even more important that energy is replaced in the form of good, healthy foods. Perhaps the more important components here are quality and balance. Let’s consider both these components to a healthy diet.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">We all understand that an apple is better for a child than a candy bar. It comes as no surprise when the child still wants the candy bar. Recent research may offer a clue to why. A 2011 report indicated that a child’s so-called “sweet tooth” is a biological phenomenon; sugar isn’t just preferred because it tastes better but because a growing, metabolizing body with various hormone changes actually craves sugar (1)</span><span class="s3"><sup></sup></span><span class="s1">. This may explain why your young athlete craves sugary foods after a game - or sports drinks (see below) - but it doesn’t make it any healthier. Foods or drinks high in sugar basically provide empty calories, which can lead to obesity and other health problems by the child’s teenage years (2)</span><span class="s3"><sup></sup></span><span class="s1">, even malnutrition and decreased immunity can be a result of too much sugar. This doesn’t change because of the sport - they need real calories, not empty calories. Pay extra attention to “added sugars” in foods and snacks, as anything with sugar or “glucose” near the top of the ingredients list might be avoided. Better yet, recover from athletic activity with fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean meats high in protein that will provide nutrients and replenish lost calories. Fruits in particular are a good source of easy to digest carbohydrates that can be beneficial within 30 minutes after intense activity (3)</span><span class="s3"><sup></sup></span><span class="s1">. Whole grains/foods are now considered best by almost everyone; whole foods refers to foods that are naturally made and in their initial form without added or missing ingredients. Be careful here though, as many foods have gotten clever with packaging and are deceptive: many “whole grain” or “100% Wheat” items aren’t even near “whole” foods (4)</span><span class="s3"><sup></sup></span><span class="s1">.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Aside from the quality of your child’s caloric intake, balance is also important to a healthy diet. Consider when your child is eating in relation to their activities. According to a number of sources, a good time for a pre-game meal is around 3 hours prior to your activity. Later than that and your body won’t actually have time to break down the nutrients from your meal for use. Consider what you eat pre-game as well. You may be interested to know that while high-fiber foods can be a good thing, too much in this area during your pregame meal will leave your athlete with a stomach ache when the activity begins. After games, lean proteins and carbohydrates are a good option, as that’s when you’re really replenishing the lost calories from athletic activity. Keep in mind that unless your child was involved in intense activity for over 2 hours, you probably don’t need to go overboard with “refilling” them, just make smart decisions on eating good food. Instead of stopping by the fast food drive-thru on the way home, stop by the local grocer and pickup a balanced meal of meat, vegetables, fruits and grains for dinner. Remember that a good mix of these foods through the day and week will help your athlete replenish lost energy while growing strong and being ready to compete.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I know this isn’t always the easiest thing to accomplish, as schedules, cost and your child’s appetite can get in the way of plans for the best intentioned parents. It goes without saying that your child probably isn’t going to choose a fruit or vegetable over post-game french fries or pizza. Still, there are many tremendous resources out there to help you keep your young athlete well fed on any budget or circumstance. I was particularly impressed by the resources from United States Youth Soccer, who have an online manual titled <i>Feeding the Young Athlete</i> that can be found on their website (<a href="http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/assets/1/15/FeedingTheYoungAthlete.pdf"><span class="s2">click here</span></a>). Other resources we liked included the “We Can!” initiative by the US Department of Health & Human Services, which includes helpful charts like the “<a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/downloads/go-slow-whoa.pdf"><span class="s2">Go, Slow and Whoa</span></a>” initiative regarding healthy foods for kids. Jill Castle also has an <a href="http://jillcastle.com/"><span class="s2">insightful blog</span></a> and books we’ll reference below with tips and information.</span></div>
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<span class="s2"><u><b>Hydration</b></u></span><br />
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<span class="s1">Hydration is another issue worth exploring. Most of us understand that because our children sweat, they lose liquids and need to replenish those liquids. We understand that dangers of dehydration and pay close attention to our kids no matter the time of year, understanding they sweat in all temperatures. Yet we might not know exactly how much they need to drink to be hydrated, when they need to drink it, and what they should be drinking. Further, savvy marketers send a lot of mixed messages in this regard. Lets answer each of these questions.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">How much water should your youngster be drinking? An easy way to determine this is to weigh them before and after a practice or game. Children can lose as many as 5 pounds during 1-2 hours of competition. The rule of thumb is that children (and adults!) should be drinking at least 16 ounces of fluids for every pound lost. Furthermore, they should be drinking these fluids well in advance, during and after participating in a practice or game. As our CYO Athletic Trainers would tell you, just before or during the game is too late to maximize their performance on the field or court. In addition to keeping your kids regularly hydrated, make sure they drink more fluids the day before the game and up to 2 hours prior to game-time. Then assure they are drinking fluids on the sideline and afterwards to replenish those lost during play. The same goes for intense practices. The easiest way to determine if your own child is well hydrated is urine color - remind them that it should be light or clear, a darker yellow means not enough liquids and a truly dark color is a sign of dehydration. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">That brings us to <i>what </i>your child should be drinking to stay well hydrated and replenish fluids. Here’s the unpopular answer: water. More explicitly, your child does not need sports drinks, energy drinks, or any other kind of well-advertised beverage. They need water. In fact, it’s entirely possible that sports drinks actually have <i>negative</i> effects for kids (and your wallet). Remember the conversation about sugar and empty calories above? A regular 20 ounce bottle of Gatorade contains as much as 130 calories and 34 grams of sugar (5)</span><span class="s3"><sup></sup></span><span class="s1">. Consider that many kids are drinking the larger bottle of gatorade and that’s as many as 10 teaspoons of sugar in a bottle. According to the American Heart Association, the average teenager should be taking in no more than 5-8 teaspoons of added sugar each <i>day</i>. It’s significantly less than that for kids under 8 years old, and the average recommended intake is less for girls than boys (6)</span><span class="s3"><sup></sup></span><span class="s1">. If I’m doing my math correctly, that sports drink may have just maxed out your child’s sugar intake for the full day without actually adding any nutrients they need. Needless to say isn’t the best option for your child.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">To be fair, there is a benefit to sports drinks and their high sugar volume for very high level athletes at the college and professional levels. In that case, athletes are training or playing for hours at a time at a level of intensity that far outpaces any child’s sport, no matter how talented. Yet the marketing efforts of these companies and grocery stores would have you believe sports drinks provide benefits for athletes of every age and skill level, which simply isn’t the case. More and more, doctors and athletic trainers are encouraging parents to skip the sugar and drink plain, boring water. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">A word here on energy drinks as well, which most parents probably don’t equate with youth sports but which kids do at increasingly alarming levels. To be clear, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), among others, specifically recommend that energy drinks of all kinds be avoided by all children. A 2011 report by the AAP concluded that children should “never” consume energy drinks because of the health risks cause by the stimulants they contain (7)</span><span class="s3"><sup></sup></span><span class="s1">. That reported consumption of these drinks by children is still growing belies an alarming trend. The fact is that a single energy drink could have the caffeine equivalent of 14 cans of soda, or more. For some parents simply knowing the difference between sports drinks and energy drinks is critical - after all, most of us didn’t grow up with energy drinks the way they are sold now. Still, these energy drinks are mainstream, well marketed, and often seem like an innocent source of energy to kids before or after they compete in a sport. Do your child a favor and make sure they know the dangers of energy drinks. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">It may be best to avoid both sports and energy drinks all together. Water may be boring but after thousands of years it’s still our best source of hydration.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Here’s a category I bet many of you thought about skipping over, since it doesn’t seem like a major issue for youth sports in America. I recently thought the same thing, figuring that recent scandals in our professional leagues and the efforts of those leagues to educate on the dangers of steroids had probably cleaned up this issue in younger children. I was startled to learn how wrong I was. According to a recent presentation by Jill Castle that I attended, 3-8% of high school boys and .5-3% of high school girls now use steroids, and the average starting age is 14 years old (8)</span><span class="s3"><sup></sup></span><span class="s1">. That means that of the 7.8 million kids who participated in American high school sports in 2013-2014, as many as 362,000 boys and 98,000 girls are taking steroids to improve athletic performance. That figure startled me. Worse yet, the numbers are growing. The use of anabolic steroids grew from just 2% of middle school and high school students in 2009 to 5% last year (thats 1 in 20 children!). Human Growth Hormone, or HGH, a synthetic hormone that is believed to improve athletic performance, increased to 200% in the past two years to use by 11% of high schoolers. These dangerous substances are out there and being used.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Needless to say the negative health effects of steroids are numerous and include everything from liver damage to severe hormonal issues at ages where teenagers are still very much growing and developing. I don't intend to dive any deeper into the steroids issue here, except to encourage you to talk to your kids about the danger of steroids and assure they understand this issue. They just aren't worth the risk.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">A more common issue for adolescent (and some younger) athletes is the question of supplements. The term itself has a wide range of meanings and connotations. Here, we’ll limit our conversation to over-the-counter supplements and products you can buy at your local grocery store, Costco, or GNC. As that description implies, these are things that are easily accessible. They are well-marketed, mainstream products that don’t have any of the negative stigma of steroids. These are things like protein powders, creatine, amino acids, even multivitamins. Perhaps multivitamins are harmless enough (even if recent reports provide conflicting information of their benefit), so lets briefly focus on some of the others.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">I would argue the most popular supplement among young athletes are likely protein powders. Whether in the form of shakes, bars or foods, supplementing protein an an attempt to build muscle has become a popular activity among adolescent athletes. Last year, over 20% of female high school athletes and over 33% of male high school athletes reported using protein powders. Many coaches even recommend these as a way for the athlete to grow stronger while working out. They seem harmless enough and most parents understand that protein is a good thing for growing kids. With that in mind, it may be interesting to see the following facts:</span></div>
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<li>There appears to be no research at this point that suggests protein powders have any benefit to the young athletes body.</li>
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<li>While protein powders might help your athlete add weight, it’s almost always in the form of fat and not the lean muscle he or she is trying to add.</li>
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<li>The use of protein supplements has recently been shown to have “significant negative effects on hydration and the heart” (8). </li>
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<li>Most kids likely meet their protein needs by as much as 200% daily in their regular diet.</li>
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<span class="s1">Protein shakes seem to be unnecessary at best and dangerous to your child’s body at worst. So what about the other supplements growing in popularity? How about some more bullet points:</span></div>
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<li>The AAP and ACSM recommend that nobody under the age of 18 use creatine, a popular supplement that can cause weight gain, digestive problems, dehydration and kidney problems, among other issues.</li>
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<li>A child last year who was taken to the hospital after taking creatine and drinking an energy drink showed the liver profile of an extreme alcoholic.</li>
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<li>Amino acids can cause extreme dehydration and kidney problems as well as interfere with metabolism. </li>
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<li>According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), over 25% of over-the-counter supplements may be contaminated (8).</li>
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<span class="s1">I could go on, but you see some of the risks involved. I’m certainly not a doctor, so I’m relying on reputable sources (including actual physicians) to make these points. The key when it comes to supplements is that you talk to your child’s physician before making any decisions about what they should or shouldn’t take. While coaches can be well meaning, most of them aren’t doctors either and many don't have a full-time athletic trainer present to help in this area. It’s also important to note that some products that may be perfectly fine for a fully grown adult - and provide label information on safety and recommended dosage accordingly - can have negative effects on anyone under 18 years old. It’s best for you to consult your child’s physician before making any decisions. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">The areas touched on here are critical to consider when assuring your child has a safe and healthy experience in youth sports. They’re also important to allowing a child to maximize his or her potential in a given sport. Proper nutrition and hydration allows a child to better focus and compete at his or her highest level, sustaining energy and skill throughout a practice or contest. Too often I talk with coaches who lament children who come to practices or games lethargic from having not eaten that day, or eaten poorly. Breakfast is a commonly skipped meal that can have negative effects on the field if that child arrives to a Saturday game having not eaten. As one blog I read during my research noted, the parent who tosses a child their breakfast as they get out of the car at the game is already too late (and probably not eating the healthiest food). For that matter, all meals are important for growing children and even more important for kids who are losing calories (energy) through active participation in athletics. Staying hydrated and doing so well in advance of competition is critical to performing at your best. These things have an overall effect on the child - whether at school, home, practices and games, or any other activity.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">As I mentioned at the beginning of this piece, getting your child involved in youth sports is a great thing. It’s a tremendous first step in encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle that will keep him or her going until an old age. We all want what’s best for our children, and youth sports can certainly be a great benefit to the entire family. We simply need to be aware that once involved, there’s a world of important factors to consider in assuring a safe, healthy experience. In our CYO programs, we strive to provide resources through links on our website, pieces such as this, and our dedicated athletic trainers who specialize in this domain. These trainers are now at all Cross Country, Track and Field, and Football games, with more sports on the way. They are happy to provide care and advice for youth athletes of all ages. Furthermore, our relationship with Safe KC (who provides our trainers) will continue to provide exciting initiatives and resources for our families. I would encourage other organizations to consider adding athletic trainers if they don’t already have them available. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Anyone can visit our website at <a href="http://www.cyojwa.org/"><span class="s2">www.cyojwa.org</span></a> and check out our resources under the Health and Safety portal. More resources are coming, including video clips with our trainers that focus on some of the same topics we’re discussing in this series. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Until next time, be sure to provide your thoughts and feedback on this topic. We want to encourage healthy dialogue about the best ways to care for our young athletes and we welcome your input. We know all parents simply want what’s best for their children and we’re pleased to provide resources to help you in that journey. Consider these important nutrition topics during your child’s next sports season and lets keep youth sports fun, healthy and exciting for all our children!</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>Coming soon, the third installment of our Causes for Concern in Youth Sports series. Don’t forget to get involved in the conversation during this entire series by logging on to facebook.com/CYOJWA and Twitter @CYOJWA.</i></span></div>
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<ol>
<li>Kroen, Gretchen. Kids Sugar Cravings Might Be Biological. NPR. 26 Sept. 2011. Web. 15 April 2015. <<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/09/26/140753048/kids-sugar-cravings-might-be-biological"><span class="s2">http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/09/26/140753048/kids-sugar-cravings-might-be-biological</span></a>></li>
<li>Nelson and Zaratzsky. Kids and sugar - The good, the bad and the ugly. Mayo Clinic. 21 March 2012. Web. 16 April 2015. <<a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-blog/kids-and-sugar/bgp-20056149"><span class="s2">http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-blog/kids-and-sugar/bgp-20056149</span></a>></li>
<li>Gavin, Mary M.D. Feeding Your Child Athlete. <a href="http://kidshealth.org/"><span class="s2">KidsHealth.org</span></a>. Nov. 2011. Web. 15 April 2015. <<a href="http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/dietary_needs/feed_child_athlete.html#"><span class="s2">http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/dietary_needs/feed_child_athlete.html#</span></a>></li>
<li>United States Department of Agriculture. Tips to help you eat whole grains. Web. 16 April 2015. <<a href="http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/grains-tips.html"><span class="s2">http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/grains-tips.html</span></a>></li>
<li>Label of Gatorade Perform - Fruit Punch Flavor. 20 ounce bottle.</li>
<li>The American Heart Association. Sugars, Added Sugars and Sweeteners. Web. 16 April 2015. <<a href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Sugars-Added-Sugars-and-Sweeteners_UCM_303296_Article.jsp"><span class="s2">http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Sugars-Added-Sugars-and-Sweeteners_UCM_303296_Article.jsp</span></a>></li>
<li>Schneider and Benjamin. Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks for Children and Adolescents: Are they Appropriate? Committee on Nutrition and the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Published 29 May 2011. Web. 16 April 2015. <<a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/05/25/peds.2011-0965.full.pdf"><span class="s2">http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/05/25/peds.2011-0965.full.pdf</span></a>></li>
<li>Castle, Jill MS, RD. Diet and Energy: Where Athletes Go Wrong. 2015 Youth Sports Safety Summit. Arlington, TX. 2 March 2015.</li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-38263609382225808962015-02-18T07:55:00.001-08:002015-04-16T14:50:39.214-07:00The Rise of Specialization in Youth Sports (Part 2 of 2)<br />
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</section><section class=" section--last" name="fe03" style="clear: both; letter-spacing: 0.159999996423721px; padding-bottom: 5px; position: relative;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.159999996423721px;"><i>[Editor's Note: This is the second part of a two part series. You can read the first part by clicking <a href="http://cyojwa.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-rise-of-specialization-in-youth.html" target="_blank">here</a>.]</i></span></section><section class=" section--last" name="fe03" style="clear: both; letter-spacing: 0.159999996423721px; padding-bottom: 5px; position: relative;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.159999996423721px;"><br /></span></section><section class=" section--last" name="fe03" style="clear: both; letter-spacing: 0.159999996423721px; padding-bottom: 5px; position: relative;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.159999996423721px;">Now what about the risks of early specialization? I will address this in three areas: injury risk, emotional/mental concerns, and social behavior. Injury risk is perhaps the area getting the most attention as of late, with esteemed doctors and medical journals reporting a variety of medical risks associated with early specialization. A simple Google search will lead you to nearly 200,000 articles correlating specialization with a dramatic rise in youth sports injuries. The aforementioned American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) led by Dr. John DiFiori has taken a strong position on this topic, as have numerous other organizations. The AMSSM focuses on what it calls “overuse injuries”, noting that estimates in 2014 placed the range of overuse injuries to acute injuries at 45.9% — 54%(</span><strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong" style="letter-spacing: 0.159999996423721px;">10</strong><span style="letter-spacing: 0.159999996423721px;">). Though the AMSSM is careful to point out that a direct relationship has not been confirmed, they note a variety of risk factors and cite a very real concern about overuse injuries being caused by early specialization and intense training. Plenty of their colleagues agree.</span></section><br />
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If you think about it, this makes quite a bit of sense. Our children’s bodies are developing constantly from birth and take on major changes during adolescence. If a child participates in a diverse set of sports and activities, he or she is working a variety of different muscles, joints and bones. This type of diverse physical activity has been shown to be quite healthy for children; its one of the reasons why sports are such a great activity and why we have physical education in our schools. However, if a child plays only one sport and does so intensely several days each week, then he or she is repeatedly working the same muscles, joints and bones in high frequency.</div>
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What medical research is beginning to show is that our children’s bodies simply aren’t ready for that type of repetition before they are developed to a certain point.</blockquote>
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Two recent examples come to mind on this topic: injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in teenage girls, and elbow or shoulder injuries in boys playing baseball.</div>
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Studies have demonstrated that female athletes are already anywhere from 2–10 times as likely to tear their ACL than male counterparts(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">11</strong>), and early specialization seems to come with an increased risk of wear and tear on those ligaments from sports where cutting and pivoting are common (i.e. volleyball, basketball, soccer, etc). Some doctors have gone so far as to decry this an epidemic(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">12</strong>). The same research indicated that young athletes who specialized were as much as 70% — 93% more likely to be injured. On the male side, one can look to America’s pastime for evidence of overuse injury. A 2013 study out of the University of Louisville made a direct correlation between elbow injuries in young male athletes and overuse, citing the “frequency and intensity” of repeated throwing motions prior to “skeletal maturity” as the reason for these injuries(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">13</strong>). The study focused on baseball but was quick to point out that it could be true of any sport that involves young boys throwing an object repeatedly.</div>
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It’s interesting to note that none of these studies seem to correlate injury epidemics to merely participating in a traditional sports season. Certainly injuries can occur in all sports, but these studies cite words like <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">intense</em>,<em class="markup--em markup--p-em">frequent </em>and <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">exclusive </em>use at a young age, which sounds like the definition of specializing in a particular sport.</div>
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The sad truth is that our society is working our young athletes to the point of injury, which can be attributed directly to early specialization.</blockquote>
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The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) has released a statement addressing this issue and makes recommendations to parents and coaches to counter the concerns. While addressing similar injury research to that noted here, NASPEs states that “involving oneself across a range of sports — with breaks and needed recuperative time between sport seasons — is the most effective way to enhance long-term health and skill development, as well as to enable young people to meet the physical demands of competitive sport.(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">14</strong>)” We have to let children mature before their bodies are ready to handle the stress of specialization</div>
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The risks go beyond physical injury. Concerns about the mental and emotional toll on specialized athletes are becoming more prevalent. Sports psychologists, long employed in professional and college athletics, have joined with child psychologists to study the effects of youth sports participation on children. Their studies have ranged from long-term affects on personality and cognitive development to simply understanding what impact competitive sports participation has on children at different ages. As it pertains to early specialization, the concerns center around unhealthy amounts of stress and burnout.</div>
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Stress is something that most adults are used to dealing with at this point. We balance our lives between a healthy amount of stress, which keeps us going, and too much stress, which leaves us in poor health. We all realize that children shouldn’t be dealing with stress, yet those who specialize are clearly demonstrating high levels of mentally stressful activity. Some of this stress simply comes from the amount of time they spend with the particular activity — if a child is constantly either in school, at practice or doing homework, the child will feel stress because he or she has little time to decompress from constant work. Family pressures can also contribute to this stress. Well meaning parents spend hours volunteering and coaching to provide children these opportunities, but their expectations are simply different than the child. According to a well traveled article by Dr. Lenny Wiersma way back in the year 2000,</div>
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“sport is often organized around the values and expectations of adults, which are quite different from those of children. While adults value the achievement outcomes of specialized sport participation, children do not place the same importance on external rewards, nor is it likely that these outcomes are enough for a child to choose involvement in a sport at the relative costs involved, such as moving long distances and leaving family to train with a particular coach.(<strong class="markup--strong markup--pullquote-strong">15</strong>)”</blockquote>
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It’s also worth noting that if the actual financial cost of participation is a burden on the family, the child may feel responsibility for that as well. Most families certainly don’t intend to add stress to their child’s life or consider this when deciding to specialize. Sports are fun! Yet the reality is that the practice of early specialization has been shown to create unhealthy levels of stress that can have detrimental long-term affects.</div>
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Perhaps the most discussed of these effects is burnout among youth athletes. Simply put, burnout comes when the child ceases to participate in an activity or sports all-together because they are mentally and physically exhausted. In a recent guest post with the NCAA Sports Science Institute, psychologist Keith A. Kaufman defined this as follows: “What leads to burnout is too much training stress coupled with too little recovery. Training stress can come from a variety of sources on and off the field, such as physical, travel, time, academic or social demands.(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">16</strong>)” Anyone who has participated in our local CYO programs is familiar with the burnout statistics I share with coaches and parents, courtesy the Play Like a Champion Today program at the University of Notre Dame. Their survey of youth sports demonstrates that at least 70% of children will drop out of sports all-together by the age of 13(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">17</strong>), a statistic that is trending upward according to recent statistics. Experts say that burnout is becoming a much more significant issue at the high school and college levels and attribute this to early specialization. Even the NCAA has gotten involved, with Chief Medical Officer Brian Hainline, M.D. addressing the issue of youth sports and creating a Mental Health Task Force to address the needs of athletes coming into the college level. Even if a specialized athlete makes it to the highest level, he or she is simply exhausted. There have been many examples of student-athletes who simply get to college and quit their sport. What’s more, the affect of burnout isn’t simply the end of one’s athletic career. Long-term effects have been shown to include depression, lower levels of extrinsic motivation, and higher rates of adult inactivity (leading to further health issues). The same stress that causes burnout can also lead to limitations in a child’s maturation and behavioral development.</div>
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The final risk to mention is centered on social factors. While there is less research on this area than the previous risks associated with early specialization, there is convincing evidence that specialization is a detriment to a child’s social behavior and development. T.W. Rowland wrote nearly two decades ago that “the hours of intense training might interfere with normal social relationships, development of self-concept, and educational opportunities.(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">18</strong>)” Others have noted “social isolation(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">19</strong>)” and also the reality that for these athletes, social contact “is largely limited to the athletes who train together, and the interactions that occur in high-level sport during training are minimal.(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">20</strong>)” This all adds to concerns about specialized athletes growing up with a narrow identity and without the social development of a child participating in a more diverse set of activities. In affect, specializing can actually take away some of the social characteristics of youth sport considered most beneficial to children.</div>
<div class="graf--p" id="a793" name="a793" style="margin-bottom: 30px;">
So if there’s no benefit to early specialization and significant risks involved, why are so many families having their children specialize at a young age? Furthermore, what can we do about this trend? Let’s examine the first question for a moment before determining how we can address this concern.</div>
<div class="graf--p" id="eea8" name="eea8" style="margin-bottom: 30px;">
I believe the answer behind why so many people choose to specialize lies with two factors: money and pressure.</div>
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Youth sports are big business and there are millions of dollars put into recruiting kids to high level teams each year.</blockquote>
<div class="graf--p" id="0a26" name="0a26" style="margin-bottom: 30px;">
Teams are run by programs that benefit from major sponsorships by the likes of Nike, Adidas, Under Armour and so on. It pays to participate in as many tournaments and events as possible, which provide exposure and helps to recruit more talented kids and more sponsors. In fact, many of the same companies that sponsor organizations and teams (helping provide equipment and cover costs) also run tournaments all over the country. Thus the cycle of year-round demand for specialization. These major companies have proven pretty savvy when it comes to selling their products, which is an expertise they have utilized to market youth sports as well. We’re being sold by some of the best marketers in the world.</div>
<div class="graf--p" id="5320" name="5320" style="margin-bottom: 30px;">
In addition, for even well-meaning coaches and program leaders, the club programs where specialization occurs are clearly businesses and must be run accordingly. To maximize business requires playing frequently and winning games, which we know places additional demands on the time of everyone involved. The most prestigious programs are very successful at all of this and others follow suit. In a way, it’s the new American dream, achieving individual and team success on a national level. It should come as no surprise then, that few of the major players in the youth sports industry are speaking out about the potential dangers of early specialization, since it’s simply working too well from a business perspective. There’s no incentive to slow down when the machine is running so smoothly.</div>
<div class="graf--p" id="1239" name="1239" style="margin-bottom: 30px;">
That’s where the pressure comes in. No matter how much money is changing hands at the highest level, in order for a team to form it requires parents to make a decision that this path is best for their child. When so many sources are telling you that early specialization is a requirement to your child’s future athletic success, good parents are bound to listen. There’s pressure from retailers, pressure from programs, and pressure from other parents. The sad truth is, many good parents are trying hard to justify the money and time they are committing to the activity. I recently had a parent of some young children approach me and express that he has been getting interest from club programs about one of his young children.</div>
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New to the area, he wondered if there was any truth to what these parents and coaches were saying: that the only chance his child had to earn a roster spot at one of our local Catholic high schools was to join a particular team and begin to specialize in that sport.</blockquote>
<div class="graf--p" id="2f21" name="2f21" style="margin-bottom: 30px;">
This family is many years from high school, but already being pressured into thinking they must consider their child’s athletic future if they want their child to “succeed” as a teenager.</div>
<div class="graf--p" id="92e9" name="92e9" style="margin-bottom: 30px;">
The irony in all of this are the two groups perhaps most opposed to early specialization: high school and college coaches. These are coaches at the top amateur levels nationwide, who serve as ambassadors for a sport from neighborhoods to international competition. They simply don’t like the direction things are taking, for the kids and for their sport. The reasons for this can be self-serving of course, kids who have not specialized when they arrive in high school and college are better all-around athletes and don’t suffer from injury or burnout. Yet those seem like pretty good reasons. High school coaches lament kids who have been taught a single way of doing something (sometimes the wrong way) and resist the teaching environment of high school programs. They express concern about programs that place so much emphasis on winning that kids don’t know how to learn new skills once they’ve grown into a new teenage body. College coaches have long decried the challenges of recruiting kids whose bodies are broken down and who are mentally exhausted. Last summer, more than one major college coach I spoke with made it clear to me that their best athletes — and certainly best leaders — played multiple sports all the way through high school. Knowing where I work now, both sets of coaches have asked me on many occasions to warn parents against early specialization and encourage involvement in a diverse set of sports and activities from a young age.</div>
<div class="graf--p" id="1e76" name="1e76" style="margin-bottom: 30px;">
I have often discussed with these same individuals how we go about addressing the culture of early specialization. How do we fix this? While I’ve received more than one pessimistic answer lamenting the big money involved, most believe the key involves educating families and helping parents to make more informed decisions for their children when it comes to youth sports. This goes back to a point made earlier in this piece: it all comes down to a decision. No matter the pressure or sales pitch involved, if parents understand the risks of early specialization and see the benefits of participating in multiple sports, they’ll do what’s best for their children. In doing so, they’ll turn to organizations that support a positive, multi-sport approach and steer clear of the programs pressuring them to commit to specializing. Further, if kids understand the risks and benefits, they are more than capable of being involved in the decision as well. While the allure of joining a “special” team can be intoxicating, more often than not its the kids who have the right priorities when it comes to sports. They would rather spend time in different activities, play with a diverse set of friends, and avoid the injuries and exhaustion that come from specializing.</div>
<div class="graf--p" id="3ab8" name="3ab8" style="margin-bottom: 30px;">
Practically speaking, the guidelines put forth by NASPE suggests that in addition to encouraging kids under 15 to play multiple sports and find out what they enjoy, participation in a single sport should not last longer than 3 months at a time(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">21</strong>). I support this assessment. They also promote seeking out coaches who have their priorities in order: coaches who understand that it’s not about high school rosters or college scholarships, it’s about learning and growing in virtue and skill during the current season. Seek out coaches who encourage kids to not only fall in love with their current sport, but to seek out other sports/activities to find out what you truly enjoy. A coach with the right priorities isn’t going to ask your child to give up other activities they enjoy at a young age, no matter how talented he or she may be. Finally, look for coaches and teams that emphasize the aspect of play. Not play in terms of the frequency of practices and games necessarily — a common pitch for specialization — but true, deliberate play in the essence of the sport. Changing the Game Project is a unique initiative created by John O’Sullivan with the mission of “returning youth sports to our children.” A former athlete and long-time coach, O’Sullivan is an author and speaker — he even has a TED Talk on the topic that you can see on his website. He’s also a man who understands the dangers of early specialization. In an article on specialization, he notes a difference between what’s called “deliberate play” and “deliberate practice.” The former maximizes enjoyment and has been shown to increase “motor skills, emotional stability and creativity”. The latter “practices” are motivated by “performance enhancement and not enjoyment”(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">22</strong>). Play gets to the purpose and goal of sport, the latter is a key hallmark of early specialization.</div>
<div class="graf--p" id="38dc" name="38dc" style="margin-bottom: 30px;">
The problem right now is that not enough people are sharing this information. There are plenty of programs available in all sports that have the right approach, but those programs are being outsold by those promoting the idea of specializing at an early age. These programs are promising guaranteed skill enhancement, games against the best competition, and exposure to high school and college coaches looking for athletes. It certainly sounds enticing, but we should know better. That’s why we need to band together and promote an alternative. We need to make the joys and benefits of multi-sport participation just as enticing to parents and kids alike, while educating parents on the risks associated with early specialization. This isn’t a self-serving idea, as CYO certainly is not the only game in town capable of leading families in this direction. There are plenty of options here and there could be many more. Remember the “big business” and savvy marketers involved in youth sports? They’re not going to give up if families begin to move away from early specialization. Many programs are going to adapt and create more opportunities catered to what families are looking for. Ideally it works well for everyone.</div>
<div class="graf--p" id="3fdd" name="3fdd" style="margin-bottom: 30px;">
All this begins with people like you sharing information with friends and family, encouraging them to consider the benefits of participating in multiple sports and saving specialization until at least high school. Even if it’s not ideal, past 15 years old it might actually have the desired benefit if the child truly wishes to devote themselves to a single sport. A movement starts with parents who are fed up with a poor experience deciding that it’s not too late to switch programs and assure their child has a diverse youth sports experience. It also starts with youth sports organizations and communities like ours working together through creative partnerships and shared education initiatives to promote a better environment for our children. If we have the ability, we should work to promote initiatives by state high school associations, the NCAA and other sports governing bodies that discourage early specialization and advocate for a diverse and fun-centered youth sports experience. Many organizations beginning to do just that, including our own CYO.</div>
<div class="graf--p" id="f9fe" name="f9fe" style="margin-bottom: 30px;">
Finally, we should volunteer ourselves to coach our children. Seriously. One of the interesting side affects of early specialization is that as a society we’re handing our children over more and more to so-called “expert” coaches who claim to have great depths of experience in a given sport. These coaches may or may not have as much experience as they claim, but it doesn’t really matter. What’s interesting is that some of the absolute best coaches begin with limited to no experience at all with the sport they coach. Instead, they begin with an eagerness to learn and a desire to teach their own kids and others the virtue, skills and fun that sport can offer. These coaches are the ones who continually have the greatest impact on the kids involved; they are usually the coaches cited by elite athletes for teaching them to love the game at a young age. They understand the need to get involved in multiple activities and encourage the kids to find out what else they enjoy. Most importantly, it turns out that the best coach in the world for a child is Mom or Dad. Whether you realize it or not, your children would likely rather play for you than anyone else. If more parents volunteer to coach at the youngest levels and encourage fun in a wide range of experiences, early specialization won’t seem quite so attractive.</div>
<div class="graf--p" id="0754" name="0754" style="margin-bottom: 30px;">
I think it’s fair to conclude from our research that early specialization is a dangerous path wherein the risks far outweigh the perceived benefits. It is important that we work to educate families on this topic and work to promote a youth sports experience that is positive and beneficial for children of all skill levels and backgrounds. In addition to the suggestions made here, there are likely many more unique ways you can combat early specialization in your own families and communities. I encourage you to consider your own children and whether or not their teams promote a healthy approach that includes many different sports and activities. I would also encourage you to research this topic on your own. Seek out other sources and speak to coaches or educators you know who may have insight into this arena. Discern how your own involvement could assure your child has the best possible experience. While I hope our work can be educational, it’s ultimately up to those of us who are parents to weigh the benefits and risks of specialization before deciding which path we want our children to take. I hope that the information provided here can help families to make decisions that positively impact their child’s experience in sport and lead to a lifetime of participation. Our kids deserve as much.</div>
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<em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Coming Soon…The second topic in our look at Causes for Concern in Youth Sports. Don’t forget to get involved in the conversation during this entire series by logging on to </em><a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="http://facebook.com/CYOJWA" href="http://facebook.com/CYOJWA" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 75%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8) 75%); background-position: 0px 24px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 2px 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em">facebook.com/CYOJWA</em></a><em class="markup--em markup--p-em"> and Twitter @CYOJWA.</em></div>
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*Endnotes</blockquote>
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(10) John P. DiFiori, MD,* Holly J. Benjamin, MD, Joel Brenner, MD, MPH, Andrew Gregory, MD, Neeru Jayanthi, MD,¶ Greg L. Landry, MD, and Anthony Luke, MD, MPH. <span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">Overuse Injuries and Burnout in Youth Sports: A Position Statement from the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. </span>Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, Volume 24, Number 1. January 2014. Accessed January 30, 2015.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="graf--blockquote" id="efc7" name="efc7" style="border-left-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.01rem; margin: -30px 0px 30px -23px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 20px; padding-top: 30px;">
(11) Hewett, Timothy E., Ph.D. <span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">Why women have an increased risk of ACL injury. </span>American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. November 2010.<a class="markup--anchor markup--blockquote-anchor" data-href="http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/nov10/research3.asp" href="http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/nov10/research3.asp" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 75%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8) 75%); background-position: 0px 24px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 2px 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/nov10/research3.asp</a>. Accessed January 30, 2015.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="graf--blockquote" id="9299" name="9299" style="border-left-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.01rem; margin: -30px 0px 30px -23px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 20px; padding-top: 30px;">
(12) Abstract. <span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">Young female athletes suffering epidemic of ACL knee injuries.</span>Loyola University Health System. April 30, 2014. Accessed January 30, 2015.</blockquote>
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(13) Gregory, Bonnie and Nyland, John. <span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">Medial Elbow Injury in Young Throwing Athletes. </span>Muscles, Tendons and Ligaments Journal. April — June 2013. Accessed January 29, 2015.</blockquote>
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(14) <span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">Guidelines for Participation in Youth Sports Programs: Specialization Versus Multiple-Sport Participation. </span>National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). Accessed January 29, 2015.</blockquote>
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(15) Wiersma, Lenny D. <span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">Risks and Benefits of Youth Sport Specialization: Perspectives and Recommendations. </span>Pediatric Exercise Science. 2000. Accessed January 29, 2015.</blockquote>
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(16) Kaufman, Keith A. Ph.D. Research via Metzler, J. (2002). <span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">Understanding Student-Athlete Burnout. </span>Applying motivational principles to individual athletes. In J. M. Silva & D. E. Stevens (Eds.), Psychological foundations of sport (pp. 80–106). Boston:Allyn and Bacon. January 30, 2015.</blockquote>
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(17) <span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">Play Like a Champion Today: Coach as Ministry Initiative. </span>Video. Play Like a Champion Today Program at the University of Notre Dame. 2012.</blockquote>
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(18) Rowland, T.W. Counseling the young athlete: where do we draw the line? Ped. Exec Sci. 9:197–201, 1997. January 29, 2015.</blockquote>
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(19) Tofler, I.R., B.K. Stryer, L.J. Micheli, and L.R. Herman. Physical and emotional problems of elite female gymnasts. New England J. Med. 335(4):281–283, 1996. January 30, 2015.</blockquote>
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(20) Wiersma, Lenny D. <span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">Risks and Benefits of Youth Sport Specialization: Perspectives and Recommendations. </span>Pediatric Exercise Science. 2000. Accessed January 29, 2015.</blockquote>
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(21) <span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">Guidelines for Participation in Youth Sports Programs: Specialization Versus Multiple-Sport Participation. </span>National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). Accessed January 29, 2015.</blockquote>
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(22) O’Sullivan, John. <span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">Is it Wise to Specialize?</span><a class="markup--anchor markup--blockquote-anchor" data-href="http://www.changingthegameproject.com/is-it-wise-to-specialize/" href="http://www.changingthegameproject.com/is-it-wise-to-specialize/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 75%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8) 75%); background-position: 0px 24px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 2px 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.changingthegameproject.com/is-it-wise-to-specialize/</a>. Accessed January 31, 2015.</blockquote>
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</section>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-24797743030390511062015-02-11T11:20:00.000-08:002015-02-11T11:25:40.689-08:00From the Director's Desk 2.5.14<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h3>
<b>Dear CYO Community,</b></h3>
<br />
It's been a busy few weeks here in the CYO Office with basketball season in full swing. Happy to have the chance to write once again to update you on all things CYO. Thankfully, my time has not been spent observing the radar to see if weather will prevent games on the weekend, as we have been blessed with amazing Saturdays. With the forecast this weekend predicting 70 degrees and sunshine, the trick will be keeping everyone in the gyms from moving outside!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Please help CYO fill Catholic Charities’ Food Pantries!</b><br />
<br />
Starting the weekend of February 6th running through the weekend of March 6th, CYO will have<br />
barrels available at all CYO basketball games for food collection. Barrels will be marked with school<br />
names, so support your favorite Catholic school by adding your food donation to the bin marked<br />
with your school’s name. Schools will join one of three teams and race to collect the most food!<br />
<br />
Please visit this link for a list of our most needed food items: <a href="http://www.catholiccharitiesks.org/mostneededpantryitems">www.catholiccharitiesks.org/mostneededpantryitems</a><br />
<br />
Are you in need of service hours? To volunteer to help load/unload food during the CYO food drives, please contact Michelle Carlstedt at 913.433.2080 or mcarlstedt@catholiccharitiesks.org.<br />
<br />
<b>Basketball Season Update</b><br />
<br />
Basketball season is going along smoothly to this point, and with the calendar turning to February we are fast approaching our final stretch of games. For High School Basketball leagues, this Saturday, February 7th represents the last day games count toward postseason seeds. Once scores are posted, we will seed teams based on performance so far and create the postseason tournament bracket. Those single elimination games will begin on Saturday, February 21st and wrap up with championship games at three sites on Monday, March 2nd. Meanwhile the 5th-8th grade teams will be seeded at our February 16th "Seeding Committee" meeting based on results through February 14th. 5th-8th grade tournaments take place from February 26th - March 7th. Catch all that? We're headed toward another furious finish...<br />
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I also want to take a moment to mention a couple of events that have/are taking place. Last Saturday, January 31st, we held the 2015 8th Grade Mo-Kan Shootout in a new location at the College Basketball Experience downtown. The wonderful facility attached to the Sprint Center provided a great backdrop for this annual event. The Missouri teams won the day this time, but nearly everyone was left talking about what a fun experience the day was for the kids. We plan to go back in the future, so be sure to check it out.<br />
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Don't forget that after our tournaments wrap-up on March 7th the basketball fun doesn't end. This year's annual Runnin' Revs game takes place on Monday, March 9th at 7:00pm at Bishop Miege High School. For the un-initiated, this game pits a crew of 8th grade and high school all-stars from our CYO Community against a team of priests and seminarians from the Archdiocese. It's always a blast to watch and fun for all ages. Bring your family and come to watch our priests attempt to dunk their way to another victory.<br />
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<b>Track and Field</b><br />
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With some of the great weather we've had, Track and Field season doesn't quite seem as far away as normal this time of year. Perhaps that's also because it will be starting a little sooner than normal anyway! Due to facility availability, our CYO Track and Field season will run from Saturday, March 28th through Saturday, April 25th (City Finals). Teams are forming at your parishes now, so get signed-up and get ready to run. This season is a family favorite and fun for kids in 3rd-8th grade. Even if your child doesn't think he or she is a runner, they will have a blast if they go out for this program. Let us know if you have any questions at the office.<br />
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<b>Prayer Requests</b><br />
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Finally, a quick thank you to everyone who participated in the Novena prayers for Mike Sweeney Sr a few weeks ago. The response we received to this request was phenomenal and a true testimony to the faith and love of this CYO Community. I had a chance to exchange emails with Mr. Sweeney a couple of weeks ago and he was "lifted up" by the amazing support in his battle against cancer.<br />
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I also bring this up to let you know that we're always accepting prayer requests for our CYO Community. As Catholics, we know that our prayers have tremendous power as we call upon the graces of our loving and compassionate God. Each week I take a Holy Hour with our Lord (Tuesdays at 8am!) and pray for our CYO Community. I welcome your requests each week via our social media channels or simply by emailing or calling the office. I'll be sure to take these with me into my time in the presence of Jesus. We are also working on a public platform for distributing requests as desired, but you're always welcome to use our social media channels for this purpose.<br />
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That's all for now. By the next time you hear from me we will likely be in the holy season of Lent. I pray that as all of us ready ourselves for this time of preparation, that we may receive the graces we need to serve Christ and make this a Lent of amazing blessings. Perhaps I'll touch more on that subject next time. For now, may God bless you and your families in all the days to come!<br />
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In Christ,<br />
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Peter Piscitello<br />
Executive Director, CYOAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-7428399235095332652015-02-11T09:08:00.001-08:002015-02-18T07:58:15.518-08:00The Rise of Specialization in Youth Sports (Part 1 of 2)<br />
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The Rise of Specialization in Youth Sports</h2>
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(Part 1 of 2)</h3>
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<em class="markup--em markup--p-em">[Editor’s Note: This is the first in the series “Causes for Concern: A Look at Today’s Youth Sports Culture.” You can read the introduction to the series by <a href="http://cyojwa.blogspot.com/2015/01/causes-for-concern-series-introduction.html" target="_blank">clicking here.</a>]</em></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.439216); font-family: jaf-bernino-sans, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: -0.02em; line-height: 1.2;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.439216); font-family: jaf-bernino-sans, 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium; letter-spacing: -0.02em; line-height: 1.2;">Nobody uses the word specialization to describe their child’s youth sports participation. Even as widespread as the practice is today, the term itself seems to have negative connotations.</span></div>
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We would prefer to talk about how our children are <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">dedicated </em>or <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">committed </em>to a sport, words that bring to mind a certain level of passion, focus and eminent success. <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Specialization </em>seems too mechanical, too limiting, as if we are confining a child rather than helping them to reach potential. Yet in youth sports, that’s exactly what is happening. As part of this series on causes for concern, let’s take a look at the idea of specialization. What is it? Where did it come from? What are the affects and should we be concerned?</div>
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When we speak about specialization, we’re referring to an individual committing almost exclusively to a single sport or activity. Early specialization (our primary focus here) refers to taking this path at a young age, usually before a child reaches his or her 15th birthday. This includes many hours of practices, games and individual or team related activities each week, almost every day of the week. During the height of a season, a child on this path will likely spend 6 days a week on his or her sport — more days than most adults work. By its very nature, this requires an amount of commitment that prohibits the child from participating in other extracurricular activities throughout the year. There simply isn’t the time.</div>
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I should also be clear about common sports practices that are not specialization. Any child who plays a sport for only a few months a year, no matter how often they practice during that time or how “elite” that team is, probably isn’t specializing. Being an “elite” athlete and specializing are not the same thing, though too often elite athletes feel pressure to specialize and a great many do. I should also note that plenty of children who will never be “elite” athletes also specialize. Traveling, for example, is a characteristic of most teams on which a child can specialize, but so called “travel teams” aren’t exclusive to specialized athletes. To this point,<em class="markup--em markup--p-em">specialization </em>is a term that refers to the individual, not the team.</div>
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Sometimes it is a coach who dictates that children on his or her team commit exclusively to a sport, putting pressure on parents and children. Often it is parents who decide a child should commit exclusively to a sport.</div>
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Very rarely is it the child who pushes this path on their own, as children are more likely to want to explore a variety of different activities.</blockquote>
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The key is that it is a <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">decision. </em>Most often, it’s a decision made with the belief or expectation that this specialized focus and year-round participation will result in superior athletic skills for the child. Further, it’s often a decision made with an eye toward competing at the high school and college levels, if not professionally. So does it work? We will seek that answer soon enough. First let’s take a look at where the phenomenon came from.</div>
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The idea of athlete specialization as we know it goes back some decades, though it’s popular practice in youth sports is a more recent phenomenon. The idea that the world’s best athletes focused on their craft dates back to the origins of competitive sport, but full-time specialization is comparatively young. Not a century ago the great Jim Thorpe famously starred (professionally) in track, football, baseball and even basketball(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">1</strong>). He is often considered one of the greatest athletes of the modern world; though not all athletes of his time were skilled in so many disciplines, those who could compete in multiple sports did so if only to make a decent living.</div>
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Only as professional sports became more serious business did teams begin to protect their investment by restricting star athletes to a single sport. Even then, this only occurred professionally. Before Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947, he gained fame as a four sports star in college at UCLA, excelling in not only baseball but also track and field, basketball, and football, where he played both offense and defense(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">2</strong>). Younger generations will remember names like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders, who managed to play both baseball and football even as professionals as late as the 1990’s. To that time it was still a common practice for elite athletes to participate in multiple sports through their entire amateur career. Today, it’s uncommon to hear about a two-sport college athlete and the professional version is all but extinct. High school is heading that direction. Just two years after Sanders retired from sports in 2001, a highly talented high school wide receiver from the state of Ohio dropped football to specialize in basketball, despite some insisting he could be a legend on the gridiron. While that’s worked out pretty well for LeBron James, it represents a now common example of high school athletes since the turn of the 21st century. If the story stopped there perhaps we would have little to concern ourselves with, but it continues to skew younger.</div>
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At the same time, other forces were working on youth sports. By the mid 1990’s, college sports were considered a massive business. With the enticement of college scholarship dollars having been a driving force in youth sports participation since the 1960’s(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">3</strong>), it made sense that if colleges began recruiting to individual sports then parents would feel the need to focus solely on those sports to improve their child’s chances. During the same time, participation in high school sports increased significantly and created more competition for those spots. This has been especially true for girls. According to data from the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) in their annual surveys, while total participation in high school sports remained basically stable during the 1980’s, it grew 26% during the 1990’s and 47% from 1990 to today(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">4</strong>). This amounts to nearly 2.5 million more kids playing high school sports. For girls the numbers are even more dramatic, with participation increasing 72% over the past 25 years and nearly 1.4 million more girls participating today than in 1990. These are great statistics to be sure — we want more kids participating — but the reality is that this growth has also fueled competition for spots on the roster. What was once a competition for college scholarships has turned into a competition for high school roster spots. The theory goes that the children must specialize even younger to have a shot.</div>
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So why is this a concern? There are a variety of risks associated with the lifestyle and types of participation that sports specialization requires. I would like to break these risks down into 3 categories: the injury epidemic, the mental or emotional toll on the children involved, and the affect on social behaviors. But lets start by taking a look at whether or not specialization actually accomplishes its desired affect. That is, do children who specialize actually become better athletes? Does it increase their chances of earning a high school roster spot or college scholarship?</div>
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The short answer is that for the vast majority of sports activities, specializing at an early age (less than 15 years old) has been shown to have no demonstrative affect on the athlete’s ability to compete at higher levels of competition.</blockquote>
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Think about that statement for a moment. Parents spend thousands of dollars, families spend hours upon hours of time, and children devote themselves exclusively to one activity (outside school) as many as 6 days a week. I’m telling you that studies have shown little to no correlation to a long-term athletic benefit on this path. That seems pretty significant. Now let’s dive deeper.</div>
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If early specialization in sports is to achieve its desired results, we would expect to see more children who specialize early participating in high school and college sports. Data presented in April 2014 at the meeting of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine “showed that varsity athletes at U.C.L.A. — many with full scholarships — specialized on average at age 15.4, whereas U.C.L.A. undergrads who played sports in high school, but did not make the intercollegiate level, specialized at 14.2.(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">5</strong>)” This seems to suggest that kids who played more sports early and waited until high school to specialize actually had a better chance of playing in college. Indeed, another study of female college athletes concluded the same thing: for the majority of college sports, the median age at which a child began specializing was at least 14 years old, though they had been playing multiple sports since at least 9 years old(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">6</strong>). A third study of youth sports found no evidence to support early sports specialization in any sport but gymnastics(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">7</strong>) and another study of German olympic athletes reported that “on average, the Olympians had participated in two other sports during childhood before or parallel to their main sport.(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">8</strong>)”</div>
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A trend begins to become clear, as each major study that has been done has come to the conclusion that with few exceptions, there is no athletic benefit to specializing before the age of 15.</blockquote>
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Rather, they conclude, the child is physically benefited from participating in a diverse set of activities prior to this age. To be fair, we alluded to a couple of sports where early specialization does appear to be key to athletic performance. The best example of this is gymnastics, where research suggests that early specialization may be key primarily because the peak age of elite gymnasts is much earlier than other sports. Swimming is another that seems to have some benefits from more participation at an early age. Otherwise, there’s no physical benefit derived from specializing in one sport and excluding others. Certainly not in any of the popular American team sports.</div>
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There is a theory that has recently gained popularity as a way to explain the need for specialization. I’m speaking of the “10,000 hours” theory made popular by Malcolm Gladwell in his bestselling book <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Outliers (2011). </em>This research showed that “experts” in various fields had accumulated 10,000 hours practice before a certain point, much more than their less successful counterparts. Under this theory, one would have to begin practicing their craft by age 5 and no later in order to get in 10,000 hours by 20 years old — about 2 hours per day. Gladwell points to everyone from The Beatles to Bill Gates to support this theory, which does seem to have merit in a variety of disciplines (it’s a good read if you’re interested). The problem is that Gladwell himself indicates his theory is centered on “cognitively demanding activities” and isn’t a study of sport, where a child’s physical development plays a huge role in whether early specialization has any benefit(<strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong">9</strong>). To that point, former Sports Illustrated writer David Epstein debunked this theory in relation to sports as part of his book <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">The Sports Gene (2014). </em>That book notably studies many popular theories as to what makes an elite athlete successful. Like the studies above, Epstein refutes the suggestion that early specialization is required for athletic success. Instead, he largely argues on the side that genetics plays the largest role.</div>
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Now what about the risks of early specialization? I will address this in three areas: injury risk, emotional/mental concerns, and social behavior…<br />
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(You can read more about this topic in Part 2 by clicking <a href="http://cyojwa.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-rise-of-specialization-in-youth_18.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>)</div>
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<span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">*</span><strong class="markup--strong markup--blockquote-strong"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">Endnotes</span></strong></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">(1) New York Times Obituaries. Jim Thorpe is Dead on West Coast at 54.</span><a class="markup--anchor markup--blockquote-anchor" data-href="http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0528.html" href="http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0528.html" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 75%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8) 75%); background-position: 0px 24px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 2px 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0528.html</span></a></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">(2) </span><a class="markup--anchor markup--blockquote-anchor" data-href="http://ucla/" href="http://ucla/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 75%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8) 75%); background-position: 0px 24px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 2px 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">UCLA Bruins Athletics</span></a><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">. November 21, 2014.</span><a class="markup--anchor markup--blockquote-anchor" data-href="http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30500&ATCLID=209777094" href="http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30500&ATCLID=209777094" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 75%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8) 75%); background-position: 0px 24px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 2px 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30500&ATCLID=209777094</span></a></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="graf--blockquote" id="a39e" name="a39e" style="background-color: white; border-left-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: freight-text-pro, Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.159999996423721px; line-height: 33px; margin: -30px 0px 30px -23px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 20px; padding-top: 30px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">(3) Levey Friedman, Hilary. When Did Competitive Sports Take Over American Childhood? The Atlantic. September 13, 2013.</span><a class="markup--anchor markup--blockquote-anchor" data-href="http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/09/when-did-competitive-sports-take-over-american-childhood/279868/" href="http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/09/when-did-competitive-sports-take-over-american-childhood/279868/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 75%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8) 75%); background-position: 0px 24px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 2px 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/09/when-did-competitive-sports-take-over-american-childhood/279868/</span></a><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">. January 28, 2015.</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="graf--blockquote" id="8706" name="8706" style="background-color: white; border-left-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: freight-text-pro, Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.159999996423721px; line-height: 33px; margin: -30px 0px 30px -23px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 20px; padding-top: 30px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">(4) National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). 2013–2014 High School Athletes Participation Survey. Released October 30, 2014.</span><a class="markup--anchor markup--blockquote-anchor" data-href="http://www.nfhs.org/ParticipationStatics/PDF/2013-14_Participation_Survey_PDF.pdf" href="http://www.nfhs.org/ParticipationStatics/PDF/2013-14_Participation_Survey_PDF.pdf" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 75%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8) 75%); background-position: 0px 24px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 2px 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">http://www.nfhs.org/ParticipationStatics/PDF/2013-14_Participation_Survey_PDF.pdf</span></a><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">. January 29, 2015.</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="graf--blockquote" id="c60d" name="c60d" style="background-color: white; border-left-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: freight-text-pro, Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.159999996423721px; line-height: 33px; margin: -30px 0px 30px -23px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 20px; padding-top: 30px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">(5) Epstein, David. Sports Should be Child’s Play. The New York Times. June 10, 2014. </span><a class="markup--anchor markup--blockquote-anchor" data-href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/opinion/sports-should-be-childs-play.html?ref=opinion&_r=0" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/opinion/sports-should-be-childs-play.html?ref=opinion&_r=0" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 75%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8) 75%); background-position: 0px 24px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 2px 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/opinion/sports-should-be-childs-play.html?ref=opinion&_r=0</span></a><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">. January 29, 2015.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(6) Malina, Robert M. Early Sports Specialization: Roots, Effectiveness, Risks. Department of Kinesiology and Health Education. November/December 2010. Accessed January 29, 2015.</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="graf--blockquote" id="5f94" name="5f94" style="background-color: white; border-left-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: freight-text-pro, Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.159999996423721px; line-height: 33px; margin: -30px 0px 30px -23px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 20px; padding-top: 30px;">
<span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(7) Neeru Jayanthi, MD, Courtney Pinkham, BS, Lara Dugas, PhD, Brittany Patrick, MPH, and Cynthia LaBella, MD. Sports Specialization in Young Athletes: Evidence-Based Recommendations. Sports Health. May 2013. Accessed January 29, 2015.</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="graf--blockquote" id="92b0" name="92b0" style="background-color: white; border-left-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: freight-text-pro, Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.159999996423721px; line-height: 33px; margin: -30px 0px 30px -23px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 20px; padding-top: 30px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">(8) DiFiori, John M.D. “Early Sports Participation: A Prescription for Success?” Presentation to Annual Meeting of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. April 18, 2013. </span><a class="markup--anchor markup--blockquote-anchor" data-href="http://www.amssm.org/News-Release-Article.php?NewsID=69" href="http://www.amssm.org/News-Release-Article.php?NewsID=69" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 75%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8) 75%); background-position: 0px 24px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 2px 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">http://www.amssm.org/News-Release-Article.php?NewsID=69</span></a><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">. January 29, 2015.</span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="graf--blockquote" id="a5d6" name="a5d6" style="background-color: white; border-left-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 3px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8); font-family: freight-text-pro, Georgia, Cambria, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.159999996423721px; line-height: 33px; margin: -30px 0px 30px -23px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 20px; padding-top: 30px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">(9) Leveson, Eric. Malcolm Gladwell Defends Disputed ‘10,000 Hours’ Rule. The Wire. August 22, 2013.</span><a class="markup--anchor markup--blockquote-anchor" data-href="http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2013/08/malcolm-gladwell-defends-disputed-10000-hours-rule/68624/" href="http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2013/08/malcolm-gladwell-defends-disputed-10000-hours-rule/68624/" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) 75%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8) 75%); background-position: 0px 24px; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 2px 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">http://www.thewire.com/entertainment/2013/08/malcolm-gladwell-defends-disputed-10000-hours-rule/68624/</span></a><span class="markup--em markup--blockquote-em" style="font-style: normal;">. January 30, 2015.</span></span></blockquote>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-28753044338298177312015-01-23T10:45:00.002-08:002015-01-23T10:45:54.369-08:00Causes for Concern: A Series Introduction<div class="p1">
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<span class="s1">Dear CYO Community,</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>Editor's Note: This space is usually reserved for commentary on the goings on of CYO from the Executive Director. This week we're going to preview an upcoming longform series on the CYO website titled "Causes for Concern: A Look at Today’s Youth Sports Culture." This series will take a dive into some of the key topics affecting our families today in the world of youth sports. We hope it will promote further education and discussion on each topic in your home, parish and online. Part 1 is an introduction into the series; it provides a look at how we got to this point and what topics we need to be covering. </i></span></div>
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<span class="s1">As parents, we all have decisions to make when it comes to what activities our children are involved in. For the majority of Americans this includes a form of sport. The common belief is that youth sports are great for keeping kids active, encouraging social interaction and developing character. It's an easy sell since children love games and they love to run around, making youth sports an easy hit. There's also a sport for every season. Mom and Dad can keep the kids busy year round and enjoy watching their son or daughter play on the weekends. For decades it seems the cycle repeated itself: sign-up for local league, drop the kids off at practice once or twice each week, game on Saturday, rinse and repeat. The kids would reach high school and if they had the talent, continue to play. It was easy to discern we were doing right by our kids because there was not much harm in sports.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">If this sounds like a story from the good old days, you should know the good old days weren't that long ago. That was my own experience in youth sports and I graduated high school in 2003. The times have changed.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">A brief history of youth sports in our country may help to provide some context when considering current issues. For the first half of the twentieth century, youth sport was a realm dominated by lower class families and immigrants in large American cities. City tournaments were about as high profile as competition got outside of schools. Scholastic sports also gained popularity with elementary, middle and high school sports spreading. The YMCA began to offer organized programs, but suffered during the Great Depression. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">It was not until after World War II that middle and upper class families got more involved and things became competitive outside the schools. Perhaps the best known national competition, the Little League World Series was first held in 1947 (though ESPN was not around to provide national coverage). Other sports soon followed. By the 1960’s families engaged in “pay to play”, which marks the beginning of the modern era of youth sports. This mirrors the path of our own CYO, which began in earnest in 1946 under the guidance of Tom Dorney as the first full-time director of CYO. It's interesting that our local CYO was going against the grain at that time by focusing on sports that based in the schools. Many elementary school leagues closed down when confronted by “pay to play” competition and fears over the safety of sports. Regardless, by the early 1970’s our program took off and it began to resemble what you see today.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">For much of the period we’re calling the modern era, youth sports were played pretty much as described above. Families began to see more and more options for their children (particularly for girls) but participation levels continued to rise and kids switched sports by the season. Leagues were usually confined to a single season, games were played within the community, and practices were limited during the week so that kids could focus on schoolwork.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">As far back as the 1960’s there was a subset of the population who began to see sports as an avenue to gain admission and receive scholarships to college. That idea became more prominent during the 70’s and 80’s, but seemed to reach a different level in the 1990’s. That bred more competition among parents and children to find the best instruction or the best team to showcase talent for recruiters. Not coincidentally, it’s also during the last decade of the 20th century that the proliferation of what we now call “club” or “travel” sports began to take-off. According to The Atlantic article referenced earlier, “in 1995 the Amateur Athletic Union sponsored about 100 national championships for youth athletes; about a decade later that number had grown to over 250.” The AAU, as it is commonly known, may be the most popular long-standing example of this new frontier, but it wasn’t alone. After the explosion of youth soccer in America during the 1980’s, the club soccer model used for years in Europe and South America became more popular stateside. "Premier” teams became a common goal for ambitious youngsters. With all the elite athletes in a community on one team, those teams now had to travel to find competition. This spurred a dramatic growth in the business of weekend tournaments as a sort of local tourism industry. It seems the 1990’s brought to the forefront what we had known since the 60’s: people will pay a great deal to take part in sports. In our efforts to “get ahead”, adults had created a world where sports were no longer just a kids game. These games were big business and everyone wanted a piece.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">All this brings us to our youth sports culture today. In the past decade, community based “recreation” leagues have taken a backseat to expensive club programs. School based sports are a thing of the past in many communities. For example, a standout soccer player between the ages of 15-18 is likely to never play for his or her high school team. A basketball player may play high school ball, but in most places they consider that inferior to their AAU program. That’s where the college coaches recruit anyway. But it does not just start in high school, because these things trickle down. Now the competition is fierce just to get on the high school team or their club counterpart. This has led some parents to start training their kids year-round in a specific sport as young as 3-5 years old. That child can’t tie her shoelaces, but we have already decided for her what activity she’s going to spend 40+ hours each week perfecting for the next decade…</span></div>
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<span class="s1">This isn’t to suggest that today’s sports culture is all bad, far from it. For one, there are many more opportunities for participation today than there once was (even if those opportunities have a price tag). There are also some great coaches helping boys and girls grow up and build virtue, just like they always have. Yet the good stuff doesn’t need fixed, it’s the concerns that need addressed. That’s why we’re going to spend the next several weeks here on the website addressing the causes of concern in youth sports today. More importantly, we're also going to consider how we go about changing things for the better. We’ll discuss the growth of specialization, the excessive pressures placed on young athletes, the “professionalizing” of amateur athletics, rising costs and growing injury concerns. We hope to provide some possible solutions while stimulating discussion in our parishes, schools and homes. Throughout this series, be sure to get on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels to share your own experiences and join the discussion.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">We all want our kids to have the best childhood possible and we want them to have fun while participating in sports. The vast majority of parents are trying to do the right thing when they make decisions on youth sports. It’s just that making the right decision today is so hard. It should not be that way. Sports should be fun for the kids involved. It should also be fun for the families who get to watch children take part with a big smile on their faces. We hope you’ll join us over the next several weeks as we dive into the concerns, questions and solutions to assuring a great environment in youth sports!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">In Christ, </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Peter Piscitello</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-5084843122084916862015-01-08T10:05:00.003-08:002015-01-08T13:46:23.819-08:00Prayer Request From Mike Sweeney to the CYO Community<blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" type="cite">
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<span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;">New Year’s Eve is often a time to thank God for the blessings of the past year and prepare for the blessing of Our Lord in the upcoming year. 2014 was one of the best years of my life, greatly in part to the Catholic Baseball Camps in San Diego, Seattle and Kansas City, and I am hoping and praying that 2015 will be even better!!! I have been getting a lot of requests about the 2015 Catholic Baseball Camps and that is why I am writing to you…</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><br />On New Year’s Eve, my world came to a screeching halt! I got news from my mother that my father has been diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer. As you know, my dad is my hero, my best friend and the one who taught me how to play baseball, live out my Catholic-Christian faith and to be a man. This is the hardest curve ball that the good Lord has ever thrown into my life but I know we serve a God of Miracles who is bigger that any storm, cancer or curve ball. In Him am I placing my hope, my trust and my faith. Will you do the same with me? I am asking all of my Catholic Baseball Camp Friends to begin a 9 day Novena with me beginning to pray for my dad.<br /> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Matthew says… Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><br />My dad is in the fight of his life and I know he will fight like no one else could fight because he has so much to live for. He has been married to the love of his life, my amazing mother Maureen, for 43+ years, has 8 faith-filled children, 23 grand-children and a friendship with Jesus as solid as granite. He will be proudly walking my baby sister Tara down the aisle as she becomes the last of the Sweeney 8 to get married. Like I said, my dad has a lot to live for…</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><br />Will you pray this 9 day Novena with me? We have already seen God’s miracles over the past week since the diagnosis and I am certain, by faith, He will continue to do perform many more miracles if it is His Will. Please take some time over the next 9 days to pray for my Father. Let our Heavenly Father be overwhelmed with the prayers of His Church for this great man.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><br />St. Peregrine, whom Holy Mother Church has declared Patron of those suffering from Cancer, I confidently turn to you for help in Michael P Sweeney’s present sickness. I beg your kind intercession. Ask God to relieve Michael of this sickness, if it be His Holy Will. Plead with the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, whom you loved so tenderly and in union with whom you have suffered the pains of Cancer, that she may help Mr. Sweeney with her powerful prayers and loving consolation.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">But if it should be God’s Holy Will that he bears this sickness, obtain for him the courage and strength to accept these trails from the loving hand of God with patience and resignation, because Our Lord knows what is best for the salvation of Michael P. Sweeney's soul. St. Peregrine, be our friend and patron. Help us to imitate you in accepting suffering, and to unite ourselves with Jesus Crucified and the Mother of Sorrows, as you did. I offer my pains to God with all the love of my heart, for his glory and the salvation of souls, especially the soul of Michael P. Sweeney. We ask this prayer through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.... Amen.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Please begin this 9 day Novena on Thursday, January 8th and pray it daily until January 16th. My family and I will be leaving to the Mayo Clinic that weekend to begin evaluations, testing and treatment.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;">In conclusion, I do not know about the immediate future of Catholic Baseball Camps for the summer of 2015. I would love to commit to it at this time because nothing on the baseball field has ever brought me this much joy my entire life. My father and his cancer battle will take priority at this time so I am not able to make any decisions at this time. I will update you about the 2015 CBC once my dad is living proof of a miracle.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Please pray... +++</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Love and Blessings,<br />Mike Sweeney<br />2 Tim 4:6-8</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-89992330444889180812014-12-19T08:29:00.000-08:002014-12-19T08:29:21.746-08:00Awaiting the Savior!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dear CYO Community,<br />
<br />
I pray this post finds you all settled into a warm home with your favorite drink, enjoying the snow outside and this wonderful season of Advent in which we find ourselves. It always seems that this third week of Advent (Rejoice!) is one of great anticipation. It's about this time that schools head for break, our CYO Basketball leagues reach the conclusion of the preseason, and Christmas really begins to feel close. As the popular Christmas tune goes "it's the most wonderful time of the year!" .<br />
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There are many things that can make this time of year so wonderful. Those Christmas songs are certainly fun. In fact, Christmas music may be the most joyful genre of music when you think about it, rarely a sad melody to be found. [In case you're wondering what's been playing in the CYO Office, nearly any song is best sung by Frank Sinatra or Michael Bublé.] Cookies are another fun tradition for many, including my house where we carry on the Piscitello tradition of butter cookies and struffoli. The latter is an Italian tradition best be described by words like "fried" and "honey drenched." Yum. The jingle of bells outside stores remind us it's also a season of giving, whether it's dropping change in a red bucket, giving through Catholic Charities, or donating time and treasure through any other means. I believe that's a cause for great joy. Then there's also the annual drives around town looking at lights. For some reason the old building at College and Metcalf has always made me smile when it lights up with a wreath or, when I was young, a Christmas tree. I'm sure you have your own family traditions that we would love to hear about**.<br />
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There are also some things I can do without this time of year, namely parking lots. For some reason, even the most abandoned retailer or business for 11 months of the year turns into the most popular of attractions from Thanksgiving to mid-January, with nary a spot to be found. Frustrating. This doesn't even begin to describe the mall, where a few weeks ago I spent nearly 30 minutes seeking out a parking spot, then spent 5 minutes retrieving the shirt I needed to pickup. Why can't I simply park, get in, and get out? Nothing brings out a person's impatience like the mall parking lot and nobody is particularly friendly while hunting for that elusive space, it seems. I guess that we all dislike waiting for much of anything.<br />
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However, the thought has occurred to me in the past few weeks that this is an activity that actually parallels what Advent is all about. Not getting caught up in the whole retail rush, mind you, but rather the concept of waiting on things in general. Yet waiting is precisely what Advent is all about. Only we're not waiting on some meaningless parking spot, gadget or toy, we're waiting on the greatest gift ever given! A gift so great, so amazing, and so eternal that it's worth waiting on day-after-day and year-after-year! How different would we be this time of year if we took all that anger and frustration we experience while waiting and simply remembered what we're ultimately waiting for? In fact, what if we use a different word for all our waiting: <i>anticipating</i>. An analogy comes to mind. What if, while anticipating, we might all be like the mother expecting her first child? Perhaps a little uncomfortable while waiting, but often glowing with the anticipation of the infant's arrival after months of preparing. The expecting mother spends that time cleaning the home, reading up parenting and preparing for the due date, all while knowing that baby might come in any moment. See where I'm going here? What joy we might experience in the waiting if we had this attitude while preparing for the celebration of <i>the</i> infant's arrival on December 25th.<br />
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In her wisdom, the Church gives us Advent as a great time of waiting, preparation, and opportunity each year. We can "clean our homes" through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, of which there are many great opportunities in our Archdiocese through normal parish times or penance services. We could read up on how to prepare our souls for Christ and consider how we might live more according to His will. You can find many great resources at Trinity House, a fantastic local Catholic bookstore I enjoy visiting. For Advent in particular I would highly recommend the <i>Advent and Christmas Wisdom</i> series from Liguori Publications as an easy way to do just that. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Advent-Christmas-Wisdom-Thomas-Aquinas/dp/0764818198" target="_blank">Here's a link to the book I'm reading each day</a>. Father Barron and WordonFire.org always have great materials available and I'm enjoying his daily Advent meditations this year as well. In these small ways and many more we can prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christmas while anticipating the day He comes again. Like the expectant mother (and unlike the angry parking spot stalker) we can experience joy and fruitful preparation in our anticipation, rather than losing sight of what these 3-4 weeks are all about. We should all reflect on whether we're taking advantage of this or simply getting caught up in the distractions this season can bring at work and home. After all, our living lives of anticipation shouldn't merely begin and end with Advent but extend throughout the year.<br />
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**What are some of the ways you prepare for Christmas in the season of Advent? Do you have fun family traditions to share? Share them with the CYO community through our <a href="http://facebook.com/cyojwa" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/cyojwa" target="_blank">Twitter</a> links. In addition to some of the things mentioned here, I'm working to say a prayer of anticipation every time I have to wait in a parking lot or line...<br />
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Perhaps at this point you're simply anticipating the end of this blog post, so I'll wrap it up. Let me just say that as we make final preparations for Christmas in my family, that on behalf of my wife Tessa and our daughter Emma, we wish you all a very Blessed and Merry Christmas! I pray that each of you will enjoy the warmth of family and the joy of this most wonderful day. I also pray this time of year for all those who will be missing a loved one this Christmas, may you experience the consolation of God's graces and the joy of His love. Finally, from the CYO Staff, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It's our pleasure to serve you through this awesome community and we look forward to posting basketball schedules by January 3rd and getting back into the gyms on January 10th. All of you make it a true blessing to be a part of this organization. May God bless you all this Christmas!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-87041843786947087882014-11-21T11:35:00.000-08:002014-11-21T11:35:47.141-08:00Basketball Season Tips-off!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dear CYO Community,<br />
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Basketball season is once again upon us! From our favorite college and professional teams getting started in the past week (go Cyclones!) to the beginning of CYO practices, it's an exciting time for those of us who love the game. I want to use this space to give you an idea of what to expect in the coming weeks. I am also excited to announce two exciting new opportunities for our kids during the upcoming season.<br />
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By the time you read this, I will likely be knee-deep in scheduling your teams for the upcoming season. Our deadline for submitting teams is November 21st, at which point I will get right to work. Our online scheduling program helps somewhat, but it remains a weeklong process this time each year with barely a break for a turkey dinner. I have outlined the scheduling process before if you're interested. Needless to say it's a complicated process that involves a lot of variables. As with every year, my goal is to have those schedules published by Saturday, November 29th. Games will begin on Thursday, December 4th this year, with the majority of teams beginning on Saturday, December 6th. Keep in mind that our pre-season schedule is setup as a tournament, so all teams in a division stay together and play at one site. We hope this allows you to better plan for Weeks 2 and 3 when your opponent is based on the previous week's result. It also gives our Seeding Committee a chance to watch more teams and gather information.<br />
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The Seeding Committee will once again spend the pre-season gathering information to aid in making the best possible decision on team placement for the regular season. Each year we have a representative from each parish who serves as a committee member. This person watches games during the preseason, and the committee and will meet on December 22nd to evaluate teams and make decisions about moving teams up or down. The committee's goal each year is to put kids in the most accurate division for their ability level. This can be a difficult task, but our committee takes tremendous care each year to assure they do it as best as possible.<br />
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Before I go, I also want to share two exciting new opportunities for our kids this year. One is a new venue for an annual tradition: our 8th Grade MoKan Shootout will take place on January 31st this year at the College Basketball Experience downtown. This is a great facility with a great court that will provide a fun experience for the kids. Players and coaches will gain free entry and family members will pay a reduced rate to get into the facility. This will allow families to not only watch teams play but also participate in the College Basketball Experience's interactive activities and exhibits. More information to come, but this should be a great new location as our teams from Kansas and Missouri match-up in what is always a fun day.<br />
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The other new opportunity is in the form of a brand new tournament for 8th grade boys that we're calling "Hoopin' for Vocations." Taking place on January 2-3rd at Savior Pastoral Center, this new event will be a double-elimination tournament with a unique twist. CYO is partnering with the Archdiocesan Vocations Office to provide teams with a "chaplain" for the event, which will be one of our Archdiocesan seminarians. In-between games, those seminarians will have an opportunity to share their vocation story and get to know the boys. We will also have a special Mass for tournament participants on Friday evening with Fr. Scott Wallisch and are working on a few other exciting surprises for the event. Needless to say it will be an awesome experience for 8th grade boys to not only compete on the floor, but also grow in their faith. Make sure to talk to your coach about how to sign-up!<br />
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Whew, with that it's time to stop writing and start preparing to schedule! I look forward to seeing you when the games begin in two short weeks, and in the meantime wish you a blessed Thanksgiving. Know that this year, I'm thankful for you, as you make our CYO community such a great blessing for our children. Your commitment to driving kids to practices and games as well as your volunteering on our teams and in our facilities is what makes this program go. I pray that each of you have a great week and pray that God will bless you and your family!<br />
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In Christ,<br />
<br />
Peter J Piscitello<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;">Peter Piscitello is the Executive Director for the CYO of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties. Learn more about CYO programs and formation initiatives online at </i><a href="http://www.cyojwa.org/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; background-color: white; color: #1155cc; display: inline; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; outline: none; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;" target="_blank"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>www.cyojwa.org</i></span></a><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;">.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-53013272748384625692014-10-31T09:28:00.000-07:002014-10-31T09:28:18.339-07:00Rediscovering the Gift of Baseball<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>What a month! Over the past thirty days, the Kansas City Royals have taken our city on quite a ride. Like everyone else, I have spent most of October on the edge of my seat, trying to make sense of this amazing run while taking it all in. One of the joys for me has been watching our community experience this together; hearing stories about how the Royals have impacted lives and brought joy to so many. With that in mind, I thought I would pen my own experience with hopes that you will also share yours. I would encourage you to share pictures and stories within our online CYO community. Our own Shaw Leach has added his thoughts <a href="https://medium.com/@shawleach/royals-rally-a-city-to-kindness-2c95302eb02a?source=tw-7695d8a4506-1414691567371" target="_blank">via a great post that can be found here</a>. Hoarse and numb from attending Game 7 last night, here's my attempt...</i><br />
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My own love affair with baseball goes back three decades. For me baseball has always been one of the places I can go to find escape in the midst of a crazy world. I first experienced the beauty of this sport at (then Royals Stadium) in 1986 from the old right field bleachers. I’d like to say I remember this moment, but I was young then. I do remember ice cream sundaes in a helmet and how I loved running down those wonderful spiral ramps at the stadium. I also remember the players, from George Brett and Frank White to Mike Macfarlane and Brian McRae. Those halcyon days deepened my love of baseball and led to a happy if unsuccessful little league and high-school "career". Yet it was in the summer of 2003 at a Royals game against the San Francisco Giants that things stepped up a notch.<br />
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It was there that Dad and I decided to take a road trip to see games in every major league stadium. You can imagine the memories we made as we drove across the country over three summers, living in a car and bonding over baseball. It was an incredible blessing and one that set apart this sport as something more than just a game. For me it became a powerful connection to family. It was also then that I first recognized the impact the sport has in communities across our country. It helped to shape my view of sports as a gift from God designed to bear great fruit. More than any other sport, baseball came to symbolize for me a certain beauty in the midst of our complex world. It was a gift unchanged for decades with the power to reach across generations.<br />
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In my mind, it's that unique view of baseball as a gift that had been missing for nearly three decades in our hometown. Where baseball was a source of pride in other communities, it was the opposite in Kansas City. As gifts go, it was the ugly Christmas sweater. We may have held on to hope that this would turn around, but for two generations baseball became a burden rather than a gift. Families attended games looking for fun, but often ended up complaining about the cost of parking or tickets and the dismal team. We latched on to individual players or stories, but nothing was big enough to create a movement. Baseball was becoming three hours we didn't have to sit and watch a game where we knew the outcome would be disappointing.<br />
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[Full disclosure: Thanks to my grandfather, I actually grew up a fan of the Chicago Cubs, one of the few teams along with the Royals that can lay claim to knowing how this feels. I somehow remain a fan of both the Cubs and Royals, which is easily reconciled given that they will certainly never meet in a World Series.]<br />
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In the waning hours of September, as Salvador Perez slapped a ball past the outstretched glove of the Oakland A's all-star third baseman to end the Wild Card game, the joy came back. I saw a city that had spent so long losing rediscover the gift of this great sport, and it was once again thrilling to be a baseball fan in Kansas City. As the team opted not to lose on their way to the American League pennant, one of the most indelible memories for me will be the effect this had on Kauffman Stadium, a place I have been watching games for my entire life. Seeing it in October for the first time, the fountains seemed to dance more, the lights shone brighter on the green field, and the sound seemed to echo across the city. That sound was deafening, an incredible sound of joy saved up over 29 difficult years. People sharing high-fives and hugs, united by something as insignificant as a game but with the power to be much bigger than that.<br />
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I'll also remember watching the playoffs with family and friends who had never cared much for baseball but were now hanging on every pitch. I will remember people honking horns and cheering in the streets when the Royals clinched a spot in the World Series. But the greatest memory for me will come from the games I saw in person with the man who taught me baseball. I had the blessing of attending three playoff games with my dad. We celebrated as the Royals won the Division Series and shook our heads as the Giants ended their winning streak in Game 1 of the World Series. <br />
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Then last night, Dad and I attended Game 7 of the World Series. It was a culmination of sorts, a climax to a journey that spanned more than thirty ballparks and brought us close together during difficult years. As sports go, nothing is bigger than Game 7. I hope to attend many more baseball games with Dad in the years to come, but it would be hard to beat Game 7 of the World Series in the same stadium where he took me to my first game.<br />
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I don't need to tell you how the game went. As the Royals batted in the Bottom of the 9th with a chance to tie or win, it felt like a dream. Then we all woke up. Like so many others, as the wrong team celebrated on the field I looked around in stunned silence. But then something incredible happened. Somewhere in the stadium, fans began chanting the same "Let's go Royals" cheer that had echoed through the city over the past month. More fans joined in. In the aftermath of the most crushing athletic defeat most people there had experienced, we were recognizing the gift we had received. It was beautiful. If not the perfect ending, it was a fitting tribute to an incredible journey.<br />
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For me, the 2014 Royals will always remain a great testimony to the power of sports to unite a community and bring joy to so many. The team was a gift to Kansas City and to Royals fans everywhere. As great as the ride has been, we should pause to remember where the gift comes from. Our favorite teams will continue to "win some and lose some" as the saying goes. Yet, there can be something consistently powerful in the experience of sport if we remember that everything comes from God.<br />
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As we reflect on the Royals or on our own experiences in the days and weeks ahead, I would leave you with wisdom from Saint Pope John Paul II. Canonized last spring, we celebrated his feast day last week on October 22nd (a Royals victory). A great sportsman, the Pope encouraged us to: "Give thanks to God for the gift of sport," adding that sports can encourage young people to "develop important values such as loyalty, perseverance, friendship, sharing and solidarity."<br />
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I think we can all agree that we've seen those values demonstrated in the story of the 2014 Royals and the fans who experienced this journey. I pray that we all continue to recognize sports as a gift from God and use them to spread His will and bring joy to our communities.<br />
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In Christ,<br />
<br />
Peter Piscitello<br />
Executive Director, CYO<br />
<a href="http://www.cyojwa.org/">www.cyojwa.org</a><br />
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<i>Share your own memories of the 2014 Royals playoff run! Post pictures and thoughts in our online CYO Community via <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CYOJWA" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/cyojwa" target="_blank">Twitter</a>!</i><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-31727242621630735102014-10-01T07:55:00.000-07:002014-10-01T08:22:00.072-07:00From the Director's Desk<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
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The calendar has turned to October and we're officially into Fall. It is my favorite season of the year, with crisp temperatures and turning leaves outside, three kinds of football on the television, and pumpkin spiced chai teas in the coffee shops. The latter is my favorite morning drink, in case you were wondering. Also, some of you might read that and question what 'three' kinds of football I refer to, which quite clearly are college football (Go Ravens!), professional football (Go Chiefs!) and my personal favorite, English Premier League football more commonly called soccer here in America (Go Chelsea FC!). Needless to say it's still 80 degrees as I type this, but Fall is here and I'm happy it has arrived.</div>
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<i>Editor's Note: When this was posted we failed to mention that the Kansas City Royals are now once again a part of the Fall tradition! We can report that all members of our office staff watched the game last night and are somehow still awake and in the office this morning to celebrate the amazing win. We can't wait until the next game, GO ROYALS!</i><br />
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As fun as those things might be, they pale in comparison to an opportunity we have during October in CYO. You see, for many people in our community the idea of Fall doesn't stir up excitement about the season but rather fears about the inability to find warmth and food. As we all know, millions in this world go hungry each day; but did you know the problem is also very real here in our Archdiocese? According to statistics provided by Catholic Charities, as many as 10,000 local individuals will benefit from local food pantries run by the organization each month. That's a lot of people. It's our turn in CYO to make a difference and assure they get what they need this fall.</div>
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This is why I'm so excited to announce a new partnership between our CYO and Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas.<b>Beginning this weekend and continuing through the month of October, all our CYO facilities will be collecting donations for local food pantries run by Catholic Charities</b>. Trucks and large bins will be located at Prince of Peace and St. Joseph football fields as well as Savior Pastoral Center volleyball games and remaining CYO cross country meets. In addition, we have asked parishes to put boxes at the entrance to all other games for collection, which we will pickup each week and get to the warehouse for distribution. Just look for the barrels and boxes with the Catholic Charities flyer on the side or ask your gym supervisor and donate. You can see a list of most needed items at the bottom of this page, which includes both non-perishable foods and several personal items. You can donate any of the remaining weekends during the year at CYO events.</div>
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Any donation you can spare is very much appreciated and serves a great need. However, in the spirit of competition I would like to issue a <u>challenge</u> to all those who are able to accept it. For the month of October, I will be taking at least one item with me to every single CYO facility I visit. On most Saturdays, that's a lot of gyms and fields. I would invite you to do the same. If you visit a couple of facilities each game day for your kids, take a couple of items out of the pantry and along with you to drop in the box each weekend. If you have family or friends coming to watch your children, invite them to do the same! You'll be helping local families and supporting a tremendous organization in Catholic Charities. </div>
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I would like to thank you each in advance for doing what you can to support this drive during the month of October. Together our CYO community can help fight hunger and provide for those in need. I should also note that this is the first of what we intend to be a continuing emphasis on service within our CYO community, so look forward to many options for families and CYO participants in the future. I'll keep you posted through October on our progress with the food drive and I appreciate your support of this cause. Until next time, know that I am praying for each of your families and may God continue to bless our CYO community and all those involved in both CYO and Catholic Charities. Let the giving begin!</div>
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In Christ,</div>
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Peter Piscitello</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqYKJWX8SMF_Yry_zQEbkqdUNFwG-5AgaepufkORcQOWsJ_VzP5Oe0Nv-8PN6IywoaYSnv8Ot2lSSG4BO96DpaOrN_aWsRfrmRTBJCadjt2LAGCqjWIVDRbpQdzwelvifkycGL8buUKgg/s1600/CYO+Food+Drive-page-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNqYKJWX8SMF_Yry_zQEbkqdUNFwG-5AgaepufkORcQOWsJ_VzP5Oe0Nv-8PN6IywoaYSnv8Ot2lSSG4BO96DpaOrN_aWsRfrmRTBJCadjt2LAGCqjWIVDRbpQdzwelvifkycGL8buUKgg/s1600/CYO+Food+Drive-page-001.jpg" height="640" width="275" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-17724638234575069982014-09-24T08:20:00.000-07:002014-09-24T08:20:53.613-07:00Perfect Shot Basketball Camp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdDhDsDSPtWBftM0MX_fBVomawvIUjGz2dFt3ZucdeugOLCQykI9haQWDRXWe7Drm6aGykr2YHznX7wlY7iLW6V2duM7fEamaxoBOBRY2NlE4UH8119D0WkEVILVRpuKybvRtRimhq6OQ/s1600/CYObball+Logo+jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdDhDsDSPtWBftM0MX_fBVomawvIUjGz2dFt3ZucdeugOLCQykI9haQWDRXWe7Drm6aGykr2YHznX7wlY7iLW6V2duM7fEamaxoBOBRY2NlE4UH8119D0WkEVILVRpuKybvRtRimhq6OQ/s1600/CYObball+Logo+jpeg.jpg" height="196" width="200" /></a></div>
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Here at CYO we are working with shooting coach David Nurse (<a href="http://vimeo.com/101947937" target="_blank">Learn about David's story here</a>)to host age-specific CYO Perfect Shots Basketball Camps in preparation for our basketball seasons. The camps will be held<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1747578338" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">October 13-16th</span></span> at four of our parish gyms; each night Mon-Wed is for a different age group with a "make-up" night on Thursday. I've been impressed by what David offers kids and his work with a variety of top college and NBA talent speaks to his ability. As we move forward with unique ways to provide formation for our kids, this is a great opportunity for any kids interested in improving their basketball game.</div>
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The camp is offered to any kids from Grade 3-12 but limited to the first 50 signups. Sign up here: (<a href="http://www.perfectshotsshooting.com/camps">www.perfectshotsshooting.com/<wbr style="box-sizing: border-box;"></wbr>camps</a>). In addition, our CYO receives a percentage of proceeds from the camp which will go directly to our basketball program.</div>
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Please think about this great opportunity for your kids as you begin registering this month and into October for CYO Basketball. Thank you!</div>
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If you have not signed up for our texting service yet, please do so! Visit <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.flocknote.com/cyojwa" href="https://www.flocknote.com/cyojwa" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #278ec2; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">HERE</a> to sign up! You can sign up for specific groups as well. In this way we can send you notifications only for the things that are relevant to you and your athlete! We are really excited about using this for sport specific, real time weather updates as well!</div>
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Text the word "<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">CYOJWA</span>" to <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">84576</span> to sign up for CYO text notifications and emails.</div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">*There is no charge for this service, but your carrier message and data rates may apply (~ 6 msgs / mo). Reply STOP to 84576 to stop txt notifications at any time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #92190b; font-family: Georgia;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">In Christ,</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #92190b; font-family: Georgia;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Peter J Piscitello</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #92190b; font-family: Georgia;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Executive Director, CYO</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #92190b; font-family: Georgia;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a data-cke-saved-href="tel:%28913%29%20384-7377" href="tel:%28913%29%20384-7377" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #278ec2; text-decoration: none;" target="" value="+19133847377">(913) 384-7377</a></i></b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11769236591584386535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5258696134935376638.post-52770061351371009032014-09-17T08:58:00.001-07:002014-09-17T08:58:56.508-07:00A Modest Reflection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dear CYO Community,<br />
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If there was any doubt that fall is approaching, this past weekend was a cool reminder! With record overnight lows, our athletes got a chilly wake-up call for early morning games on Saturday. I know I was ill-prepared for the forty degree temperatures that greeted me as I setup for our CYO Cross Country meet at Bishop Miege high school! Thankfully the sun came up and we wound up with another amazing day for competition. We're 2 of 2 so far in 2014, lets hope the streak continues as we move forward...<br />
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In light of recent conversations I have had with coaches and parents, I want to spend the next few paragraphs highlighting the reasons for our uniform rules and policies in CYO. There are both beautiful and practical reasons behind this rule that warrant taking a look at. First and foremost, the Catholic Church provides the foundation for our policies; certainly there are important NFHS (i.e. high school) rules that work to assure officials can differentiate teams and kids are kept safe, but in CYO all things begin with our Catholic values. Naturally, the Church does a pretty great job of describing what is meant by the term modesty. While we can't do the full teaching justice in the limited space in this blog (I can point you toward some great books and resources if you're interested in diving deeper) lets look to parts of Catechism paragraphs 2521-2524 for a summary:<br />
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<i>Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love. It encourages patience and moderation in loving relationships; it requires that the conditions for the definitive giving and commitment of man and woman to one another be fulfilled. Modesty is decency. It inspires one’s choice of clothing. It keeps silence or reserve where there is evident risk of unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet.</i></div>
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<i>The forms taken by modesty vary from one culture to another. Everywhere, however, modesty exists as an intuition of the spiritual dignity proper to man. It is born with the awakening consciousness of being a subject. Teaching modesty to children and adolescents means awakening in them respect for the human person.</i></div>
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I always find great joy in how beautifully the Catechism explains the truths of our faith. The above comments provide a great reflection on modesty, even noting the importance of teaching children these values. I would also point out here what modesty is not: modesty is not meant to hide or suppress beauty. Rather, the Catholic Church has always praised beauty in subjects such as music, art, entertainment and the individual person. The practice of modesty in dress and action certainly does not take away from beauty, but rather takes this beauty and directs it toward an authentic understanding of love. Our Blessed Mother was indeed a beautiful young woman, one who's radiant beauty has been celebrated for over 2,000 years. Yet it's instructive that her modesty in dress and action always points toward God's love, to the great mystery of her Immaculate Conception and the Virgin Birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.<br />
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Lets bring things back to CYO. It is with these teachings in mind that we promote a uniform policy that reflects appropriate modesty for all the boys and girls involved in our programs. What does all this mean practically? Perhaps I could use the words of my 5 year old daughter, who offers simply that modesty means dressing "so that nobody sees the parts they aren't supposed to see." For boys in CYO this means keeping shirts and shorts on in practices and games. It also means those sleeveless shirts should not be ripped down the side, a practice made popular by muscular young men looking to show off sculpted arms and abs. As we try to raise boys into young men who exemplify Catholic values and promote a culture of purity, we need to teach them to have more respect for themselves and the young women they are called to love as sisters in Christ.<br />
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For girls, modesty calls for shirts and shorts of appropriate coverage and length. This means no tight fitting shorts or revealing tops. If they contain materials like spandex, it's very likely not an appropriate (or legal) uniform or practice outfit. If you're at risk of revealing more than should be revealed when you jump, run, dive or bend down, the length probably needs to be addressed. Like the boys, it also means not wearing shirts with tears down the side. Suffice to say an outfit that shows one's underwear does not qualify as modest for anyone!<br />
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Unfortunately, the culture around us isn't doing anyone any favors. As the father of a daughter, I've spent five years shaking my head at how difficult it can be to find modest clothing for my little girl - even something as simple as soccer shorts. My experience is that this only gets more difficult as she gets older, and 5 is hardly 15 so I'm in for a battle. Still, it's important that we not give up this effort and simply ride with whatever trends or cultural norms come about, focusing our attention elsewhere. As a father, I owe it to my daughter to teach her modesty and help her to learn what a beautiful creation of God she is. I owe it to her to teach her a respect for herself and her body that is reflected in an appropriate choice of clothing and leads others - male and female - to recognize and treat her with this same respect. Mothers and fathers of young boys owe them the same thing. If this means fighting a culture that views this as ultra-conservative or out of touch, so be it. I speak a lot about combating the current culture of youth sports in CYO and this is one more way we're doing just that.<br />
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The one objection I tend to get from very reasonable people who appreciate these values is this: what about outfits that are performance based, that seek to improve athletic performance or mobility? This occurs most with volleyball shorts and track outfits, where college and adult versions of the sport move to tighter fitting clothing (note: this is coming with soccer as well). This seems a valid question to ask. I would respond by suggesting that in order to have that conversation, the athletic benefit of the clothing must outweigh the importance of understanding modesty for young boys and girls. For what it's worth, I'm taking the practice of virtue over an athletic advantage every day, particularly when that advantage is just perceived. Because unfortunately that's exactly what it is: no matter how much those brands want you to think their apparel will help your child, the reality is that for kids below the elite college level and above it does next to nothing. Even if it did, it's probably important to note that there are no gold medals to be won at this age. There are, however, imperishable crowns to be won for all, as St. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 9.<br />
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Finally, while the last thing we want to do is to keep any young boy or girl from participating in one of our sports, our uniform guidelines are important enough that we need to protect their integrity and act when there are violations. This is for the protection of the children involved and all those in CYO. As I close, I want to thank you as parents for your help in promoting a healthy respect for the dignity of each and every child in CYO. If advocating modesty represents on of many battles in our culture, you are all on the front lines and providing wonderful examples of how to teach this to your own children. I'm writing this in part because I've been edified by how many parents have commented on our policy (which isn't new and certainly isn't my creation) and thanked us for our efforts in this regard. We are all in this together. As a father, husband and director of this wonderful program, thank you for helping to promote our children's dignity. Until next time, may God bless each of you and thanks for your support of CYO!<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;">Peter Piscitello is the Executive Director for the CYO of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties. Learn more about CYO programs and formation initiatives online at </i><a href="http://www.cyojwa.org/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.3s; background-color: white; color: #1155cc; display: inline; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; outline: none; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s;" target="_blank"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>www.cyojwa.org</i></span></a><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6000003814697px; text-align: justify;">.</i><br />
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