I just realized that I have not PIMP-ed Adam’s “The Sound of Simpson” blog spot. So without further ado, here are the links to the former staffers that are currently bloggers. Highly entertaining stuff, and certainly worth reading:
* Granatofan’s Corner
* The Sound of Simpson
* Webdanzer’s Spin
The question that begs to be asked is where the hell is Kevin hanging out? I hope Kevin has hooked up somewhere (and I just missed it) because he is too damn entertaining to be sitting on the sidelines for long.
Thanks for the kind words, Jonathan. I don’t know how "entertaining" I am, but we did have a good ride for a couple of years!
Soccer will be finishing up for me in a couple of weeks. I still waiver back and forth between a website and a blog, if I do anything. Frankly, I probably won’t make that decision until things slow down, and I decide how I want to spend my free time. I lurk a lot, but I haven’t contributed much anywhere, lately!
By the way, Darrin made the U9 travel squad for soccer for this winter and next spring (you have to try out; he turns 8 in November)! He’s turning into quite a little player! In my humble opinion, he’s the second-best player in the league. I’m proud of him…
Take Care,
Kevin
Good to hear from you Kevin. Hope all is well outside of videogames. I hope you hook up somewhere in the near future.
Nice to hear about Darrin doing so well at soccer!
Tonya and I have had lots of conversations about our kids and sports. On one hand I did pretty well growing up, making various all-star (all league, all-city) squads and I turned out fine. On the other, I am not sure I want to push the kids into any one sport. We have been told that Joshua has enough potential that we should start him in the "excel" program, but we decided to hold off for now. Joshua starts basketball as soon as soccer is over (mid Nov) so he will have played T-ball, soccer, and basketball in about a 9 month span. I just do not want to burn him out at 6.
Anyway back to Darrin. I know you are proud, and I hope he continues to do well. Travel squads demand a lot, so he must be pretty impressive to already be on one! Maybe you will travel all the way to Columbus, GA! LOL
Lots of luck to Darrin!
Hey JC,
We’ve always let the kids dictate to us what they’d like to be involved in. Darrin played soccer and baseball (coach pitch – he was an All-Star!) in the spring, swim lessons in the summer, soccer in the fall, and now travel soccer and basketball in the winter. It does sound like and is a lot, but my son *wants* to be involved in all that. Plus, he’s doing very well in school, and he has been identified as "gifted." Brittany did soccer in the spring, t-ball and swimming in the summer, soccer in the fall, and ballet just about all year. She’s also doing very well in school – she’s the only one in her kindergarten class reading sight words. If it ever seems like too much, we’ll pull back. Right now, they are handling it, and having fun doing it, which is most important.
I’m a big believer that in most cases, kids should not focus on winning until they play for their school (grades 7-12). However, some kids are ready to compete sooner. Darrin is one of them. He has great instincts, and is an incredibly coachable kid. His skill level is very good, and he’s a good athlete. He’ll never be the best athlete on the field, but he does the little things SO WELL for a kid his age, that any coach would love him on their team. He’s a "glue" player – he just holds things together, and makes plays. He’s physically and mentally tough, and he’s figured out things about competing that I didn’t figure out until I was a freshman in high school! "It" is in him…
As far as Joshua is concerned, my advice would be to let him dictate when he’s had enough. Many kids love to play sports outside every day. Formal recreational programs aren’t much different, and in many ways, they are superior (if run correctly). He’ll let you know when he’s had enough, especially at that age.
I imagine you’re like me… I’m not trying to build a pro ball player, or anything. However, I do want to see my kids fulfill their potential. I would never sacrifice that for their happiness, though, at especially such a young age. I play it by ear, and if it gets to be too much, well then we’ll pull back.
Let me know how it goes!
Take Care,
Kevin