#Get a Grip Newsletter, #12
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Happy (belated) New Year!
I hope everyone had a great holiday season. I am still in denial that my time having everyone home is over and now trying to dig my way out of endless "stuff" that seemed to pile up.
I am not usually one with new year's resolutions. Somehow this year, I ended up in a
"The Game On Diet"
contest with my significant other competing against his daughters. We let the girls set the rules (aka mistake #1), donated (my chances of winning) $50 into the kitty, and let the games begin.
Our rules: no sugar, no alcohol (sigh), no white flour, no fried foods (secret french fry lover). Bonus points for exercise (yay), drinking tons of water, and healthy meals. Throw a dog a bone- unlimited raw vegetables for snacks (yay me, insert eye roll) Luckily, I did way too much baking in December so I could care less about a cookie for the upcoming months. Party on Jan 31!
The one thing I always do in January is to set some goals. Not a long laundry list, but a few goals to keep me on track. I have a ton of interests, and when you combine that with an addiction to continued education (
udemy.com
,
ucextension.com
,
linkedinlearning.com
, etc.) I tend to create chaos for myself. Please shoot me an
email if you have any great sites for online learning. I am always looking for something new.
My blog article this issue gives you some simple steps to setting goals with your athlete, and maybe you can find the time to make a few for yourself. :-)
Good luck to everyone in your new year. May 2020 be the best yet!
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I have not had an enormous amount of success with New Year’s resolutions
UNLESS I connect them to my goals. I am a huge proponent of setting goals, especially with student-athletes. Let’s face it; many times, the grind of school and sports is simply not fun. It can’t always be fun, and if you are trying to avoid that reality, well… good luck with finding that fairy dust. A good set of goals helps the student-athlete stay on track and remember why the grind is worth it!
Setting goals, especially helping a child set goals, can be a tricky process. We all know what we want for them, right? Life would have been so much easier for all my children, and me, if they just wanted what I wanted for them and did what I said to do! And I am only semi-joking. The trick is finding “their goal, their dream, and what they are willing to do to get there.”
Before you can set goals, we need to do what Toni Nadal said in his Ted Talk. “An athlete must accept reality. Be honest with yourself in your evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses. That is the first step to getting better. You can’t get better if you aren’t honest with where you are at that moment.”
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A Parent’s Dirty Little Secret, Living With a Child With Mental Illness
It’s a secret club no one wants to be in. If you’re in, you’re in for life. You will be exhausted, stressed and live in constant fear. This is what living with a child who struggles with a mental illness is like. You don’t really live-you simply survive, you cope.
Rafael Nadal spoke with Jon Wertheim on 60 Minutes on Sunday night about a range of topics, including his longevity in the sport and his champion's mentality that involves turning doubts into powers.
The Quiet Brain of the Athlete
The brains of fit, young athletes dial down extraneous noise and attend to important sounds better than those of other young people.
A Moment To Share Or A Missed Opportunity, You Decide.
It’s rare that we get to see the impact of the mistakes we avoid. Mostly we remain blissfully unaware. But in the best way possible I got to see how close I came to ruining a special moment with my daughter.
Teach Your Kids to Fail
Getting comfortable with setbacks will keep them curious and engaged.
How to Appeal a Financial Aid Award When Your Family Needs More Money
How This Mom Got Her Kids to Open Up and Talk to Her
Teens have a way of retracting into their own world. As their parents we know that there are things, big things happening in their world and we desperately want to be a part of it.
Being Present is the Best Gift You Can Give.
We know that’s not always easy. Carpools and snack duty, rescheduled practices and dirty uniforms all add up—and quickly. And it’s when we’re feeling the pressure to be perfect parents that many of us snap, using words we don’t mean in tones that make us cringe as we hear ourselves.
New WNBA Deal Will Bring Big Salary Increases
Eight-year collective-bargaining agreement will raise average pay to six figures
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"What is a good balanced breakfast for my teen athlete?"
As we all know, mornings can be brutally early and very rushed. Here are a few options for a balanced breakfast to start their day off right.
- Greek Yogurt Parfait- Plain greek yogurt, berries or bananas, low sugar granola and seeds/nuts
- Overnight Oats or instant oatmeal with berries, option to add protein powder
- Waffle with nut butter and banana
- Smoothie with protein powder, fruit, greens, and coconut water. Recipe Here
- Egg and Avocado on whole grain bread or English muffin
- Breakfast burrito
Quick shout out thanks to our reader, Sarah, for the question this issue. If you have any questions you would like answered,
email me here.
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The Game On! Diet: Kick Your Friend's Butt While Shrinking Your Own! by Krista Vernoff
Over the holidays, I will admit to not reading many (ok, any) educational books. I love to read and have been addicted to mystery, crime, and thriller novels since I picked up my first Nancy Drew as a young girl. I don't go anywhere without a book, or kindle/iPad reader, especially on a Stairmaster or Elliptical machine.
If you need a good entertaining read, I recommend David Baldacchi's
"Minute to Midnight", John Grisham's
"The Guardians", and Alex Michaelides'
"The Silent Patient" was a mind mindtwister! I am always looking for great reads, how else can you beat the monotony of a Stairmaster, so please
email me any recommendations!
For the purpose of a reasonably educating newsletter, I thought I would share the book that we are using for our "Game On" contest this month. We made our own rules so it was more applicable to us (and teenage girls). If you have any eating habits you want to change, and you are of the competitive nature, I highly recommend it.
Coaches- you can be creative and use it for any behaviors you want to change with your players on or off the courts. I could see having a great contest between players to come to the net, use their drop shot, serve and volley, etc.
Amazon's Description
The Game On! Diet is not a diet. It's a bold new approach to fitness that turns the latest, smartest, most successful health science into a fun, fierce, and exhilarating game.
Az keeps you motivated and Krista keeps you laughing as they show you how to organize opposing teams, set goals, and compete to earn points for daily exercise, healthy meal plans, and positive lifestyle changes. With The Game On! Diet, the process of losing weight, for the first time ever, is actually fun.
Get out there and lose . . . to win! Game on!
Has anyone else read this book or have a great book to share? I would love your thoughts and suggestions in our
#Get a Grip Facebook Group. Or you can
EMAIL me here.
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This issue's
Meaningful Meals
conversation starter:
"What skill would you like to have one day?"
This issue's
Meaningful Meals
recipe:
My Favorite Go-To Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Ok, I am obsessed with this soup, an intervention may be needed. It is my perfect healthy cold winter day lunch or light dinner. To make it a heartier meal for the family, serve it over brown rice or potatoes. I make giant batch and freeze the extra for a quick meal when needed.
I love spicy food and this one has great flavor and isn't too spicy for my family. Control the heat by omitting the jalapeño, one less chipotle pepper, and lowering the spices. Use an immersion blender to puree the broth if you or your kids have an aversion to chunky soup.
This fresh and healthy tortilla soup recipe is easy to make and an absolute crowd-pleaser. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced
- 1 cup fresh chopped cilantro
- 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 small or 1 large limes, juice AND zest
- 1 medium jalapeño, diced carefully to avoid seeds
- 1 can diced mild green chilies, MILD
- 8+ cups chicken broth
- 28 ounce diced "fire roasted" tomatoes (canned)
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 4 carrots, thinly sliced
- 4 ears of corn, raw & cut off the cob
Optional toppings for serving:
- Shredded Monterey jack cheese
- Diced avocado, a must!
- Tortilla chips
- Fresh cilantro
Directions:
- In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high. Add onions and sauté until soft
- Add 1/2 cup cilantro, and garlic. Sauté and careful not to burn garlic.
- Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, all the spices, lime zest, lime juice and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Add the chicken breasts and push the chicken breasts to the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil.
- Add the carrots. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook another 10-12 minutes.
- Remove the cooked chicken breasts with tongs and chop them.
- Use immersion blender to blend soup to your desired texture. I prefer the soup chunky and skip this step.
- Add the chicken pieces back to the soup and the corn cut off the cob. Simmer until the chicken is heated through and corn is incorporated.
- Ladle into bowls and top with the cheese, fresh cilantro, fresh avocado, and tortilla chip pieces. Or serve over brown rice.
*You can also use left over rotisserie or grilled chicken.
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I love spotlighting a child or family who is doing great things for our community. This issue, I want to share Amani and Ayanna Shah's work starting
"Second Serve, Giving equipment a second chance to serve!".
I am so impressed with these girls (aka, parents are not doing the work). They have grown to a group of 7 girls, organizing themselves into districts, holding Board meetings with agendas and minutes, updating their website and Instagram, and setting concrete goals for each year. The parents are all very active in the communities and model a great example for their children at a young age.
When Amani and Ayanna were asked why they started
Second Serve... "We fell in love with the game of tennis when I was very young. The game has taught us so much and been a huge part of our family's lives. We feel like all kids should have the opportunity to play the fun sport and learn these lessons. We feel privileged to be able to play sports at such a high level and have recently realized the means needed to support it. Our dream is to support underprivileged kids who love the game. Lots of us have gently used equipment that is clutter to us. Yet, these items could instead be put to great use by a grateful kid."
What We Do
We facilitate smiles on both ends of donations by taking gently used items and donating them to kids who could use them. Currently, our donation sites include SES tennis center in Tecate, Mexico and Youth Tennis San Diego. Thanks to your help and support, to date, we have been able to collect over 2,5000 pieces of equipment! We feel fortunate to have been able to distribute these items to the kids personally.
Our Team
Amani Shah - CEO
Ayanna Shah - National President
Dylan Lolofie - Utah State President
Layla Reyes - Regional President
Amy Lee - Regional President
Morgan Shaffer - Regional President
Mika Ikemori- Regional President
Who We Serve
SES tennis center in Tecate, Mexico, founded by Eduardo Sanchez, is a non-profit foundation that helps underprivileged kids learn the sport.
How Can You Help?
Please help us reach our goal of putting 10,000 smiles on the faces of 10,000 underprivileged kids by the end of 2020!
- Donate your gently used equipment to us. Please send donations to YTSD at 4490 West Point Loma Blvd, San Diego CA 92107. Or email me here.
- We are always looking for more programs in need, preferrably an NJTL program. Let us know of any worthwhile organizations.
- Want to join us? Let's expand "Second Serve" to your area!
If you have a local organization, organized by student-athletes in your area, who are doing great work, Please
email me the information for our newsletter.
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I love meeting my readers. Please email me to ask a question and share your thoughts on #Get a Grip.
Do you have ideas for books, recipes, and organizations that we should share in a future newsletter?
If so, click here to email me!
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Thank you for reading!
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