For you parents who might have been decrying the lack of similarly engaging content in the digital age, we now have the opportunity to re-experience the magic on our iPhones, courtesy of ChooseCo and Magnetism Studios. The first adventure to be released is “Return to Atlantis”, by the famed CYOA scribe R. A. Montgomery. As hoped, the app is no less than a faithful recreation of the actual text, complete with illustrations. For only $0.99, one hopes that it will be successful, as we can then look forward to digital ports of the entire series.

If you haven’t ever experienced the joy of cracking one of these CYOA books, the draw is simple: at the end of each passage of narrative, the reader is asked to decide which action of two choices to take next. The reader then proceeds to the referred page, and the adventure continues. Each book has multiple endings, and the fun of guessing what comes next, and going back to choose different paths truly sparks some exciting activity in the minds of those who participate. There’s something powerful in putting into a child’s hands the ability to make decisions. There’s also a lot to be said for making concrete the idea that there are many ways that any one scenario can go, and thus, no situation, no matter how dreadful-seeming, is entirely hopeless. This can be helpful if a child is fearful of the future, because it’s easy for one’s mind to dwell only on a disastrous outcome. To live in hope is a far better way than to dwell in fear.

Sandberg was mobile and responsive after the hit, but his parents and teachers weren’t taking any chances, they called 911.  It’s a good thing too, because when emergency room doctors did a CT scan they determined that he needed surgery to relieve pressure on his brain.  The surgery, done on Friday, removed a portion of his skull to allow for swelling of the brain without compression.  He has been in a medically induced temporary coma since then.  His doctors estimate that the coma should last three to five days.

But how did a high school hitter get a ball moving so dangerously fast?  The players were using lightweight aluminum bats, banned from pro leagues because they allow batters to hit balls at such tremendous speeds.  Gunner is far from the first child to be seriously hurt by a ball hit from an aluminum bat.  In fact, if he escapes without brain damage he’ll be luckier than most.  New York and North Dakota have banned metal bats in youth baseball and parent groups across the country are lobbying for their local schools and states to do the same.

Another possible step that has been suggested is fitting players, particularly pitchers, with helmets like batters already wear.  Since many of the particularly bad injuries due to these high speed drives have been to pitchers who stand directly in the path of the ball, it only makes sense. Bottom line? As Sandberg’s father told the Marin IJ: “We need to make this game safer for the players.  These new bats are too powerful.  They’re like weapons.”

]]> http://www.kidglue.com/2010/03/18/young-pitcher-gunner-sandberg-hit-by-130-mph-line-drive/feed/ 1 http://cache.static.tsavo.com/wordpress/uploads/2010/03/Baseball_bats-SM.jpg http://www.kidglue.com/2010/03/18/football-player-ty-warren-gives-up-250000-to-go-back-to-school/ http://www.kidglue.com/2010/03/18/football-player-ty-warren-gives-up-250000-to-go-back-to-school/#comments Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:45:07 +0000 Jeremy Suede http://www.kidglue.com/?p=22119 In an age where many athletes have little education and have no ambition to earn their degree, Ty Warren of the New England Patriots is showing that education is still important to some.  This off-season Ty will be attending school rather than attending team workouts and thus forgoing a $250,000 bonus.  He would rather attend Texas A&M classes and finish up his degree because he says it’s the right thing to do for his family.

“I try to put the kids in the best educational system possible and I think there is something to be said for their father, who has been blessed to play in the NFL and do something he’s loved to do, going back and finishing what he started,” Warren said from the campus of Texas A&M. “In the big picture, I think it’s important for me to do what I’m doing. I can sacrifice that bonus for that.”

This will be the first time in eight years that Ty will not be attending any sort of voluntary workout sessions before the NFL season.  He has always done some training regime to keep his body in condition.  This time he will be focusing on conditioning his mind and showing his children, Brionna, Brielle and Bailey, how important their education is even if they are blessed with other abilities.  An education is important enough for him to not only pay for the opportunity to be in classes but to also give up easy money elsewhere.  That is an extremely admirable decision.

Kids should know who Ty Warren is and understand what he is doing and how they should take the same mindset when it comes to their schooling.  Ty has one of the coolest jobs in the world, he gets to play a game for money, but he still values his education.  Better yet, he is doing to because he knows his kids look up to him and he is being a positive role model for them.

“Brackets” are all anyone in the office will be talking about and if you’re involved in a pool the best thing you can do is just pick the highest ranked teams to go all the way.  It’s the safest bet otherwise you’re answering questions like why you picked teams with the best sounding names or best uniforms.  Picking a bracket can be fun and makes watching the game a lot more exciting so I would highly recommend picking one even if it is just for fun.

While the first couple rounds will feature power house teams against the lesser teams, there is still room for great drama. If one of those underdog teams suddenly gets hot, you never know what could happen and even the mightiest of teams have their off days.  Networks will switch to close games for the last few minutes so you’ll get to see all the drama unfold because the last two minutes of a close college basketball could mean anything.  A last minute prayer shot could be sunk or a lucky steal could mean heart ache for one team.  Watch and enjoy.

Top 3

1.  NCAA March Madness Tournament – 1st and 2nd Rounds – March 18 – 21

These games can produce major upsets if a small team can upset a top team looking to cruise past the first couple rounds.  But that’s exactly when the small schools are looking to pounce and make a name for themselves by knocking off a major school.  Who knows what can happen when one team simply plays harder than the other because they have nothing to lose.  The best part is watching the celebration of an underdog defeating the favorite team.  The joy they experience from that one moment could be more than they ever experience again.  You’ll want to be watching for the upsets.

2. NBA - Chicago Bulls at Dallas Mavericks – March 17 @ 8:30 pm

As of right now, the Chicago Bulls are the last team in the Eastern Conference not to make the playoffs.  They are simply one game behind the Toronto Raptors for the 8th seed in the playoffs and that means every win means a lot.  But they will run into the hottest team in the NBA right now, the Dallas Mavericks.  They are proving their might in the powerful Western Conference and defeating teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers as a demonstration.  As we get towards the end of the regular season those teams that are close will begin to show what they are made of and if they are worthy to be in the post season.  See what the Bulls are made of as they go up against a giant with the Mavericks.

3. NASCAR – Food City 500 – Bristol Motor Speedway - March 21 @ 1 pm

Four time champion Jimmie Johnson has won 3 of the first 7 races this year and looks to continue his dominance at Bristol.  Kurt Busch took the last race in Atlanta but once again all of the other drivers will be gunning for Johnson.  He is simply the best at what he does currently.  Watching NASCAR is fun even if you aren’t into racing, they have so many camera angles and microphones that you get to see and hear everything that goes on.  From the pits to the driver’s seat, you get to see it all.  Watch just to experience a race like you haven’t before.

Quick Picks

• For a complete bracket of the NCAA Tournament, click here and for a printable one click here.
• A major shakeup happened in the world of soccer (football every where else); David Beckham has torn his achillies heel and he will not be able to play.  This could very well mean the end of David’s playing career.

You can read about the specifics of the games in the referring article, but what’s interesting here is the idea of actively programming against public perception of what a video game is and does, given the controversial past of the hobby. So often denigrated as a tool for teaching violence, McCullough came to the conclusion that games can actually empower youth to make valid, healthy choices instead, which is very much in-line with the concept behind the Serious Games initiative.

Most of all, I find it laudable that McCullough has spent so much time involved in this process, especially considering the barriers placed in his way right from the start. Rather than complain about and demonize games, he has recognized the potential inherent in the genre and actively worked to provide a pair of products that could benefit a great number of people, both children and adults alike. “I see games not as problem but a solution,” said McCullough, “the best solution for the dangers presented to young people today.”

I know.  Please put your eyeballs back in your heads.

Yahoo Games released their list of the top 10 good for you games, and some of them may be in your kid’s console right now.

Mind and body are the integral parts to overall health, and these video games take care of both.

To increase brain power, let your kids play:

Bejeweled

The puzzle solving, jewel swapping game has been shown to lower stress levels and improve mood.

Brain Age

The lightning fast game keeps math and problem solving skills sharp, and help your kids brush up on some of the skills they may have lost over the summer.

Typing Maniac

While your kids may know more about computers than you could ever hope to, proper and accurate typing is a valuable, lifelong skill.  No more brb’s and ttyl’s.**  This Facebook game will teach professional keyboard skills to your child.

Scribblenauts

The Nintendo DS game uses puzzles to push your child’s vocabulary skills, and, well, it’s just so gosh darn.

To increase health and fitness, let your kids play:

Wii Fit Plus

The Wii Fit phenomenon gets your kids up and moving, but the Wii Fit Plus offers more games and customizable programs to track progress.

Food Network:  Cook or Be Cooked

One of the biggest issues cited for the obesity epidemic is that no one cooks anymore. This recipe game teaches kids their way around a kitchen and healthy foods without you worrying about them cutting off a finger.

EA Sports Active

Wii Fit gets the spotlight, but EA Sports Active has a resistance band component that makes their workouts hard to beat.  Incidental exercise is one thing, but EA offers intention exercise to help your child build a habit.

Wii Sports Resort

More calorie blasting Wii games.  ‘Nuff said.

Just Dance

The fast paced Wii dance game gets your kids shaking their stuff to the hottest tunes around.

Video games get a bad rap for producing sloven children, but these games you can feel good about buying for your children.

**Be Right Back and Talk To You Later.  Get hip!

Nine high school students got a sweet surprise Monday night when Tennessee Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck presented them with $1,000 scholarships in the name of the late teammate Steve McNair

Bulluck presented the scholarships at the 44th annual National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame award dinner.  Bulluck chose to award nine students as a symbolic representation of McNair’s jersey number – nine.  The winners were chosen from among the 54 recipients of a scholar-athlete award for Middle Tennessee high schoolers.  The $1,000 will be awarded on top of the original scholarship. Scholarship winner Juwan Turner told the Tennessean that, “this was a nice surprise because I don’t think any of us knew about it.  [Bulluck] is a role model.”

Bulluck took the process of selecting his winners seriously, according to the Tennessean.  ”They all filled out applications and it really was a lot of work picking nine,”  Bulluck said. “I read through all of them, looked at their GPA’s, look at their extracurricular activities, looked at their coaches’ comments, saw how much they were involved in things and how many years they lettered on teams.”

Bulluck’s sweet gesture is a particularly upstanding move given that he’s now an unrestricted free agent coming off an ACL injury and insiders say that Tennessee is likely to part ways with the ten year veteran.

Steve McNair was shot dead on July 4th, 2009 by his distraught mistress Sahel Kazemi, a 20 year old waitress who had recently come to suspect that McNair had a second mistress and was not likely to divorce his wife, as she had thought he would. The former quarterback and his wife, Michelle, had four sons.  He is beloved in Tennessee for leading the Titans to their only Super Bowl.

Besides college basketball, there is the NBA which is getting very intense and wins go a lot further in the standings than before. Teams are jockeying for playoff position and home court advantage. The top teams will begin to break away from the pack and borderline teams will show what they are made of when they are really playing for their season.

The NHL is still in season (which may be surprising to some) and now players can focus on the Stanley Cup rather than gold medals. Look for fiercer competition and more intense games as the regular season ends and the playoffs loom. Baseball fans love this time of year because they can begin to see their favorite players playing during Spring Training. Young players try to make their big league dreams come true and veterans try to keep their dream alive. Great drama if you have the patience to watch it all.

So here are this weeks picks, hope you enjoy the memories.

Top Picks

1. NBA – Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers – March 14 @ 3:30

Cleveland is the top team in the NBA and Boston is one of the other top teams in the league. These two will meet in what could very well be foreshadowing the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavaliers recently acquired Antoine Jamison to add to their already powerful offense featuring The King himself, Lebron James. But Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are hungry for another championship before their team may be split up. Each team needs a win to get one step closer to home court advantage and the NBA Finals. This game will feature fierce competition by some of the top players in the league with lots of physical play and high intensity. Buckle up.

2. College Basketball – Big East Conference Tournament – March 8-12

Madison Square Garden in New York is considered the Mecca of basketball and a place every player dreams of playing at. The Big East gives teams in that conference the opportunity to in do-or-die situation. We’ll get to see how they react to the pressure and win in the fabled arena. The Big East is home to the top team in the nation (Syracuse) and they are heavily favored to win but you never know what can happen in a tournament and the drama can be very intense when a close game comes down to the wire. The only thing better than these tournaments is the big NCAA Championship Tournament.

3. NHL – Los Angeles Kings at Chicago Blackhawks – March 10 @ 8:30

The Kings are a surprise top team in the NHL and looking to take their winning ways into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  The Blackhawks are a veteran team used to winning and used to kicking the butts of all the West Coast teams.  Hockey in Los Angeles has been revitalized a little and winning against a powerhouse team like the Blackhawks will give a big boost to the Kings. With the regular season ending less than a month away, these cross country trips mean a lot more to pride than the standings.  The top teams have cemented their place in the playoffs and now just want to get all the wins they can against teams they may be facing down the line.  These games are basically for bragging rights but that is plenty motivation for hockey players.  Watch for the big hits and the rowdy fans.

Quick Picks

• Check out the rest of the NHL regular season schedule here and try and catch a game before it is all over.  Seeing a hockey game in person is much different than watching on TV.  The speed and big hits of the game look so much better in person.
• Get all of your Championship Week information here.
• Get your bracket here (you know you’re going to want one)

Not only has Sage become the best (at his age) for what he does, he is also making strides towards a future of doing what he loves.  He has spent years perfecting his driving skills and that means hours of practicing which is never fun. Sage started when he was four-years-old and just one year later was racing, and winning, competitive races.  Two years after that he won his first national championship and pretty much hasn’t stopped since.

Outside of racing, Sage is a normal kid who loves football, ‘Lil Wayne and video games.  He goes to school and hangs out with friends but when he gets on the track he becomes a speed demon.  His goal in life is to win the Indy 500 race and with the way he’s been driving so far, he’s well on his way.  When asked about the secret to his success, he simple responded “No secrets, just skills! (Big grin) Seriously, we work real hard and race all the time.”  How’s that for confidence?

Watch out for his name in the papers in the upcoming years because I assure you it will be there.  Make sure your kids see that anybody can be the best at something no matter what their age.  And parents, note that even activities like go-kart racing can bring out the best in your child.

Accomplishments

• First National Stars win in Charlotte 2004 at age 9
• Only American driver to compete full-time in a national karting championship and an open-wheel series in 2009
• Only driver to ever win the Indy Racing League Stars of Karting and the World Karting Association’s Triple Crown in the same year
• Holds record of 29 National Championships and 9 Consecutive National victories, considered to be untouchable
• Victorious on every major racing circuit in the United States of America

Other role models for your kids:

• Child Role Models – Cameron Johnson, 24
• Child Role Models – Mirai Nagasu, 16
• Child Role Models – Akrit Jaswal, 17
• Child Role Models – Hannah Taylor, 13
• Child Role Models – Joshua Johnson, 18

Those experts include Yoshida’s idol, Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield. Yoshida got the chance to show her favorite player her stuff at Red Sox spring training this week and get some tips.  She was beyond excited about the opportunity, since she taught herself to throw a knuckleball after watching videos of Wakefield.

Wakefield said, “I’m impressed.  She spun a couple, but for the most part, it was very good.  She was able to take the spin out of a lot of them and they had quite a lot of movement on them.” By quite a lot, he means in the 50 MPH range, for a Knuckle ball.  Yoshida’s fast balls top out around 60 MPH. After watching Yoshida pitch for a while, Wakefield gave her some advice: “Just mechanics stuff.  Some of my checkpoints that I use to try to throw with a stiff wrist and things.  I just saw a couple of things that she was doing wrong, and she was able to correct it.”

Wakefield also signed a baseball for Yoshida and wished her luck, leaving Yoshida walking on air. “I never thought I could ever feel this happy,” the teenager professed. “I think everything he taught me is going to give me a chance to really work on what I need to work on.  But also, I got a chance to meet him, and it really gave me some courage and confidence I need to really get back to training hard.”

Nestle, owner of the Wonka Chocolate line, is launching a real-life golden ticket contest to promote it’s new candy line, Exceptionals.

Wonka’s Exceptionals is their newest “premium chocolate” treat, which means it will cost more than Charlie paid for his life changing bar, but 5 lucky winners will unwrap those bars and get a shiny, golden ticket.

There is no tour of the Wonka factory, but the five grand prize ticket holders and their three best friends will get to take a trip around the world with $12,500 in spending money.

Thousands of other chocolate-hidden prizes will include movie certificates, airline vouchers, Ticketmaster gift cards, and, of course, free chocolate.

The rules are simple: unwrap your bar, and if you see a ticket that says “Congratulations!” you’ve won.  The directions for claiming your prize are printed on the ticket.

The golden ticket contest is currently underway, and will end on 8/31/10.  Prizes must be claimed by 9/27/10, so get unwrapping!

The only thing that could make this contest any sweeter would be a song by Gene Wilder following by a swim under the chocolate waterfall.

Spring Training brings about a lot of hope.  Teams will bring out rookies and new acquisitions and we get to see them for the first time.  It could be the 19 year-old kid trying to fight for a spot on a major league squad or a down and out veteran trying to get back to the big leagues.  Whoever it is, they have the opportunity to show what they are made of and be part of the best players.  If they are at Spring Training they have a chance to be a big leaguer and that hope will make them try the hardest they ever have.  The Yankees may be the current World Champions but will they be able to hold onto that title?  If you asked any other team, they would tell you there is no way the Yanks can.  That’s what makes Spring Training great, it’s anyone’s ballgame.

You can follow your team through their Web sites, numerous Facebook fan pages or at Major League Baseball’s official website and see what is going on.  You can see who is playing well, who is playing bad and who will have a shot at making the Opening Day roster.  There is nothing better than watching a young player do what nobody expected them to do and show off their talents well.  In Spring Training people’s dreams can be fulfilled or they can be crushed and every fan hopes that their team brings in the right people to win.

So let the preseason commence and bring on the regular season, it only gets better from here for baseball.

Now that the Olympics are over and March is here we can now turn our attention to college basketball and the fun that is March Madness.  This tournament is something that anyone, regardless of fanship, can enjoy from start to finish.  If you don’t know any of the teams playing just root for the under dog because there always is an upset sometime and seeing it yourself is something you’ll remember.  If you can’t stand watching college basketball (*hand raised*) just watch the last two minutes of the game and you will see the best part.  If it is close, DO NOT walk away.  Last second, game-winning shot are what March Madness is made for.

The NHL and NBA seasons are still on and going strong so this is actually a pretty cool time to be a sports fan. Check out which you should watch below.

Top 3

1. NBA – Los Angeles Lakers at Orlando Magic, March 7 @ 2:30 pm

A rematch of last years Championship series and featuring two of the NBA’s greatest players with Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard.  Each team reloaded during the off season and added star players to each of their rosters.  Orlando added one-time Slam Dunk Champion, Vince Carter and the Lakers added volatile Ron Artest.  Each has worked out so far but the real test will come in the playoffs.  For now they will just have to try and beat each other to prove dominance.  It may not be The Finals but it means a lot of pride and chest pounding to each team.  They will show up and be looking to show the other who the best actually is before the post season.

2. College Basketball – No. 5 Kansas St. Wildcats at No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks, March 3 @ 8 pm

This time of year, this close to the big tournament, many teams will not schedule big games to lose any momentum they may have going into their championship games.  But this year we are blessed with two Top 5 teams playing each other this late.  The Jayhawks have been at the top for the entire season and want to keep their heads up this time of year.  But an upset on their home-court against a conference (Big-12) and state rival would be a major blow to their team esteem and the exact opposite affect for the Wildcats.  In what will be the last big game of the regular season these teams will give it their all to beat the stuffing out of the other.  Something worth watching.

3. NHL – Colorado Avalanche at Phoenix Coyotes, March 4 @ 9 pm

With the Olympics out of the way, the NHL season can resume and teams can get back to competing for a Stanley Cup.  The Phoenix Coyotes were wrapped in turmoil over the off season, losing their head coach (Wayne Gretzky), possible bankruptcy and even the possibility of relocation.  Well they have gotten past all that stuff and this season they have been a surprising team dominating in the West.  The Avalanche are a veteran team who has dominated in the past and has begun to do so again this season.  The Coyotes will be looking to show that they were no fluke in the beginning and go all the way.  While the Avalanche will be looking to put the young upstart team in its place and prove that they are still among the elite in the NHL.

Quick Picks

• Check out the NCAA rankings and see how your favorite team is seeded going into the big March tournament.
• For a final medal count and Winter Olympic results, click here.

The show is obviously scripted, and it’s insulting to claim otherwise.  Even Liz herself didn’t flat out deny that the show is fake, just that she knows the other kids on the cast and that the back story happened.  Beyond that, she would have to be one brave chick to claim that the footage and scenarios are just candid shots and conversations picked up by a camera guy. The over-the-top, one dimensional characters of the show are laughable, and so far from reality.

The popular clique is at constant odds with Liz, who’s sole mission is to bring them down.  They are the school’s stereotypical blonde, beautiful royalty.  All the boys love them.  They don’t talk to anyone else unless they are spewing insults.

I graduated from high school a handful of years ago, and there was no group like this.  I was considered one of the ‘popular’ kids in high school, but this was because I had a lot of friends.  I was captain of my sports teams but no one called me a jock, I did drama but was not considered a geek and was on the school newspaper and took Advanced Placement classes but was not considered a nerdy brain.  I just had an opportunity to meet a lot of different people and meshed with most of them.

In my school, and from everyone else I have asked, there was no popular group of beautiful people that everyone hated.  It doesn’t make sense.  You can’t be hated by everyone and loved at the same time.  There was, of course, scandals and rumors and conflict but no mortal enemies, or life ruining plots.

This stereotypical portrayal of high school-is-hell isn’t unique to this one show, however.  Most TV shows and movies for kids give an unrealistic, black and white picture of high school that just isn’t real.

In the movie “Mean Girls,” Lindsay Lohan plays the new girl in town who is befriended by some geeks only to be snatched up by the popular clique who is feared and idolized.  She  secretly plots with the geeks to hang out with the popular girls and sabotage their teen royalty through a series of misguided missions.  No matter how stupid the popular kids look, the school loves  them nonetheless.  Pretty diabolical for a bunch of teenagers.  In the end, there are no more cliques.  How nice.

And why does no one ever have any homework?

I am not so naive to think that cliquishness does not happen.  I know it does.  People are friends with people that are similar to them, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t friends with anyone else, or inherently evil or good.  I am also aware that many of these media created high school snap shots are more to show what high school can feel like to certain demographics, as opposed to what it actually is like.  More often than not, the result is insulting to the viewer, and for those who have not yet entered high school, misleading.

I spent the summer before freshman year scared I would be stuffed into my locker.  Turns out, I couldn’t even fit my backpack in there.  The main thing kids need to know about high school is that it doesn’t matter.  It may seem like four endless years of trying to go to the coolest parties and hang out with the coolest kids, but the second you graduate it doesn’t matter.  You won’t remember those people.  Those who were popular in high school may not be successful.  Those who were picked on, or strung out, or skipped class might turn out to be your boss.  Nothing that happened in high school matters.  Get good grades so you can get into a good college, surround yourself with good people with like interests, and relax.

Back here in America, the NBA season is slowly drawing to a close and these next 25 games are crucial for teams to build momentum into the playoffs and into the championship.  Players will give 100% in every game and every win is meaningful.  Unfortunately you will also see lots of teams basically giving up on this season and purposely not playing as well so they can so they can secure a high draft pick.  It happens in all sports but it is a slap to the face of the fans that pay hard earned money to support a team that doesn’t reciprocate the work.

So as we enter the final week of these Winter Olympic Games there is still plenty to see and records to be broken.  So keep watching and support Team U.S.A.  Enjoy.

Top 3

1. Winter Olympics – Men’s Hockey – All week (see schedule link below)

After winning a game of national pride against the Canadians, the U.S. team is looking to take that momentum into the medal round this week.  Follow them as they try to make their way through all of the rounds and reach the gold medal game to be the world champions.  Ever since The Miracle on Ice, the U.S. team can never be considered an unlikely underdog.  We are scrappy and will do what it takes to win.  Hopefully this year’s team can show that they can play right up there with the other dominating countries of the world.  Whatever happens, Olympic hockey is like the World Cup, it brings non-fans into the mix just so they can root for their national team and have a reason to cheer.  So watch the games because often times the NHL players take these more seriously than the NHL playoffs.

2. NBA – Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics – Feb. 25 @ 8 pm

Lebron James, Lebron James, Lebron James.  Now that I’ve got that out of the way I don’t need to keep pounding into your head that this guy is the real deal and anytime you get a chance to watch him play you should.  Especially when he is going up against the Boston Celtics and their dangerous lineup lead by Kevin Garnett.  While the Celtics have been suffering from injuries of late, they did manage to beat the Lakers in LA and gain some good momentum.  Each of these teams leads their respected division and while Cleveland is at the top of the entire league, the Celtics are not far behind.  This will be an intense game that will be a huge win for either team.  Expect sparks to fly and great things to happen when these teams get together.

3. Winter Olympics – Speed Skating – All Week (see schedule link below)

This is a great sport to watch because most of us have tried ice skating before and can realize how hard it is to go around the rink at high speeds trying to win a race.  I think the coolest part of this sport is the skates they use.  They are longer and seem to be shiney-er than other skates.  They even look sharper.  Either way, watching those athletes glide down the ice is a cool thing.  Watching them get low and only steady themselves by reaching down to the ice.  Check it out and show your kids, they may think it’s just as cool.

Quick Picks

• Click on this Medal Tracker to follow all the countries medal counts and see which will come out on top in this Olympics.
• For a Complete List of all Olympic events and their scheduled start times

While the 2010 Winter Olympics are being played in Vancouver, University of Alberta students decided to go for their own place in the record books. 1,200 students and faculty got together and organized the world’s largest game of dodgeball on February 5.  The previous record was 450 people (held by San Diego State University) so the bar has been raised significantly and anyone looking to break the record will have their hands full.

From the video it looks like it was a whole lot of fun too.  They simply split into two teams (green and gold) and just played the game until there was a winner.  Seemed to me that they were on the honor system so good sportsmanship must have been used by each side which makes the game all that much better.  When all was said and done the gold team proved victorious but everyone who participated enjoyed themselves, no one got hurt and a new record was set so you couldn’t ask for much more.

Check out this video to see the game edited down using time-lapse footage and participant interviews.  Perhaps your kids will be inspired to bring the championship back to the U.S.

P.S.  All of these awesome toys are $30 or less.

1- Yo Baby Kick Flipper

This pseudo skateboard is great for young kids to learn on without getting hurt and for older kids to practice on inside during the winter months.

2- Dado Cubes

These creative blocks allow kids to build their designs out in a number of different directions.  And as an extra bonus, they nest inside each other making them a major space saver.

3- Bilibo

People cannot stop raving about this thing.  Despite it’s average appearance, the Bilibo brings out kids creativity.  Most parents have a story about how their toddler preferred playing with a big box rather than the toy that came in it.  Well, the Bilibo is like an indestructible box that kids can explore and imagine with again and again.

4- Bucky Balls

These are magnet balls with unlimited possibilities.  You can tear them apart, mold them, create patterns, make sculptures and so much more.  This is a toy that you will have to pry out of their hands.

5- Snap Circuits Jr

This toy is great for fostering a budding engineer or creating one!  It’s like a science fair in a kit.  Your child can create a flying saucer, voice controlled lamp, strobe light, musical doorbell and much more with the gadgets in this kit. ]]> http://www.kidglue.com/2010/02/18/5-cool-toys-you-dont-know-about/feed/ 0 http://cache.static.tsavo.com/wordpress/uploads/2010/02/new-toys-sm.jpg http://www.kidglue.com/2010/02/16/pg-thanks-mom-gives-olympic-mothers-a-free-ride/ http://www.kidglue.com/2010/02/16/pg-thanks-mom-gives-olympic-mothers-a-free-ride/#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:23:13 +0000 Jeremy Suede http://www.kidglue.com/?p=19952 Gigantic corporation Proctor & Gamble is making sure that every single U.S. athlete at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games will have their mother there to see them at the pinnacle of athletics. The “P&G Thanks, Mom” program is taking care of the cost for all mothers to fly and stay in Vancouver for the duration of the games.  This is the first program of its kind and I think it should have been done years ago.

Who drives to practice?  Who feeds the team after practice?  Who hauls equipment around by the ton?  Who makes sure that uniforms are spotless for each and every game?  In most cases, one person does all of these things for each athlete from the beginning.

Mom.

If anyone deserves to be taken care of when an athlete reaches the top competition in the world, it is their mothers.  After years of sacrifice and toil, P&G will finally give mothers something they earned a long time ago.

“P&G is in the business of helping moms,” says P&G Chief Marketing Officer, Marc Pritchard. “We appreciate that moms make everyday sacrifices for their children, and sometimes they don’t get the opportunity to participate in once-in-a-lifetime events like the Games. At P&G, we believe in ‘touching lives and improving life,’ and this gift is our way to express our thanks for the hard work and dedication of the U.S. Olympic Team moms.”

This is truly an act of unselfishness by a major corporation and a big gift to all the mothers who wouldn’t normally be able to afford a trip to Vancouver during the games.  It costs a small fortune for the training and equipment to get an athlete to the Olympics and not being able to see their son or daughter in person would be a sad thing.  Thank you P&G for taking care of all the Olympic mothers out there.

Watching is easy too, when so much is on the line all you have to do is tune in and you will soon find yourself wrapped up in it and then suddenly the next day at work you’re an expert in whatever obscure sport you were watching.  They only come around every two years and the athletes may not ever get a chance to compete at this level again.  Watch and enjoy their pure joy when they win and feel for the athlete who just wasn’t quite there.  But remember their name because if they came so close, yet so far, they will do their best to get there again in another four years for redemption.  Great unscripted worldly drama.

Top 3

1. Winter Olympics – Snowboarding – Feb. 17 @ 7:15 pm

One person is the face of snowboarding for the entire world: Shaun ‘The Flying Tomato” White.  Not only did Red Bull build him his own private half-pipe to practice on, he has his own video game and is the highest non-salaried athlete at the games.  He won Gold last Olympics and hopes to repeat as the men’s champion.  But because he is considered the face of the sport all the other competitors are gunning for him.  Basically it’s everyone in the world versus Shaun.  It will be a fun competition to watch in a sport that most adults are not familiar with but don’t worry, your kids will explain everything.  Watch and see if Shaun can pull off the repeat and continue to dominate the world of snowboarding.

2. Winter Olympics – Skeleton – Feb. 19 – Women @ 4:55 pm, Men @ 7:50 pm

We have all seen and heard how dangerous the Luge is, but the Skeleton takes that sport to the next level.  In luge, the athlete lays on his back and fly down the ice track. In skeleton, the athlete lays on their stomach and is going down head first.  Watch just to see crazy people slide head first down an ice slide at speeds near 80 mph.  The tragic death that occurred earlier this week will be weighing heavily on all athletes who use the track and I think the skeleton riders will feel it even more.  From the anxiety while waiting for their start until the relief of finishing, the athletes will be nervous and we will get to see just how much that affects them.

3.  NBA - Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers – Feb. 18 @ 10:30 pm

The only reason this game isn’t number one is because the Olympics is going on.  This game features the two most successful and biggest rivalry in the NBA.  The Lakers and Celtics have been bitter rivals for decades now and they don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.  When Kobe Bryant and his Lakers go up against Kevin Garnett and his Celtics, the intensity and competition will never get higher.  The Lakers are still angry about their loss in the Finals two years ago to the Celtics and they will certainly use that as motivation.  The Celtics were unable to even make it to the Finals last year and will be looking to show that they are just as much the team (if not better) than they were last time they met the Lakers in the Finals.  Can’t miss NBA TV, plus it’s preceded by Lebron vs. Carmelo. Awesome.

Quick Picks

• Click on this Medal Tracker to follow all the countries medal counts and see which will come out on top in this Olympics.
• For a Complete List of all Olympic events and their scheduled start times

According to Frisbee historian Phil Kennedy, Mr. Morrison was taken with the cake pan’s ability to hover briefly and travel for long distances on a light toss, kept in the sky by its rotation.  Frisbees generate lift by accelerating the upper airflow around them in order to generate a pressure difference that gives rise to a lifting force.  The small ridges near the leading edges of the toy act as turbulators, reducing flow separation by forcing the airflow to become turbulent after it passes over the ridges.

Morrison called his version of the disk “Pluto Platter” – a name and design he sold in 1957 to Wham-O toys.  Wham-O General Manager and Vice President  Ed Headrick redesigned the disks to make them more controllable and accurate and branded them as “Frisbee.” The name Frisbee was adopted because it was the nickname given to the platter by college students in New England. A name that came from the Frisbie Pie Co, a local bakery whose empty tins were tossed around in the same way that the Pluto Platters were.

Headrick had himself cremated on his death and his ashes were molded into memorial Frisbees and given to family and close friends. It seems unlikely that Morrison, who died of cancer today at age 90, will follow suit.

There are hundreds of different Frisbee’s available today – everything from disc’s that glow in the dark to glider disks made from thin fabric to disks that whistle while in flight to disks designed specifically for dogs.

Mirai is 16 years-old and from Arcadia, CA who has been an ice skater since she was 5.  One day when she was forced indoors after a golf game was rained out, she started skating and hasn’t stopped since.  She worked hard enough to become the second youngest person to win the U.S. Championship when she was only 14.  She enjoys reading, drawing and when her figure skating career is over, she would like to enter the fashion industry.  For more information on Mirai you could check out her Web site.

She is a wonderful role model for you child because she is dedicated to something and is competing at the highest level at a very young age.  She is not only a world class athlete, she is multilingual and a good student on top of it all.  Mirai is someone that your kids can look at and know that at any age, if you work hard enough, you can get to the top.

Accomplishments

• 2008 U.S. Champion at 14
• First female skater since Joan Tozzer in 1937-38 to win U.S. junior and senior titles back to back
• 2007 World Junior Championships silver medalist
• Speaks Japanese and did commentating for a Japanese TV station at the 2009 World Championships
• 2007 U.S. Junior Champion
• Ranked No. 21 in the ISU World Standings as of May 2009

Other role models for your kids:

• Child Role Models – Hannah Taylor, 13
• Child Role Models – Joshua Johnson, 18

With football season now over, the NBA, NHL and NASCAR are left to fill in the void.  While these sports don’t come close to the popularity of the NFL, they each offer enough good games to keep sports relevant in the long cold winter.  The NBA throws out its All Star Weekend, which is always fun to experience. NASCAR kicks off its season this week with one of the (if not the) biggest single race of the year.  Drivers stew over the Daytona race during the off-season and get to put all their hardwork on display at the first race of the year.  Something you shouldn’t miss even if you aren’t a NASCAR fan.

So here are my picks for our first week without football.  Enjoy!

Top 3

1.  NASCAR – Daytona 500 – Daytona International Speedway - Feb. 15 @ 1 pm

The biggest race of the year is also the one that kicks off the NASCAR season.  The Daytona 500 is a place where legends are made and some of the biggest names in the sport make their biggest headlines.  This year also brings about the premier of Danica Patrick racing in the Nationwide series on Saturday.  This will be her first time driving competitively in the NASCAR league and it will be interesting to see how she makes the adjustment from Indy Racing. But besides that, Jimmie Johnson gets to prove if he can continue his dominance and try for a 4th consecutive championship title. That streak is unprecedented in racing history and he will further solidify his name among the best ever if he continues to win.  With all the technology available, watching a NASCAR event is one of the coolest and most informative things you can watch.

2. NBA – All Star Game – Feb. 14 @ 7 pm

The biggest stars in the game will get to play each other in this fun filled not-so-competitive game that always has spectacular highlights.  Not much defense gets played and it is basically a street game filled with dunks and fancy passes you would never see in an actual game.  With Kobe Bryant starting for the West and Lebron James for the East, it will get competitive between those two and that may trickle down to the other players.  But don’t count on it. You’ll get to see behind the back passes, outrageous dunks, a complete lake of defense and some great passing to make some great highlights.  But near the end when the game is nearly over, then it will get serious.  But until then, the entire weekend, from the Dunk Contest and Skills Challenge to the Rookie Game will be fun and very entertaining to see.  Watch until at least the stars sit down and then switch.

3. NCAA Basketball – No. 2 Villanova Wildcats ay No. 6 West Virginia Mountaineers – Feb. 9 @ 7 pm

When two ranked teams from the same conference meet this close to March Madness, anything can happen and upsets are no surprise.  So much could potentially be on the line when these two Big East Conference teams meet up that this game has a playoff atmosphere surrounding it.  Villanova is not only number two in the country but still just number two in their conference.  That tells you just how good the Big East is this year.  One win could mean the difference between first and second place and sometimes that could cost a team a trip to the big tournament in March.  I don’t know much about college basketball and don’t keep up with it, but this will be a game worth watching when these kids meet on a big stage with lots of pressure.  Who will rise to the occasion and who will crumble under all the weight?

Quick Picks

• NBA – Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers – Feb. 11 @ 8 pm – Lebron James faces off against the recently impressive play of the Orlando Magic in a preview of a possible playoff matchup.  Will be intense and very competitive.
• Besides the actual All-Star Game, the NBA has the Skills Challenge, Slam Dunk Contest and a Rookie Game on All Star Saturday night.  The Dunk contest has gotten worth watching again in recent years and should be no exception this year.
• The NCAA Tournament is just around the corner.  Keep an eye on the rankings as we get closer to see which teams will make the tournament and which will be left out in the cold.

Schools have been reaching out to younger athletes of late, but is 13 just too young? Not according to Sills private football coach Steve Clarkson, who has mentored some of the best in the game including Matt Leinart, Jimmy Clausen and Matt Barkley.  Clarkson told ESPN that “[Sills'] skill set is off the chart.  I’ve never seen anyone at his age do what he’s been able to do.” At 13, Sills is already six feet tall and weighs 145 pounds.  Not big enough to safely play college ball yet, but his coaches have no doubt he will be when he’s ready to graduate high school.

Sills came to Kiffin’s attention after Clarkson mentioned him casually on a phone call between the two coaches.  Kiffin had called Clarkson to ask his opinion on another potential recruit.  Clarkson said, “You might call me crazy, but you’ve known me a long time, right? And when I said there was going to be a LeBron James of football it’d be Jimmy Clausen and that turned out to be a pretty good prediction… …Well, I’ve got a kid now who is better than all of them and he’s in Delaware. ”

After looking a video of Sills on YouTube, Kiffin was sold.  He offered Sills a scholarship hours later. 2015 is a long ways away, a lot can change.  But for now, David Sills is living the dream.

“Monopoly: Revolution” will be released in the Fall and a whole new style of “Monopoly” will be introduced.

Gone is the square board, being replaced with a round board with the properties being sections of it (think of a pie chart).  Gone is the paper money and instead, a credit card system run electronically.  Gone are the awesome metal piece (car, top hat, dog, etc) and we now have plastic slabs.  While these may have been staples of the classic game, Hasbro felt that an almost complete change would be best.  “Monopoly” will always be one of the best family games and these changes should not affect that.

That may be cool and new but I for one am going to stick to the original version with a square board and paper money.  The money was half the fun.  When else are you going to be able to accept $2000 cash from your Mom and laugh as you took your brother’s stuff when he went bankrupt?  These little pleasures in life will not be forgotten though, Hasbro has said that the classic game will still be readily available.

Decorate Together

• Hang steamers in your favorite team’s colors.
• Let younger kids spread festive confetti or put a football theme tablecloth on the coffee table.
• Little ones can help tie team color balloons in the front yard.

Let Them Help in the Kitchen

• Let the kids use football cookie cutters to cut the crust off of sandwiches.
• Cut up some small cubes of cheddar cheese. Have the kids wrap a piece of crescent dough around each cube.  Place them on a baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
• Let the kids mix their own Italian sodas using soda water and flavored syrups in your team’s colors.  You can also add half and half to make cream sodas.  Top them off with whipped cream and fun straws!

Get Them Pumped for the Game with Games

• Blow up a brown balloon to represent a football.  Play some music while the kids try to keep it from touching the floor.
• Set up a training area in the playroom, backyard or garage for antsy little ones to take a break during the game.  You can use small boxes and pillows to create an obstacle course.  Have an adult or older kid time everyone with a stopwatch.  Complete the gym with jump ropes and Nerf footballs.
• Write different football terms and their definitions on small pieces of paper.  Put them in a bowl and have each child draw a piece of paper.  After teaching them the word and the definition, challenge them to use it as often as possible during the Super Bowl.  This is especially fun if the adults join in and help the kids call them out.