Name: Susie
I wonder if NBA players have this problem . . .
LG just had her "evaluation" for placement on a basketball team (although, since Jif is assistant-coaching, we kinda know what team she'll be on). She plays on a church-affiliated, inter-denominational league, in which the emphasis is heavily on sportsmanship, character-building, and such. No demon-parents screaming at kids, refs, etc. In fact, this is an excerpt from the handout she got at the evaluation, to give you the "flavor" of the program:
- A reminder from last year is our concept of the . . . circle of praise. We only say positive things to our children, coaches and especially the referees. Referees are the highest authority on the court and it is our opportunity to show our children respect for authority.
I like that. Another thing they do, as part of the positive reinforcement, is awarding little stars after each game, to be attached to the players' jerseys. Every player earns a star for something: best defense, best effort, even most Christ-like (oh, yea, Jesus had a mean dunk). Two years ago, the little stars were iron-on, which was a bit of a pain for the moms. Last year, the star awards were attached by push pins, with a metal back protecting the little athletes from the pokiness. Another excerpt from the handout, the section talking about this year's uniform changes:
- The uniform colors are dark blue and light blue this year.
- The star awards for the jerseys are back to the iron-on this year because some players were chewing their shirts with the stars on them and they would come off in their mouth, creating a serious choking hazard.
Safety first :)
I went looking for a photo to accompany this post and I really couldn't do better than to show you this one again, because, well, one can never get enough of a public wedgy rescue . . .
file under: &Family &Can't Make This Stuff Up
posted by Susie | 12:36 PM
24 heads are better than one . . .
Are you sure it's just a wedgy she's pulling out? Or could it be a stray push pin?
Love, hugs, and prayers to you, Miss Susie.
Well, now that you mention it . . . I am glad the memo didn't say some of the players had been chewing on their shorts.
Thanks for the goodstuff; I send it all back to you, my friend.
Back in my day, they woulda just said, "Hey! Quit chewing on your shirt!" But I suppose that might go against the circle of praise. :)
That picture is just priceless. LadyBug cracks me up.
Bwahahahahaha
My highly disfunctional bladder curses you for the comment about Jesus' slam dunk.
Anyone got some furniture cleaner?
Even though sports=evil, even in a churchy group, I offer the following to the atheltes involved:
"Keep your feet on the ground, and stop chewing on the stars."
No, it's not very helpful. But I was going for "deep" and "meanginful".
A very enjoyable post! My favorite observation on sports came from the late Morrie Schwartz ("Tuesdays with Morrie") when he stood alone to answer the passion-filled "We're Number One!" chants of some college students with "What's wrong with being Number Two?!"
All my best to ya today and every day.
I can't believe I can't see the picture! Stupid laptop! Your post made me laugh though. I love that they had to revert to iron-on badges because of players chewing on them. The other residents in my Welsh hotel are going to be wondering what's tickling the woman in 411...!
I guess that's what's known as "having quite a hitch to yer git-a-long." I think NBA players do have this problem, they just scratch from the side where you wouldn't be taking a photo of it.
Anyway, cute pic, above and beyond the itch. But, where are the little iron-on stars? Or is it too soon in the season to have any yet?
I remember that picture and it is priceless.
Clearly, the team needs more fibre in their diet.
I remember that picture, too. How old are these kids that they're chewing on their shirts???
shawkey, heeheee, yea, that might square the circle. Can't have that ;)
peaches, it still tickles me, too. And yes, ladybug is good with the funny.
ck, yep.
mutha, heh. Seriously, though, the Christ-like stars are mostly given out when something bad, unfair, whatever happens to a kid and they don't lose their poise, their composure. (Like peeing on the furniture -- that shows a marked lack of poise. Jesus would never do that :p )
mrB, uh . . . yes. Don't put the stars in your mouth. (If this were the Cotillion . . . we could go places with that)
katy, without number two, number one would be meaningless, indeed ;)
platypus, in a Welsh hotel, you are? Are you sure you want to give us your room number?
ortizzle, welcome :) The pic is from last season, but the stars go on the front of the Jersey.
nina, yea, its still makes me chuckle :)
kranki, good point; I'll pass that along to the assistant coach ;)
squirl, the league goes from Kindergarten to 8th grade, I think. I hope it's the kindergarteners who are the shirteaters.
ya know, maybe her shorts just had too much starch or something!
Those thongs just won't stay put! Wha?! Hey, Old Navy sells 'em for the little 'uns, so I'm sure there are parents out there buying 'em and puttin' 'em on their kids in the hope of distracting them from chewing their stars.
That pic is so funny - poor little kid!
You know Jesus and the apostles played a lot of pick-up games in between sermons and what not. I heard Peter was a great power forward.
And we all know that Jesus was baptized in the JORDAN.
OK, am I the only one thinking 'HOLY CRAP! KIDS ARE CHEWING ON THEIR JACKETS! QUICK, BRING THEM A POP-TART OR SOMETHING"?
Of course, when I was a kid (about 1 1/2 years old), I sucked on washcloths in the bathtub.
OK, I was 30.
traci, that could explain it.
eclectic, so you're saying . . . thongs actually discourage shirt-chewing? I'll pass that along to the other parents :o
lynn, I know; I hope no one who recognizes her ever stumbles onto it. Although if they did, they'd probably BUY it from me ;)
william, your wealth of theological knowledge never ceases to . . . AMAZE me, yea, that's the word I was looking for: AMAZE ;)
Hee hee hee, I just drove all the way back from Wales, dumped my bags in the hall and logged on to see the picture, very funny! :)
Worth the wait. :)
No, no, no... picking at the thongs is what discourages the shirt-chewing. Like everything in life, it's a system of trade-offs. ;)
oh, and william, some would say Jesus was DUNKED in the Jordan.
jim, I missed you! We were having simultaneous comments, I see :) You may be onto something -- it could be a snack-deficit problem. (LG used to suck on a washcloth, too. So cute.)
platypus, welcome home :)
eclectic, I'm so glad I have you to teach me these things. Thong-picking, got it.
Oh Darnit Susie, Jesus being DUNKED, I wish I would have thought of that.
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