I'm getting better at letting my kids fail
Sometimes it's better to step outside our comfort zones
I find it hard as a parent to let my kids fail.
My son was getting ready for soccer practice. I used to remind him, item by item, to pack all his things.
"Do you have your water bottle? How about your cleats? Your shin pads? Ball? Socks?"
I got tired of reminding him. To be more accurate, I got tired of needing to know. One . . .
Posted in: comfort zonefailuresoccersports
Chris Triantafilou taught me about compassion, caring and kindness
Coach "Tri" always had my best interests at heart
Chris Triantafilou with University of Waterloo Warrior Football Defensive Backs, 1994
IN THE END, football was just a backdrop for the lessons we learned.
When I found out that Chris Triantafilou had passed suddenly from cancer on October 25, my heart sank.
Coach Tri (pronounced "Tree") was one of the most caring, thoughtful, . . .
Why I'm saying 'no' to perfectionism
Imperfect action is a lot better for my mental health
Perfectionism is not altogether a bad thing. It's good to have high standards.
But it's doing me more harm than good.
I think I may have unwittingly passed my perfectionism on to my kids.
I realized this playing catch with my son. He was way too hard on himself because he wasn't catching every ball.
One of my simplest . . .
Posted in: baseballmental healthperfectionismsports
This is why empathy between a parent and child is important
After dislocating my finger, I'm forever grateful for my kids' love and concern
Photo: Freeimages.com – Adrian, Canada
I was 4 and I’ll never forget.
Our gazes locked. A kindergarten classmate; her eyes, red, swollen. Tears streamed down her face.
I felt something. You know the feeling. Starts in your heart, works its way through your throat, eyes, rolling like the surf crashing toward shore.
. . .This story will make you question manhood
Being only tough and strong limits boys and men
Photo: Freeimages.com – Josef Faustbeck
Take it like a man.
How often have you heard this expression? Or maybe one of its cousins: Man up. Don’t be a sissy. Be a man. Don’t cry.
When I played university football, emblazoned at the top of our dressing room, in huge, black lettering, read the words: INTIMIDATE AND . . .
An awesome Redblacks Grey Cup parade
My son and I joined thousands for an Ottawa football celebration
A grey, drab, Tuesday morning. Ottawa awoke to a thin sheet of freezing rain coating the streets. By noon, the temperature had risen, the ice had melted and thousands of fans lined Bank Street for a victory parade to cheer on their football heroes and 2016 Grey Cup champions, the Ottawa Redblacks.
We parked on Fourth Avenue between . . .
Growing up Grey Cup
The Canadian Football League is quirky, exciting and intimate
The television’s blue-hued light flickered in the dark. “I hear someone coming,” I whispered to my brother. “Turn off the TV and hide!” The stairs creaked as Dad made his way downstairs to get a drink of water. We hid behind the laundry room door.
“Shh … be quiet or we’ll get in . . .
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