eteamz - the blog

eteamz Newsletter is now the Active Team Sports Newsletter!

Ericha_eteamz — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 20:46:56 GMT

http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/tsnews.jpg{font:Arial}{size:10pt}These last two months many of you have started to receive a newsletter called the{size:0.8em}{font:Arial}{size:10pt} Active Team Sports Newsletter. If you are bit confused as some people have been it's the new and improved eteamz newsletter. {size:0.8em}{font:Arial}{size:10pt}The name may have changed but we��ve still got all the cool eteamz
community happenings - just with a spiffy new design and new interesting
articles. http://www.active.com/images/newsletters/teamsportarchive/teamsports/december/index.html {size:0.8em}{font:Arial}{size:10pt} {size:0.8em}{font:Arial}{size:10pt}

Don't miss out on all the cool articles, fea*[!|http://www.active.com/community/newslet{size}

Tis the Season to be Merry

Ericha_eteamz — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 21:27:58 GMT

!file:///C:/DOCUME~1/lfirth.LJ/LOCALS~1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg!!file:///C:/DOCUME~1/lfirth.LJ/LOCALS~1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg!!http://active.typepad.com/eteamz/images/snowmen.jpg!http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/snowmen.jpg

With
Thanksgiving still lingering in our minds and Christmas right around the corner
I can safely say I am in panic mode. And not just because I have 9
immediate and 31 extended family members to plan and buy for but because eteamz
is in the process of launching three new pages to our website! You may
have already seen our new home page but that��s not all. We are launching a new ��see what an eteamz
website can do for your team�� page, a ��be a part of the eteamz community�� page,
and lastly a new ��build a site�� process page when you click on ��Create your
site now��. I can��t tell you how hard the team has been
working on all these changes. These
pages will attempt to simplify and explain who we are, what we offer, why you
should create an eteamz site, where you need to go to create an eteamz site, and
how to get started. We��ve received
feedback from folks stating that it��s difficult to find important information
on the site and that the build a site process is confusing. We really hope these changes address the feedback
we��ve received. We��ve scheduled these new
pages to go live at the end of the month 12/31. If there is any change we will keep you
posted.

Happy
Holidays from your eteamz family!

Parents play a role...

Ericha_eteamz — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 23:08:59 GMT

{font:Arial}{size:10pt}Eric's post got me thinking of when
I was a youngster...tearing through my Grimm's Book of Fairytales; Which I admit
I still have and flip through every time I move and have to unpack my bookshelf.
{size:0.8em}{font:Wingdings}{size:10pt}J{size:0.8em}{font:Arial}{size:10pt} The book was my
mothers so as you can imagine it's seen better days. It��s now quite tattered
and aged; well loved I like to say. Those seemed to be much simpler times;
summers were great since the sun didn��t go down until 8 pm which meant we could
play football in the street with the neighbors a few hours longer. Now summers
come and go and I seemed to have missed them?! But I
digress��

{size:0.8em}{font:Arial}{size:10pt}For years we've supported the
educational value of athletics - the development of teamwork, sportsmanship,
cooperation, competition, work ethic, and more. Of course we can learn these
values doing/participating in other things however for the sake of this article
and for the fact that I work for eteamz I will agree. However, there have been
several instances over the last few years that have made me think long and hard
about this theory and the role of parents here. I��m sure you all recall the
most recent story of the father who rushed a football field to tackle a player
that hit his child late - after the ball hit the ground. I was horrified when I
saw the footage��But he was far from the worst sports parent ever. Oh no the
honor is shared by several infamous lunatics:

{size:0.8em}{font:Arial}{size:10pt}Wanda Webb
Holloway, who was sent to prison for trying to have the mother of her daughter's!http://active.typepad.com/eteamz/images/164385624_43f0744ca3_1.jpg!http://active.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/164385624_43f0744ca3_1.jpg

cheerleading rival murdered;

{size:0.8em}{font:Arial}{size:10pt}Christophe
Fauviau, a Frenchman convicted of poisoning his children's tennis rivals with an
antianxiety drug. One drugged opponent fell asleep at the wheel of his car and
died; and

{size:0.8em}{font:Arial}{size:10pt}Thomas
Junta, who killed a fellow hockey dad after a fight during their sons'
practice.

{font:Arial}{size:10pt}Overbearing adults aren't a new
thing, especially where fame and fortune are at stake. Still, it's hard in a
world where athletes become not only super-famous, but extraordinarily wealthy.
We dream of that for our own kids, especially if they show some talent. This
dream can be dangerous. Having outsized expectations and applying too much
pressure are two big mistakes parents can make. It��s natural for kids to want to
grow up and be super stars. Doesn��t every kid? But the reality is that most
won't grow up to be professional athletes. Most won't even earn college sports
scholarships. So finding the balance between healthy support vs. an unhealthy
obsession is crucial. Otherwise we aim to lose those core values we as parents
work so hard to instill in our children. We as parents end up being the cause
of our misbehaving or unbalanced child.

{font:Arial}{size:10pt}So what should parents do? I say
find balance between teaching children to embrace the journey and maintaining a
competitive spirit. Instead of focusing on the trophies, ribbons, and
scholarships focus more on the fun and the skill-development aspects of the
sport and let go of the pressure to win. Make sure your kids are having fun;
Don't project your dreams onto your child; Be realistic, remembering the goals
are fun and fitness first; and don't push your kids too early, and don't push
them to do sports that interest you. Seems easy enough. Let kids be kids with
healthy guidance and support.{font}{size}