Remember parents...create memories with your children

By Stephen C. Schultz

The whistles are blowing constantly and the sound of shoes squeaking on the hardwood floor is relentless. Cheers from the spectators are mingled with the stomping of feet every time a point is scored. There is a level of anticipation and excitement that can only be felt at a sporting event of some kind.

For me, watching volleyball has become a weekly event. All of my kids have shown an interest in sports. My oldest daughter as well as her two younger sisters had years of soccer, softball and volleyball. My son gravitated to basketball and baseball. He did have a few years of chasing a soccer ball when he was barely beyond being a toddler.

Athletics and team sports provide exercise and the development of essential character traits that are so important when navigating the child and adolescent stages of development. Kids learn about hard work, focus, determination, courage, collaboration, problem solving, assertiveness and empathy to name a few.

However, my own personal opinion is that the shared memories are the most important aspect of sports activities. These memories foster healthy relationships. You see, the day will come when the sport is no longer played. The practices fade away into the rigors of life, work, civic and family responsibilities. What's left are the memories of playing, memories of the conversations in the car afterword and the bonding that takes place between a child and their parents.

For this reason, I share some of the memories of my daughter and her volleyball season. I am a proud papa, but these days won't last forever except as memories. We always seem to be fighting that elusive nemesis called "Time". I hope you enjoy!

Comments

custom writing service reviews said…

it is absolutely heart warming to see how hard they players work. i will be cheering on for them with all my heart. chin up and do your best champ!!

August 25, 2017 at 11:30 PM

edu birdie said…

Now a days everyone is so busy in their lives. Even parents don't have time for their children. After office they spend time on social media which is an alarming situation.

November 26, 2017 at 1:03 PM

The Young Boy and the Rattlesnake

By Stephen C. Schultz (Editors note: This is a story used in a Wilderness Treatment Program. Many come to this program having struggled with depression, anxiety and substance use.) Many years ago there was a young Native American who lived in the very land you are residing in. He decided to seek wisdom by journeying to the top of Indian Peak. As he approached the base of the mountain he came across a rattlesnake that slithered beside him. The snake coiled as if to strike and the young boy moved back quickly in fear of being struck by the snake’s deadly venom. At that instant the snake spoke to the boy saying, “Don’t be afraid of me, I mean you no harm. I come to you to ask a favor. I see that you are about to traverse to the top of Indian Peak and was hoping that you may be willing to place me in your satchel so that I don’t have to make the long journey alone.” The young boy surprised by the snake’s request quickly responded by turning down the offer, stating, ...

Measuring What Matters: Oxbow’s Edge in Predicting Progress

By Stephen C. Schultz Therapists are highly trained to guide, support, and assess progress. Yet, research continues to show that even experienced clinicians have mixed results at predicting which clients will improve, drop out, or struggle in therapy. This isn’t a critique of therapists—it’s a reality supported by data. And for those who place trust in residential treatment programs—families, school districts, educational consultants, and Managed Care Organizations (MCOs)—this insight is critical. At Oxbow Academy , we take this seriously. That’s why we use validated, research-backed tools to supplement clinical intuition and track meaningful progress in real time. Research Shows: Intuition Isn’t Enough In a foundational study by Hannan et al. (2005), therapists failed to recognize which of their clients were likely to experience treatment failure—even when objective outcome data pointed to risks. Similarly, Hatfield et al. (2010) demonstrated that therapists tend to overestima...

Treat People Like They’re Under Construction

By Stephen C. Schultz Five Ways to Support Others as They Grow I find it interesting that when someone is remodeling their home, visitors are very tolerant of improvements that are obviously underway. They understand that dust, mess, and exposed beams are part of the process. You might even hear comments like, “It’s going to be beautiful when it’s done!” or “I love seeing the progress!” Yet when someone is remodeling their character , we often don’t extend the same grace. Instead of supporting the process, we sometimes call attention to the “mess” in progress—or worse, we remind them of what their “house” used to look like, as if they’re not allowed to change the floorplan. But here’s the truth: our lives are all Design/Build projects. We learn as we go. We draft blueprints based on what we think will work, and then we tweak them in real time. There’s no perfect plan from the start—only vision, intention, and a whole lot of revision. So how do we show up for others in the middle of...

The Interpreted Rock

Search This Blog