Good Sportsmanship Enhances Overall Success  

To teach our children sportsmanship, we must first understand that being a good sport involves more than winning with style and losing with grace.

Good sportsmanship creates strong character and develops success through social interaction that enhances self-esteem.

Teaching children to be good sports also teaches them to face life with passion and overcome obstacles through focus and determination.

Whether participating in sports activities or just interacting with family and friends, it is important that children learn proper sportsmanship for overall success.  

In addition to fairness and support, here are some more positive qualities that children learn when practicing good sportsmanship:

A Good Sport learns to:

     Grow through positive interaction

     Overcome doubt; build self-satisfaction

     Outline strategies to achieve definite goals

     Disallow the deeds of others to negatively impact their
                                roles

     Show others through persistence how not to quit  

     Produce harmonic surroundings where all will benefit  

     Objectively perceive situations as they are

     Rise to every task, each time raising the bar

      Trust in the strength of the inner Superstar

While it may be impressive for your child to become a celebrated team player in competitive sports, it’s even more magnificent when they achieve overall success in life. Through the principles of sportsmanship, you can teach your child to become a sound, caring individual, strong in character and deeds.

LIVE YOUR LIFE THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED


With the tragic death of singer and actress Whitney Houston, people are split when thinking about her life. Some focus on her talents and pay tribute to all that she gave to the world while others focus just on the turmoil that seemed to plague her life.

While the things being said about Whitney may or may not be true, you can’t help but believe that given the choice, Whitney would want only her artistic life to be remembered by her loving fans. Sadly, that’s not the reality of things.

Although tragic, this event can bring about an opportunity to others; an opportunity to self-reflect. Ask yourself:

• Are you living your life in a way that you’d like to be remembered?
• Does your life merit the kind of tribute you’d be proud to have spoken about you after you’re gone?

If you answered NO, then the next question to ask yourself is “Why not?” If you want an honestly good tribute and not a generic one – you know, the kind that you hear at most funerals when people sugar-coat the life of the deceased so they won’t disgrace the family with facts of a messy life – then do something about it now. It’s not too late. You can still create the kind of life you want.

If you’re not living your truth from within, you’re living dishonestly. If you don’t want to live a dishonest life, then STOP. You’re not being true to anyone unless you do; not even to yourself. You have the power to change your life for the better. 

Live your happiness. Live your true Bliss. Devote your time, energy and focus on the things you care about and your life will go on forever through the love and positive memories you will leave behind.

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY NOT JUST FOR FANS

On Super Bowl Sunday, fans will be glued to television sets in family rooms, sports bars, neighborhood diners, and movie theaters to watch the Patriots and the Giants go at it for the game of the season. Family and friends, male and female, young and old will get together for the annual gathering of competitive bickering and "my team is the best" talk. The buzz that's been going on will finally explode on the evening of Sunday, February 5^th.

But where does all this leave the non-fan? We...I mean They want to have fun, too. How can Super Bowl Sunday be just as fun and entertaining for the folks who, at the mention of Giants and New England, think only of fairy tale monsters and Pilgrims?

3-Team Cake for the Men

I happen to be one of those Non-Fans…well, not quite as bad as described above; I do know who the teams are. I’m more into the NBA (sorry football guys and gals) but I do enjoy the hubbub that goes on around this time. So, when the gridiron gathering is at my home and hubby Michael is host, my contribution usually involves football-ish decorations or quirky dishes to add party interest and satisfy my need to belong to the day.

Steelers Represented

Last year, the grand kids and I decided to represent Michael's team (Bears) as well as those of my two younger brothers (Pittsburgh & Tampa Bay). The cake is made from several cupcakes. 

Chicago Represented

Tampa Bay Section

Since it was close to Valentine's Day, we decided to bring some Heart to the table for the Non-fans. There were heart-shaped sandwiches, cupcakes, and Teddi the Princess Bear too. 

We decided on a menu that morning and made a quick run to the grocery store. So you see, you don't have to do a lot to get into the spirit of things. Sunday, Michael will be hosting again and guess what my plans are; to put together some party food (I just love doing that), give Michael, his friends and Tipper the Cat the house along with my blessings. Then I'll grab up a bunch of the refreshments and head to my sister's house for the evening. Who knows, we may even check out the Half-time Show.