Lights, Camera, Rookie Rugby Action!

This weekend we will be filming a Rookie Rugby Coaching video for USA Rugby. Rookie Rugby is a youth version of rugby appropriate for kids as young as five years old. It is a fast, aerobic, and safe version of the game that keeps kids safe, active, and having fun. Rookie Rugby is appropriate for kids of all ages, shapes, and sizes.

I'm thrilled to be filming this video for USA Rugby. The video will showcase all different rugby games, skills, and progressions for tag/flag rugby. It will star yours truly too - gotta love the stuff we do for our jobs!

The reason I wanted to talk about this was to delve a little bit into the importance of coaching education in sport. As much as I would love to climb up on my soapbox and talk for hours about coaching education and why it is important, I will not bore you with that. Instead, I'll briefly touch base on what coaching education is and what it can be.

What is Coaching Education?

Basically it is just that - educating the coach. No matter how old you are, no matter how much knowledge you have, you can always learn more or refine what you already have. I think a lot of times we assume coaches have all of the knowledge. We assume that because someone has played in the past that they are qualified to coach.

Please understand that I'm not saying that these individuals are not qualified, but what I am saying is that continuing to educate themselves will ensure that our athletes will have better athletic experiences overall. We will be, as to quote Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), coaching our athletes to be winners both on the field and in life.

So what is coaching education? Anything that a coach does to further their knowledge of the sport or better themselves as a coach is considered coaching education. This could be a class or course, reading a book, participating in a clinic, networking and talking with mentors, etc.

What CAN Coaching Education Be?

Right now in the United States we have a pretty loose coaching education structure. There are countries in this world that have national-based programs and requirements. In the United States I would say we're a bit behind. Although we do have some amazing programs out there, what good does it do if no one knows about it and takes advantage of it?

Programs, schools, national governing bodies, etc. all have an obligation to require their coaches to become educated and continue their education throughout their terms. The world is constantly evolving and knowledge is changing. Our kids are changing. Make sure your coaches are keeping up.

Conclusion...

I don't claim to be an expert in coaching education. I don't claim to be an expert in Rookie Rugby. What I do claim to be is someone that creates opportunities. What this Rookie Rugby video will do is take coaching education to the youth level. Now, coaches, P.E. teachers, program directors, parents, etc. will all be able to have access to this knowledge and education. We have plans of making this video easily accessible for all involved and wanting to get involved in youth rugby.

If we start to educate our coaches at the youth level then our players will get into sport and start their development through sport earlier.

So then it is time...lights...camera...Rookie Rugby Action!!!

Cosmogirl.com Interview

Check out my recent interview with Cosmogirl.com!

http://www.cosmogirl.com/blog/meet-youth-olympics-ambassador

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find Out What It Means To You....

We are now moving on to the third Olympic value of respect. All of these values (friendship, excellence, and respect) all interrelate and coincide with one another. Let us examine the value of respect...

According to www.dictionary.com, respect is a sense of worth that you give someone, such as in, 'I have great respect for him/her.' Respect, by this definition, is found everywhere within the Olympic Games. There is respect for and among athletes, coaches, administrators, spectators, etc. We respect the competing athletes for their hard work and dedication. We respect the coaches for their ability to develop and teach these great athletes. We respect the administrators for their ability to organize such a monumental event. We respect the spectators for their undying devotion and enthusiasm for sport. Respect is laced in every aspect of these games.

What I want to talk about specifically in terms of respect is cultural respect, which is found throughout the Olympics. The reason I want to bring this up is because the athletes that will be traveling to Singapore will encounter a plethora of different cultures. These cultures are going to range from being very similar to your own to being vastly different. You may hear things that shock you, surprise you, and most likely will challenge you. These differences may be things that go against what you believe in. These differences may upset you, intrigue you, make you think...

Of the three Olympic values, I see respect being the most important. Whether you are traveling to Singapore for the Youth Olympic Games or just living your every day life - respecting others' cultures is so important. In the United States we have the great fortune of having so many different cultures in one place. Every day I encounter someone that has a culture different from mine. Being open minded, in my opinion, is the only way to live. How will you ever get by in life with tunnel vision?

My message to the athletes traveling to Singapore, as well as everyone else out there - keep an open mind when you experience new things and meet new people. Have respect for the things that are different from what you know and love. These differences might scare you, they might anger you, make you uncomfortable. Maybe these differences will enlighten you, challenge you, make you change the way you think. Whatever feelings come up, remember to keep that open mind. Just because someone thinks differently than you do does not mean anything - respect that difference. Embrace that difference.

When I was in Singapore I was having a conversation with one of the other Young Ambassadors. We were talking about certain things in our cultures and there was a vast difference between hers and mine. It floored me to hear some of the things that exist in her country when compared with my own. I know for a fact that our beliefs do not perfectly align, but here we were, sharing in something similar - despite our differences. Things like sport and friendship can unite these differences through a mutual avenue.

So whether your hair is blonde, red, black, purple, or brown and whether you believe in one God, two, or none - realize that the differences in the world are what make it beautiful. Realize that nothing is perfect and no one culture is the right one. Embrace and accept what you encounter and let it change you for the better. Learn from it. Grow from it. Evolve.

What will you be excellent at?

The next value of the Olympic games that I will touch base on is excellence. What will you excel at in your life? Maybe you will excel at a sport and be an excellent athlete. Perhaps you will perform excellent in school and land a fabulous job. Or maybe, we could focus on something a little closer to home - being an excellent you.

I know that there is one thing that I am THE best at - something that no one else can beat me at and that thing is being me. Am I the best athlete? No. Am I the smartest student? No. Am I perfect at anything? Absolutely not. But I wake up every day and I give 100% to being Erin Kennedy.

So what, right? Who really cares if I give everything I have to excelling at my own life? Will I change the world? Probably not. I will most likely never discover the cure for cancer or solve the problems of the world. World peace will not come from my hands, this I am sure. So what is the point? Why excel at something that doesn't mean anything to the world? There are billions of people on this planet and I will only interact with a very small percentage of them. Is it worth it?

I hope I haven't lost you just yet, I promise I have a point. Excellence is a word that sometimes becomes the victim of tunnel vision. How do we define excellence? A good grade on a test, winning the game, being the very best in comparison to others are all ways in which we define success and excellence. My point is to challenge you to think of excellence not in comparison to others, but think of it within yourself. How do you define excellence within yourself?

Let me give you an example...a personal example...a few years ago I experienced something that turned my world upside down. For the next few months I went through the motions, not really living. Was I excelling at being me? Absolutely not. It was some point a few months later that I realized it did not matter what was going on around me - at the end of the day, if everyone else in this world left, there is me and only me. I needed to be the best me that I could be if I was ever going to live a happy and fulfilled life. I made a decision right then and there to constantly strive towards excellence...personal excellence.

I do not claim to be a perfect person. I do not claim to be better than the next person. So what do I claim? I claim to uphold the values that I believe in for myself. I claim to fight for the things that I want and love in my life. I claim to stand up for the things that I believe in. I claim to try my hardest at everything that I do - going wholeheartedly in - no matter what the outcome will be. I claim that I have no regrets thus far in my life - everything happens for a reason.

So what about you? What do you excel at in your life? What I am saying is that it does not matter what you excel at. Everyone is good at one thing, at the very least one thing, in their lives. My point is, start defining excellence not based on others, but on yourself. Are you achieving your goals? Are you upholding the things that you believe in? You will never be excellent at anything in your life until you can be excellent at just being you.

The picture below is of a man who achieved amazing things in his life. This man is buried in my hometown. This man is Jim Thorpe. Maybe you'll never have a town named after you, maybe you'll never be on a billboard, but maybe, just maybe you will life an excellent life.

Interview with Brennan LaBrie

Check out my interview with Brennan LaBrie, a TIME for Kids Reporter:

Interview with the Seattle PI Blogger - Jack Olmsted

Hey Everyone! Check out my recent interview with Jack Olmsted and the Seattle PI Blogger!

Friendship - It's Universal!

The Olympic Values of Friendship, Excellence, and Respect are the underlying groundwork for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games. I figured that since this is the base on which we will be standing, it might be a good topic to explore further. Let us break it down one by one...and today I will focus on friendship...

Every person in the world will go through life and have at least one friend. We hope that people will have many friends, but for the sake of this blog, let's just focus on one. The process is simple, really...

1. Two people meet under a myriad of circumstances
2. Conversation occurs
3. A connection is made between these two individuals
4. A friendship is formed

Ok, so maybe I broke the forming of a friendship down to its most simple structure, but the process is pretty straightforward and at one point in everyone's life, they will experience the building of this bond. So now these two people exist in harmony for days, maybe months, sometimes years, or maybe even a lifetime. My point is that friendship is universal. It does not matter how it forms, what it looks like, or how long it lasts - the point is that in every culture friendship exists.

Friendship is something that can, without sounding mushy, move mountains or build bridges. Think for just one second about the first person that you turn to when things in your life go sour. Think about the most enjoyable moments of your life and who you were with. I can remember when I studied abroad in Spain when I was in college and met my roommate, Julie. We spent every moment together over the course of five weeks. Spain was an amazing experience, but the reason I loved it so much was because of my new found connection with Julie. To this day we remain the closest of friends and I know that my life would not be the same without her.

Ok, so we've established the power of this simple value. So ask yourself this - what does friendship have to do with the Olympics?

The Olympic Games bring together people from all over the world for one thing: sport. Sport, another universal language, is something we will talk about in a later post. To travel to one event where you will have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world is a chance that not many get to experience. The people that you will meet at an event like speak the same language you do: friendship. Form friendships here and you can change the world.

Let's think about that for just a second. The young athletes that are present at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games are the future leaders of our countries. Bold statement? Talk to me in 25 years when the young person who excelled on the field because of their great leadership skills is now excelling in your country's offices or government. It is not complicated math that I am doing here, it all adds up.

Now, take all of your country's top leaders and bring them to one event where they can interact and form friendships. I do not want to draw any drastic conclusions, but do I hear 'World Peace', anyone? Through sport and through friendships we have the ability to build and shape a better world.

I know in my short trip to Singapore in March for the Young Ambassador Seminar I formed friendships with people from over thirty countries. The most amazing part about this was that these friendships seemed to happen instantly. I remember when I walked into the Learning Lounge that first night I was greeted with smiles and handshakes without a single hesitation. It was certainly an overwhelming feeling, one I will never forget. As I rode in the van to the airport for my flight back to the United States I felt a wave of saddness for leaving my newfound companions. I wanted more time to get to know each of them.

I may not have a future as the President of the United States of America, but I do know that no matter what my future holds, the bonds that I formed with the other young leaders from around the world will last throughout my lifetime. I know that at any point in time I can reach out to any one of them to toss some ideas around, ask advice, or just talk. Just knowing that makes me more confident about my future, more fulfilled over all.

I encourage the athletes that will be attending the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games to look forward to the many friendships that they will form with others from their own country, as well the many others from around the world. Trust me, you will not regret it...

Discovery Activity - What you might discover is yourself...

The Discovery Activity of the Cultural Education Program (CEP) was by far my favorite activity of the CEP. Why was this my favorite activity one might ask? Well, in comparison to the other activities, this was not the most active of activities, nor was it the most fun. The reason that I was so drawn to this program was because of the great benefit that it offers for young athletes.

The Discovery Activity is made up of various games and sessions that are centered on life skills. So I know what you're thinking - boring, right? Don't be so quick to judge, these life skills are exactly the things that will make you a success in the future. Don't believe me? Let's look at the activities a little bit closer...

Game Plan - This session focuses on discovering what your main interests are and how that relates to your future career. The biggest mistake I made in college was going after a career that I did not actually want. I was fortunate enough to listen to my gut and go for something that I loved. My passsion and interest was something that was loud enough for me to follow, but do most actually follow this voice? How many times do we go after the paycheck, the location, or something else external? This Game Plan activity helps you realize that you may be drawn to certain activities because you're not only good at them, but interested in them as well.

***Why is this important? It is never too early to start thinking about what you're interested in and some possible careers that can relate to this. I am 100% honest when I say that there is nothing more satisfying than driving into work knowing that you're about to embark on a day full of things that you are passionate about. When you love your job, like you love your sport, it is all worth it.

Networking - Ok, if you read my first post then you know that this is something I am very adamant about. If you do anythingin your career, networking is it. The famous phrase of, "It is not what you know, it is who you know" is a phrase of partial truth. It is about what you know, do not get me wrong, but it is about who you know first. Get to know the right people and the right doors open. Make an impression, let someone know who you are - you will never forget it. The Networking session suring the CEP will help you fine tune those networking skills so that you can put them into action.
***Why is this important? You will meet hundreds and thousands of people during the Youth Olympic Games and throughout your entire life. It is never too early to start meeting people and talking to them about what they do and what you want to do. Ask them the secret to their success, ask for contact information, compliment them! All of these things will help you in so many ways. I hope that every young person I meet is eager to talk about their future when I meet them - my door is always open!

Other Discovery Activities - Let's talk about some of the other activities that are available in the Discovery Activity. Some of the other activities address: building relationships, balancing life's activities, decision making, and taking care of one's body. Think these might be important? If your answer is anything but YES! then think again. No matter what career you have you will always have relationships to maintain in your life. No matter what you do, there will always be a need to balance work, family, love, friends, and other things. No matter how easy things seem, you will always be faced with life's choices like what car to buy, which neighborhood to live in, what Friday night activity to do, etc. And of course, taking care of one's body is a lifelong committment. During this session you will have the opportunity to participate in fun games like Feed Me, Athleteopoly, and Life Jenga.
***Why is this important? Life skills are important for...well, life! Start working on these things now and by the time you are ready to embark on your career, the rest will fall into place.

Olympism is the very groundwork that the Olympics were built on. Olympism is all about holisitic development - developing oneself physically, culturally, socially, mentally, and emotionally. The Discovery Activity opens the door for that holistic development. There is no time like today - you are never too young to start thinking about these things...trust me...you will not regret a single moment!

To check out a video on the CEP Discovery Activity, click here...

Chat with Champions

Have you ever played a game where you were asked the question, "If you could meet anyone, alive or dead, who would it be and what would you talk about..."? The Cultural Education Program (CEP) of Chat with Champions at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) can bring that imagination to life. Athletes will have the chance to sit down with current and former Olympians to hear their stories and what makes them champions.

During the CEP Seminar, myself and the other ambassadors, as well as the CEP Champions, had a chance to hear from the president of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge. Rogge sat down with us in a very informal setting and spoke about his vision. He outlined how the YOG came to be and what the underlying goal was with the CEP. Being a former Olympian himself, it was great to hear his vision for these young athletes that will participate in the Games in August.

Personally I think that this activity will hold incredible value for the young athletes. To have the opportunity to speak to those that have already experienced what they are about to experience is something that comes but once in a lifetime. Being an elite athlete is such a small population in comparison to the rest of the world. To be able to speak to someone who understands what your life is like, to understand what struggles you go through, to understand what it is like to just be you - it is a priceless experience.

Our session with President Rogge was of great value to me because it helped me understand where the games evolved from. To hear a former elite athlete talk about the importance of holistic development and developing it earlier within our youth was inspiring. It is the vision to instill the Olympic principles at a younger age so that these athletes will lead better lives. By reaching these young people sooner, we are ensuring that a better tomorrow is in our future.

Let's break this down a bit for better understanding: Take a youth athlete of 14 years old. This young athlete has been training hard for competition in his/her sport and is ready for the high level competition that awaits. When thinking about the future, all this young athlete sees is sport competition - dreams of Olympic gold are in sight. This young athlete attends the YOG and participates in competition as well as many activities in the CEP. What he/she was not expecting was that aside from competing, the activities within the CEP opened his/her eyes to something more: oneself. Now armed with life skills such as communication, leadership, teamwork, time management, and more, this young athlete is now prepared to return to his/her community not only as an athlete, but as a leader. Using the many different skills that one learns within sport can transfer to success outside of sport.

What the vision is all about is Olympism - holistic development across all avenues. The Olympics are not just about physical competition, it is about developing an athlete socially, culturally, physically, emotionally, and so much more. By instilling these values at an earlier age, we are able to reach our young leaders now, as opposed to later...

HortPark Exploration Journey

 

Ready to explore a little bit? In this post I will give you a glimpse into the Cultural Education Program (CEP) of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) called the Exploration Journey. Explore and learn about the environment by rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty. For all you green thumbs out there, this is definitely the activity for you! For those that haven't quite turned their thumbs green yet, there is no time like today to get started.

For the Exploration Journey you get one of two choices: HortPark and the Marina Barrage. I did not experience the Marina Barrage first hand, but heard from my peers that it was tons of fun and very interesting. I will take you through HortPark, a glimpse into the outdoors and all of its treasures...

As you ascend up the walkway to the entrance of HortPark you allow your eyes to wander and take in the surroundings. Flowers with eye-popping colors and trees with lush green leaves decorate the environment. After heading inside and coming together, we sit down to hear about HortPark and what it is all about. To learn more about HortPark, click here...

Now it is time, let's embark on a journey...starting with the outdoors. As you exit the building you look out to see green upon green upon green. Walk along and take in the smells, the sights, and the warm sun on your face. You are surrounded by nature and now perfectly prepped to learn all about it. Let's get your blood pumping with a little competition activity to help you learn about herbs and spices. Did you know what ginger can do? How about lavendar? This activity will help you learn the many benefits that herbs and spices in your own back yard have. Afterwards you can walk around the herb and spice garden and smell the curry leaves, touch a peanut plant, and more. Following this activity you will do two more similar activities that help you to learn about fruits and vegetables (as you taste local fruits!) and recycling. Now that you have become one with the environment, head inside for one more fun lesson about the earth we live on...

Do you know what a terrarium is? I didn't either before I came to HortPark. A terrarium is a mini environment that can be found inside things like old, empty jam jars. Terrariums contain plants and sometimes even animals. The staff at HortPark outline the many benefits of a terrarium, as well as how to construct one. Now it is your turn - head back to the table for your supplies and start with step one...but I don't want to ruin the surprise! You'll just have to visit HortPark during the games to find out how to make your own terrarium. 

So now that you have a brief glimpse into the Exploration Journey, let's talk about why it is important. Why do you think it is important to learn about herbs, spices, fruits, veggies, recycling, and terrariums? Think for just one second about your life and how you live. Think about the air you breath, the paper you write on, the school you attend, the house you live in, the food that you eat, etc. Everything that you utilize in your life has something to do with the environment. We couldn't breathe without plants. We couldn't eat without the food that comes from the soil. We couldn't live in houses without the use of environment-made materials. 

What I am trying to say is that we take for granted all of the things that surround us. Take a moment to appreciate what you have. Take a moment to learn more about it. You can help to make your environment last by taking care of it. Want to learn more about going green - click here...

To learn more about the exploration Journey at the YOG, click here to watch a video. Hope to see you at HortPark or the Marina Barrage in August!

Independence - Which Country Has It Right?

Before I begin this post, let me clarify by saying that I am by no way saying that the way we live in the United States is the right way, I am purely pointing out some of the major differences between life in the West and life in the Far East.

Driving

Let’s talk about the driving law that exists in both countries and compare the two. In Singapore you cannot legally drive until you are 21 years old. In the United States the legal driving age is 16 - with some variation among states. Let's examine why this could be so...

Facts: Singapore is significantly smaller than the United States in land mass, which could mean that less people overall drive. To get across Singapore it might only take you three to four hours driving. In the United States, a three or four hour drive might not even take you across one state. By increasing the age at which people drive I believe you are instilling the aspect of utilizing public transportation. With this idea in mind, someone may grow up and continue to use public transit to get around rather than rely on their own car. In Singapore, if everyone owned their own car, where would they put them all? In the United States there are times where you need a car to get from point A to point B, hence the lower age.

When I was 16 years old, was I ready to drive? Maybe - but the fact of the matter was that unless I wanted to rely on my parents and older brother to get everywhere, I would have been limited in what I could do. My parents both work, my brother works and has his own life - how could I expect them to cater to my needs? In high school I participated in three sports and almost any club/activity available - needing a car to get to and from practice and meetings was essential. There was no public bus in Jim Thorpe, PA - there still isn't.

So although you may not be as mature at 16 as you are at 21, in the United States it is much more commonplace and much more of a need to have a driver's license. In Singapore, although others around the world are behind the wheel at 16, they can focus on other things because cars and driving will not be on their radar for another five years.

Living

In the United States we put this label on each other at the age of 18 - the label of 'adult'. By the age of 18 you can legally drive, vote, go to war, buy cigarettes, and lottery tickets. According to us I guess that means you're independent. A lot of 18 year olds move on to college or careers, and often move out of their parent/guardian(s) house to be on their own or with roommates. It is the culture of the country that by the age of 18, it is time to go out and spread your wings.

In Singapore, it is much different. Just glancing at Singapore you will see an abundance of apartment buildings towering around the country. What you will not see is houses - they are few and far between. Because Singapore is so small in size, they have to live in these complexes, or else they would run out of space. So, in a conversation I had a few local Singaporeans, I was informed of a law - the 'moving out' law. In order to move out of your parent/guardian(s)' apartment you must be of the age of 35. The only way that you can get around this is to get hitched and move in with your hubby or wifey.

So let's talk about this for a second - living with your parent/guardian(s) until 35? In the United States you are practically living the movie of Step Brothers. I am only 24 years old and I cannot fathom moving back in with my parents. Don't get my wrong - I love my parents more than life itself, but being on my own, working a full time career - I cannot imagine living with them again. We have this culture of independence - getting out - making it on your own. But then where does that leave us?

Other countries have cultures that are centered on family. Other cultures are centered on relationships. The United States - independence. As with conservation, I think we can learn something from these amazing Singaporeans. We, in the United States, sometimes become so focused on getting out on our own and we forget to appreciate what is right around us. I know that I could definitely make more time and effort to put into my relationships with family and friends. I bet those of you reading this would agree for your own life.

What can we learn from this? As cliche as it sounds - the grass is not always greener on the other side. For the athletes out there who will be attending the Youth Olympic Games, take time to learn about these other countries and cultures. For everyone, including the athletes, appreciate what you have and think about how you can better your life by learning from others. I think we can learn a thing or two from these incredible Singaporeans - what is the rush - life will be there waiting for you no matter what age you are - take the time to enjoy it.

Cultural Difference - Conservation

In the United States I think we have this obsession with more. A prime example of this is obviously our restaurants. We give portions that could feed a small country, which of course leads to our country’s incredible obesity rate. Being abroad helped me realize another area that we focus on more – hotel pillows. For the last couple nights in Singapore we moved to the Swissotel, which is a five star hotel. After sleeping on a bed that felt like a board with a brick pillow, I was stoked to get five star water pressure and five star bedding. I walk into the room and was actually surprised when our beds had only two pillows. Only two? The bed seemed so empty with the open space. Where were my extra three pillows that usually accompany the others?


The best thing about this is that when I sleep I only use one pillow – sometimes none. Who really needs 5 pillows when they sleep? I would put money on the fact that 99% of the people that spend the night in a hotel throw at least three of the five pillows on the floor, and yet I still expect there to be at least five pillows available. The Singaporeans are definitely on to something – a little thing called conservation. They do this in many areas of life including electricity. In hotels and some other rooms that have key card access, the key card is used to authorize electrical use. When you leave the room you have to take the card with you in order to re-enter – BRILLIANT! I think we can definitely learn a thing or two from these Singaporeans.