A Little League Parent’s Guide to Honoring The Game

The key to cultivating optimal adult behavior (and reducing misbehavior) in Little League is “Honoring the Game.” To remember the tenets of Honoring the Game, use the acronym ROOTS, meaning respect for Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates and Self.

You don’t bend the Rules to win. You understand that a worthy Opponent helps you to play to your highest potential. You respect Officials even when you disagree with their calls. You refuse to do anything that embarrasses your Teammates. Even if others fail to live up to these standards, you live up to the standards you set for your Self.

Here are a few ways “Second-Goal” Parents can contribute to a positive Little League environment so that children will keep having fun and keep returning to baseball and softball, where they can learn the life lessons they will need long after their Little League careers end.

Before the Game:

• Make a commitment to Honor the Game in action and language no matter what others may do.
• Tell your children before each game that you are proud of them regardless of how well they play.

During the Game:

• Fill your children’s “Emotional Tanks.”
• Don’t yell instructions during the game. Let coaches coach.
• Cheer good plays by both teams.
• Mention good calls by the umpires to other parents.
• If an umpire makes a “bad” call against your team, Honor the Game — be silent!
• If other parents yell at the umpires, gently remind them to Honor the Game.
• Don’t do anything in the heat of the moment that you will regret after the game. Ask yourself, “Will this embarrass my child or the team?”
• Remember to have fun! Enjoy the game.

After the Game:

• Thank the umpires for doing a difficult job for little or no pay.
• Thank the coaches for their commitment and effort.
• Remind your children again that you are proud of them — win or lose.

This story is brought to you by Positive Coaching Alliance, and Little League University. To learn more, visit positivecoach.org. 

2018 Movies in the Park Schedule Released

Spring is nearly here, and temperatures will soon be warming up! That means Clarksville Parks’ annual outdoor Summer Movies Series is right around the corner.  Here is our complete movie schedule for Summer 2018.  Be sure to mark your calendar!

 

• “Despicable Me 3” – Friday, May 4th
• “Angels in the Outfield” – Friday, June 1st
• “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” – Friday, July 6th
• “Cars 3” – Friday, August 3rd
• “Paddington 2” – Friday, September 7th
• “Coco” – Friday, October 5th

All movies will be held at Gateway Park, located at 500 Little League Boulevard in Clarksville. All movies are FREE and begin at dusk (as soon as it is dark enough outside). Lawn chairs and coolers are welcome! Sorry, no alcohol, smoking, bikes, or pets allowed.  Movies will be canceled in the event of inclement weather, and will not be rescheduled.

For more information, visit the “Movies in the Park” page at ClarksvilleParks.com.

We’ll see you at the movies!

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Want to live longer? Get to a Park!

Americans are always looking for the next best health tip in hopes of living a longer and healthier life.  According to one study, the answer could be as simple as living close to your local park!

CNN recently published an article that focuses on the impact that greenery and parks have on life expectancy… 

“The trees, shrubs and plants outside your home might offer something more than just pretty scenery. A new study found that living in, or near, green areas can help women live longer and improve their mental health.

Researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital examined more than 108,000 women enrolled in the Nurse’s Health Study — a nationwide investigation into risk factors for major chronic diseases in women — from 2000 to 2008.

They compared risk of death with the amount of plant life and vegetation near the women’s homes and found that women living in the greenest areas had a 12% lower death rate than women living in the least green areas. The levels of vegetation were determined using satellite imagery from different seasons and years.  The team believes the findings would be similar if men were included in the study.

When analyzing specific causes of death among the study participants, researchers found that women in greener areas had a 41% lower death rate for kidney disease, a 34% lower death rate for respiratory disease and a 13% lower death rate for cancer than those living in areas with less greenery.

The study suggests that several factors might play a role in reducing the death rate, including improved mental health, which was measured through levels of depression and estimated to explain 30% of the benefit from living in greener areas. Increased opportunities for social engagement, increased physical activity and lower exposure to air pollution may also play important roles, according to the study.”

So when you are out Christmas shopping this year, show the ones you love that you really care by passing on the perfume, and choosing a gift that will help encourage them to get out and enjoy what nature has to offer.

The above excerpt is from “Living near nature linked to longer lives, says study”, an article by Morgan Manella and CNN.  Click Here to read the full article.

Scare Away those Extra Halloween Calories!

Every kid looks forward to Halloween.  What other time do you get to become your favorite character, and get lots of free candy?  Unfortunately, all that candy floating around leads to lots and lots of excess calories for kids AND parents.  The American Heart Association is stepping in to help you scare away those extra Halloween calories.

For the Trick-or-Treater

• Fill up first. What kid doesn’t want to eat their favorite candy right when it goes into their trick-or-treat bag? Having a healthy meal BEFORE your kids go trick-or-treating can reduce their temptation to snack while walking or to overindulge, because their tummies will be full.
• Bag the monster bag. Choose or make a smaller collection container for your child and steer clear of the pillow case method. If you encourage kids to only take one piece of candy from each house, they’ll be able to visit more houses in the neighborhood.
• Get moving. Get some exercise by making Halloween a fun family activity. Walk instead of driving kids house to house. Set a goal of how many houses or streets you’ll visit, or compete in teams to do as many as you can. Bring a bottle of water and a flashlight, and wear comfortable shoes for walking!
• Look before you eat. Check expiration dates and inspect all edibles before allowing children to eat them. Don’t let children eat anything with questionable or unknown ingredients, especially if they have food allergies.
• Have a plan. Halloween, and Eat Smart Month in November, can be a great time to talk with kids about moderation and making smart eating choices. Plan in advance how much candy they’ll be allowed to take at each house, keep, and eat. If they’re old enough, let them help decide what to do with excess candy.

What to Do with Excess Candy

Afraid you’ll be dealing with an excess of Halloween treats until long after Valentine’s Day? Here are some ideas for enjoying the evening’s haul responsibly and getting rid of leftover candy:

• Let each child keep enough candy to have one or two pieces a day for one or two weeks (long enough for the excitement to wane). Throw away, donate or re-purpose the rest.
• When your child asks for a piece of candy, pair it with a healthy snack: an apple, a banana, some nuts, or celery with peanut butter.
• “Buy back” candy from your child with money or tokens they can trade in for a fun activity: a day at the zoo, an afternoon playing at the park, going ice skating, or a day at the pool.
• Some dentists’ offices have buy-back or trade-in programs, too.
• Save it for holiday baking.
• Save it to fill the piñata at the next birthday celebration or give out with Valentine cards.
• Use it in an arts and crafts project or to decorate a holiday gingerbread house.
• Donate excess candy to a homeless shelter, children’s hospital, or care package program for troops overseas. A familiar sweet treat from home can be comforting at the holidays.

The American Heart Association also has tips for those staying home to hand out candy, and for Halloween party planners.  To view the full article, CLICK HERE.

The above content is an excerpt from a ‘Eat Smart Article’ by the American Heart Association.  Visit https://healthyforgood.heart.org/eat-smart/articles/ for more stories on how to live a healthier life.

Clarksville Parks Asking for Community’s Help in Supporting Local Kids

Ask just about any Clarksville kid, and they can probably tell you about the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department. Over the last few years, the department has been making a big push to become more involved at area schools, and to get more local children involved in park programs.

Every month our staff are visiting area schools with our music van, wiggle, cars, and other fun activities. We are always there when school administrators ask us to take part in their events.

“Clarksville Parks & Recreation is a vital partner and supporter of Clarksville Community Schools. Their commitment and support of our students is second to none,” said CCSC Information Specialist Nikolette Langdon. “They not only provide countless events and activities for the Clarksville Community, but they also support our students grades PK-12 through attending and assisting CCSC with events, celebrations and educational opportunities.”

Now the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department is calling on area residents to join us in giving back to the children in our community.

ClarkFEST is Clarksville’s largest annual community festival, held every year in October at Clarksville’s Gateway Park, and Clarksville Parks plays a big role in helping to organize the event. The FREE festival features a parade, car show, live music, inflatables, games, food trucks, and much more.

This year, the ClarkFEST planning committee decided to add a “Run for the Kids” 5K Run/Walk. The race will be held on Saturday, October 21st at 8:00am, with the start and finish at Gateway Park. The ClarkFEST festival will kick off at 10:00am, after the race. All the money raised from the “Run for the Kids” will be split and donated to the Crusade for Children, and Clarksville’s Shop with a Cop program.

“Race organizer Tom Clevidence has already raised thousands of dollars for charity, but now we need runners,” said ClarkFEST planning committee member Ken Conklin. “The costs to put on the race have already been covered, so 100% of any registration fees will be going to charity.”

The race is open to all ages, including children, with prizes awarded to the top finishers in the various age categories. The ClarkFEST Planning Committee’s goal is to make the “Run for the Kids” a family event, so parents who register for the race are being encouraged to bring their children with them. Young children do not need to register or pay a fee if they would like to walk or run with their parents, however, if a child would like to compete for a prize and get a t-shirt, they will need to register.

The registration fee for the race is $25 if you register on or before October 6th, and $30 per runner after October 6th.  T-shirts are guaranteed to anyone whom signs up by October 6th. After that, t-shirts will be given to registrants as supplies last.  Registrations will be accepted until the day of the race.

For more information about the race or to register online, CLICK HERE.

Outdoor Pickleball Comes to Clarksville

It was just over a year ago that the Clarksville Parks & Recreation Department learned that changes needed to be made at Clarksville’s Ray Lawrence Park. Due to a stormwater project, a portion of the park would have to undergo construction. That meant the removal of the park’s shelter house, as well as changes to the surrounding land.

Fortunately, the construction had a silver lining! As part of the project, Ray Lawrence Park was going to get improvements such as a new shelter house, basketball court, and tennis court. However, the most exciting addition was three new outdoor pickleball courts.

Pickleball is one of the hottest new sports sweeping the nation. A fun sport that combines many elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong. it can be played both indoors or outdoors on a badminton-sized court and a slightly modified tennis net, with a paddle and a plastic ball. Pickleball can be played as doubles or singles.

All the courts in Ray Lawrence Park are free to use and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.  Ray Lawrence Park is located at 1100 Irving Drive in Clarksville. We are currently working on scheduling a clinic for those interested in learning to play pickleball, and we will post that information on our website as soon as we get it confirmed. Feel free to call the Clarksville Parks offices at 812-283-5313 with any questions.

TONIGHT: Star Wars’ “Rogue One: Invades Gateway Park

Families from across Kentuckiana are expected to pack Gateway Park in Clarksville tonight for the start of the 2017 Movies in the Park series. Tonight we will be showing “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” on our giant inflatable screen beginning at dusk. Unfortunately, our first scheduled movie was rained out in May, so many area families are excited for the start of the series.

Here is a look at our 2017 Summer Movie Series Schedule:

All movies will be held at Gateway Park, located at 500 Little League Boulevard in Clarksville. All movies are FREE and begin at dusk. Lawn chairs and coolers are welcome, but no alcohol, smoking or pets allowed.  Concessions will also be for sale.  We’ll see you at the movies!

Movie in the Park Web Page: http://www.clarksvilleparks.com/movies-in-the-park.html