I have finally started volunteering my time at the Boys and Girls Club out here in Chula Vista, CA. I started this past week, which was a recovery week for me, so I was able to put a few good hours in at my new location. It was nice to return to working with kids. I had a little time off from working at the Boys and Girls Clubs after my move from Minnesota to California this past October. It definitely took some time to adjust to my training schedule and find room in between training to volunteer at the B&GC.
I made a few trips to the B&GC location I am volunteering at before I started officially this week to meet with the on site-director. I also got a chance to meet some of the kids. The actual club is a very nice facility. The kids are very fortunate to have such a nice place to spend time after school. There are about six pool tables in the game room. There is a large gymnasium too. A large skate park is also a part of the club. This is a very impressive skate park, I only wish I new how to skateboard! The club is very well organized and run very well. The kids seem very happy when they are there.
After spending the week getting to know the kids and the other employees I am very excited to spend the year volunteering my time here. I already ran some kids through some mini-workouts. Some of the kids that attend the club are overweight and some have a problem with type II diabetes. The director of the club asked me to put some of the kids through a workout program. I am excited to be able to help the kids with this. It is especially helpful to me that there is a facility that can accommodate such a program.
On a side note, training is continuing to go extremely well! I am loving the training center and the training partners I have. I couldn't be happier with my present situation. I hope it continues to go as well as it is. We just completed a recovery week, so much of my time was spent resting. We had only one a day practices instead of two a days. This was a much needed rest week. This week will be spent training hard, just as the week before the recovery week, even though this is Thanksgiving week and many people are home. I will be staying out here in California during Thanksgiving break. Hopefully I'll be able to find a good turkey dinner. I will definitely miss my family.
I hope you all enjoy Thanksgiving and give thanks or are thankful for everything you have. Happy Thanksgiving!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
A Refreshing Change
With this blog entry I would like to talk a little about the recent presidential election. Personally I am incredibly excited and optimistic about the future of our country. For our country to elect Barack Obama says a lot about the people who are living here and the direction that we want to go in. I'm not trying to reiterate information I have heard. Rather I want to express my excitement and thoughts.
This past year I have become more interested and payed more attention to politics than ever before. Maybe because I am getting older, maybe because I saw an opportunity for our country to take a different approach to being a world leader. The whole process has been historic from the start. We have all witnessed history being made, and the events will be talked about many years from now discussing the impact of what has happened.
I have been a Barack Obama supporter from the beginning. A few years back my dad told me about Obama and said he would make a great leader. I guess he called it!
Right now, Barack Obama, is the best thing that could have happened to our country. It is totally refreshing to have a new president with new ideas. I have enjoyed looking at the world news this past week and seeing how other countries have responded to our newly elected president. Foreign countries are excited about the change. At the present moment there aren't many negative words or thoughts I imagine being directed towards us. People all over the globe are intrigued and curious in a good way about the direction the United States is going to take. I feel the world is optimistic for the future just as we are here. People have gone so far as calling Barack Obama the world's leader. It is my belief that he has the potential to have a huge effect on the world. He has a way of bringing people together. His speeches are amazing without doubt. His acceptance speech on Tuesday night gave me chills and made me incredibly proud to be American. His ability to speak is a tremendous gift. I am not one to be highly influenced by speeches, but I love listening to Obama's speeches. A leader should be able to communicate effectively, there is great power in words.
Barack Obama is going to be a great president and great for the United States of America I believe. I see him mending some broken relations with other countries and gaining the respect of the world back. It will be interesting to see how things improve over time. No matter who the president was going to be they were going to have to deal with a lot and rebuild some of what was lost. We are a great nation, always have, always will be. It is time for us to be even greater now. We are progressing in a positive, forward direction as a whole. Hopefully we can bring our country even closer together, set aside differences and be one nation under God. We are off to a fresh beginning!
This past year I have become more interested and payed more attention to politics than ever before. Maybe because I am getting older, maybe because I saw an opportunity for our country to take a different approach to being a world leader. The whole process has been historic from the start. We have all witnessed history being made, and the events will be talked about many years from now discussing the impact of what has happened.
I have been a Barack Obama supporter from the beginning. A few years back my dad told me about Obama and said he would make a great leader. I guess he called it!
Right now, Barack Obama, is the best thing that could have happened to our country. It is totally refreshing to have a new president with new ideas. I have enjoyed looking at the world news this past week and seeing how other countries have responded to our newly elected president. Foreign countries are excited about the change. At the present moment there aren't many negative words or thoughts I imagine being directed towards us. People all over the globe are intrigued and curious in a good way about the direction the United States is going to take. I feel the world is optimistic for the future just as we are here. People have gone so far as calling Barack Obama the world's leader. It is my belief that he has the potential to have a huge effect on the world. He has a way of bringing people together. His speeches are amazing without doubt. His acceptance speech on Tuesday night gave me chills and made me incredibly proud to be American. His ability to speak is a tremendous gift. I am not one to be highly influenced by speeches, but I love listening to Obama's speeches. A leader should be able to communicate effectively, there is great power in words.
Barack Obama is going to be a great president and great for the United States of America I believe. I see him mending some broken relations with other countries and gaining the respect of the world back. It will be interesting to see how things improve over time. No matter who the president was going to be they were going to have to deal with a lot and rebuild some of what was lost. We are a great nation, always have, always will be. It is time for us to be even greater now. We are progressing in a positive, forward direction as a whole. Hopefully we can bring our country even closer together, set aside differences and be one nation under God. We are off to a fresh beginning!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Park City
I had the chance this weekend to go to Park City, UT and watch the US Bobsled team train before their national team trials. My girlfriend, who is a pilot was my reason for the visit. I've been learning about bobsled for the past year but had never had the chance to witness it in real life. It was awesome to watch! Despite the cold weather I enjoyed my experience. There is a lot involved with bobsledding from preparing the sleds, warming up in the cold (which is crazy to me), visualizing the runs down the track, and then throwing the sleds back on a truck to return to the top of the hill and do it over. It's exciting to watch from the top of the hill where the athletes get their push from the top of the hill. There is timing involved with the push and the athletes make it look easier than it is. I know because I tried jumping into a sled by myself while it was stationary. I was so clumsy loading into the sled and had a heck of a time trying to squeeze in. The driver and pusher are able to load into the sled in about five and a half seconds, amazing when you're running on ice and pushing a 450 lb. sled. I watched the bobsleds go down the track from various locations on the track which runs nearly a mile long down hill. It's exciting from where ever you are on the track because you hear the sled coming before you see it. It's a loud rumble and is intense to see when it comes whizzing by you at 80 mph. Fortunately the track here in Park City is a smooth one and fairly easy to drive, or so the drivers tell me. I was hoping to get a chance to take my first ride down in a sled but did not get the chance...maybe next time!
It was fun to have a weekend off and get out of the training center for a few days. I head back to San Diego tomorrow to resume training. I'm excited to get back and train, we begin throwing as well, which I've been waiting the last 3 weeks to do! Time to get serious!
It was fun to have a weekend off and get out of the training center for a few days. I head back to San Diego tomorrow to resume training. I'm excited to get back and train, we begin throwing as well, which I've been waiting the last 3 weeks to do! Time to get serious!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Chula Vista
Well I am here in Chula Vista, CA all settled into the dorms at the Olympic Training Center! I made the long journey from Minnesota in three days. I made the drive by myself, which was a little boring....actually, a lot boring! Way too much time spent thinking and driving, but, I made it!
I am very happy to be here though. The other athletes are great. There is definitely a good energy here. It feels different than the last time I was here. It is a good different. We've already started into our general prep training, which is basically getting into shape to start training full time. I can not wait until we start throwing. From just the few days of training my body is already sore....especially my abs! I'll definitely become a better athlete and be in better shape. Everything is set up here to make athletes succeed, it's amazing! I definitely miss Minnesota, but I don't feel I would be able get the same kind of training atmosphere there as there is here.
I am missing working at the Boys and Girls club back in Minneapolis, MN. To continue with my community service project I stopped up at the Boys and Girls Club here in Chula Vista. I went up to introduce myself to the director and everything seems cool there. It will be good for me to have something to do outside of training. I Believe I would go a little crazy if all I did was train. It is important to have balance in life. I believe that In the Arena helps create that balance. I am very grateful for what In the Arena has done for me this past year. I would not have been able to survive and try to continue training without the help. In return I feel I have been able to be a positive role model for a number of kids that I have interacted with at the Boys and Girls Clubs that I have worked at. It has been a good learning experience for me as well. I feel I have become a much more effective servant for In the Arena through the experiences I have had.
I am looking forward to this next year. I feel I have been given a second chance to continue training, and I can't believe how awesome the opportunity is!
I am very happy to be here though. The other athletes are great. There is definitely a good energy here. It feels different than the last time I was here. It is a good different. We've already started into our general prep training, which is basically getting into shape to start training full time. I can not wait until we start throwing. From just the few days of training my body is already sore....especially my abs! I'll definitely become a better athlete and be in better shape. Everything is set up here to make athletes succeed, it's amazing! I definitely miss Minnesota, but I don't feel I would be able get the same kind of training atmosphere there as there is here.
I am missing working at the Boys and Girls club back in Minneapolis, MN. To continue with my community service project I stopped up at the Boys and Girls Club here in Chula Vista. I went up to introduce myself to the director and everything seems cool there. It will be good for me to have something to do outside of training. I Believe I would go a little crazy if all I did was train. It is important to have balance in life. I believe that In the Arena helps create that balance. I am very grateful for what In the Arena has done for me this past year. I would not have been able to survive and try to continue training without the help. In return I feel I have been able to be a positive role model for a number of kids that I have interacted with at the Boys and Girls Clubs that I have worked at. It has been a good learning experience for me as well. I feel I have become a much more effective servant for In the Arena through the experiences I have had.
I am looking forward to this next year. I feel I have been given a second chance to continue training, and I can't believe how awesome the opportunity is!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Good News
I have some great news to report in my bi-monthly update of my blog. I just found out recently that I was accepted into the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista California once again! I was very relieved to get this news, as I have been anticipating the opportunity for the past few months. I feel very fortunate to be able to return there once again and train. I can tell you now that it will make life much easier for me not having to worry about paying monthly rent on an apartment and spending a large amount of money on groceries monthly as well. I will be sad to leave Minnesota once again, but my excitement over the opportunity to be trained by excellent coaches and train with top athletes in the country outweighs the sadness.
With my move coming up it also means that my In The Arena service will come to an end here in Minneapolis. Today will be my last day at the Boys and Girls Club of Southside Village. It will be hard to say goodbye to the kids and teenagers there. I've only been there for a few months but I have enjoyed going there on a daily basis. I been putting in long hours at the club hanging out with the kids and getting to know them better. I will miss reading with the kids, shooting pool, playing board games or even just running around outside. I intend to stay in touch with the club. The people who work full time at the club have been great to work with and excellent mentors in the profession of working with youth. It isn't always easy to be a volunteer, but it is a rewarding experience.
This next week I will spend packing up my apartment and getting things situated for my long road trip to Southern California. I will get some good quality time in with my girlfriend before she leaves for Lake Placid, New York to start her bobsled season. It will be difficult to be on opposite sides of the country no doubt. A few weeks ago I had the chance to travel up to Calgary, Ontario and check out a bobsled training camp. It was a pretty sweet trip and cool experience to see how bobsledders train. I came away with a greater appreciation for what they do and a better idea of what my girl friend does. I will hopefully get a chance this season to watch her compete at the World Cup Championships in Lake Placid.
I plan to continue my community service in Chula Vista, California once I am situated at the training center and have my training routine set. I have really enjoyed working at the Boys and Girls Club so I would like to continue my volunteer service at another club location in Chula Vista.
With my move coming up it also means that my In The Arena service will come to an end here in Minneapolis. Today will be my last day at the Boys and Girls Club of Southside Village. It will be hard to say goodbye to the kids and teenagers there. I've only been there for a few months but I have enjoyed going there on a daily basis. I been putting in long hours at the club hanging out with the kids and getting to know them better. I will miss reading with the kids, shooting pool, playing board games or even just running around outside. I intend to stay in touch with the club. The people who work full time at the club have been great to work with and excellent mentors in the profession of working with youth. It isn't always easy to be a volunteer, but it is a rewarding experience.
This next week I will spend packing up my apartment and getting things situated for my long road trip to Southern California. I will get some good quality time in with my girlfriend before she leaves for Lake Placid, New York to start her bobsled season. It will be difficult to be on opposite sides of the country no doubt. A few weeks ago I had the chance to travel up to Calgary, Ontario and check out a bobsled training camp. It was a pretty sweet trip and cool experience to see how bobsledders train. I came away with a greater appreciation for what they do and a better idea of what my girl friend does. I will hopefully get a chance this season to watch her compete at the World Cup Championships in Lake Placid.
I plan to continue my community service in Chula Vista, California once I am situated at the training center and have my training routine set. I have really enjoyed working at the Boys and Girls Club so I would like to continue my volunteer service at another club location in Chula Vista.
Friday, August 29, 2008
What to do now
There is a void that needs to be filled since the completion of the Olympics. For the entire two weeks of the games I found myself being glued to the TV set nightly just to check out some of the action. The first week was spent watching Michael Phelps go for a record breaking eight gold medals. Pretty amazing feat. I don't know what the actual number of races were that he competed in with preliminary heats and finals but it was a lot. To have enough energy to compete at a high level daily for a week straight is incredible! I was awed by this feat and demonstration endurance and recovery abilities. I'm not much of a swimming fan, but I was during the games.
I have to say my favorite moments during the Beijing Olympics were the swimming 4x100m relay when the USA beat out the cocky French team and when Phelps won by a hundredth of a second in the 100m butterfly. Both these races were so close and intense. The fact that the United States was represented so well and was clutch in bringing home gold made a lot of people proud. This proud feeling was most evident during the 4x100m relay. After the French made an arrogant comment about coming to the Olympics to smash the USA and then being beaten and forced to eat their words, I couldn't have been happier. I was actually yelling, jumping around and high fiving my girlfriend when the French were edged out. A priceless moment.
Phelps's individual 100m butterfly was amazing in the fact that it was so close. Everyone from Michael's mother to his coach thought he took second, but miraculously he came through and won. This is an example of hard work and a little luck coming together to make a great, memorable moment. It was almost like a movie the way the race turned out. Simply incredible!
I have to say my favorite moments during the Beijing Olympics were the swimming 4x100m relay when the USA beat out the cocky French team and when Phelps won by a hundredth of a second in the 100m butterfly. Both these races were so close and intense. The fact that the United States was represented so well and was clutch in bringing home gold made a lot of people proud. This proud feeling was most evident during the 4x100m relay. After the French made an arrogant comment about coming to the Olympics to smash the USA and then being beaten and forced to eat their words, I couldn't have been happier. I was actually yelling, jumping around and high fiving my girlfriend when the French were edged out. A priceless moment.
Phelps's individual 100m butterfly was amazing in the fact that it was so close. Everyone from Michael's mother to his coach thought he took second, but miraculously he came through and won. This is an example of hard work and a little luck coming together to make a great, memorable moment. It was almost like a movie the way the race turned out. Simply incredible!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Opening Ceremonies!!!
The Games have begun! I can't believe four years have passed already, it is time to start watching the worlds greatest athletes go head to head again. It's a bummer for me to have to watch it from home, but it's a kick in the pants to get it rolling for 2012! Anyways, I'm excited, regardless of not being one of those world's greatest, to watch the games and cheer on some friends such as Mike Hazel. Gotta give it up for this guy, he is an inspiration. He works harder than anyone I know and he is driven to be the best at what he does. I wish him the best of luck as he shows off his talents to the world! Another friend I know competing in the triple jump is Shani Johnson. She graduated from the University of Minnesota a few years before I did. She is another amazing athlete. She is going to represent Minnesota and the USA well, I have no doubt. I will be turning my TV on in less than an hour to watch the opening ceremonies and see what kind of a show Beijing has in store to start things off. I'm hoping that the throwing events get some love and have at least a few throws shown on TV.
Aside from the Olympic excitement, I have been putting in some serious time at the Boys and Girls Club here in Minneapolis. Today, the kids had a special opportunity to listen to Magic Johnson give a talk. He gave a clear and positive message to the kids. He told them that they are in charge of they're futures and success. He talked about the importance of dreaming big and believing in yourself. It was a good message for anyone...I especially enjoyed it. It's good to be reminded of simple yet effective things.
After the Magic Johnson program, myself and five other employees at the Boys and Girls Club took 50 kids to the Nickelodeon Theme Park in the Mall of America. That was quite a task. My group was made up of 7 girls ranging in ages 8-11. It was difficult to keep them together the whole time, but I guess I was successful when none of my kids turned up missing at the end of the day. It was a fun day with the kids. I however was not able to go on many of the rides due to my size. I still enjoyed watching the kids have fun.
Well I have to prepare some food and get ready for NBC to start their broadcast of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games!
Aside from the Olympic excitement, I have been putting in some serious time at the Boys and Girls Club here in Minneapolis. Today, the kids had a special opportunity to listen to Magic Johnson give a talk. He gave a clear and positive message to the kids. He told them that they are in charge of they're futures and success. He talked about the importance of dreaming big and believing in yourself. It was a good message for anyone...I especially enjoyed it. It's good to be reminded of simple yet effective things.
After the Magic Johnson program, myself and five other employees at the Boys and Girls Club took 50 kids to the Nickelodeon Theme Park in the Mall of America. That was quite a task. My group was made up of 7 girls ranging in ages 8-11. It was difficult to keep them together the whole time, but I guess I was successful when none of my kids turned up missing at the end of the day. It was a fun day with the kids. I however was not able to go on many of the rides due to my size. I still enjoyed watching the kids have fun.
Well I have to prepare some food and get ready for NBC to start their broadcast of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games!
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