Send Holiday Cards
I will admit that I am guilty of not sending cards, not sending thank you notes, and not doing the things that all good people should do. But there is no excuse any more for not sending Christmas Cards because they are easy to order from The Gallery Collection.
They offer a number of personalization options or use their simple easy to use existing formats. They use the finest quality card stock, sculpted embossing, rich colors, and brilliant foils and offer numerous themes from Christian religious to urban silhouettes.
Additionally, they offer die cut options so your company name can show through from the inside out and you can create personalized greetings or use the stock ones available. A personalized signature, logo, greeting, or multiple signatures can be added to each card as well. Direct from the publisher pricing makes this an inexpensive marketing tool that must not be overlooked.
But that’s not all! According to a Press Release found on their site they have donated $10,000 to the Soldiers’ Angels military support program Project Valour-IT. Project Valour-IT purchases adaptive laptops for severly wounded service members aiding in the physical and psychological recover of these military men and women. A noble cause for sure!
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I am going to Win $6,000 for YSSG
I received my paperwork back from the state today about my articles of incorporation for the Youth Sports Support Group. I forgot to add the “Inc.” at the end so I have to resubmit :<. Oh well, that frees me up to spend thanksgiving w/ my family.
But, John Chow is holding a new contest to give away $6,000 in CASH! $5,000 would go to the charity of your choice and $1,000 will go to you to spend however you want. If I win, I would give the $5K to The Youth Sports Support Group, of course, and I would put the $1,000 into the charity as well.
The contest is being sponsored by XR.com. XR.com is a tiny url service that shortens your URL. Have a long URL? Go there and see how short they can make it! Sign up for an account and check it out!
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Time to Plan for Next Year
Now that the season is over, take this week off and enjoy Thanksgiving w/ your family! Then, start planning for next year! Ask yourself, what is the one thing I can do to make my league or team better next year? Then start working towards making that happen. If every coach and board member across the world did that can you imagine how much progress would occur? The power of numbers if phenomenal!
What is the one thing you will do to make your league better? (Firing me is not an option!…lol)
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An Amazing Turnabout
Today, when I felt the most frustrated, to the point that my friend and other coach asked “what is wrong w/ you, you seem more frustrated than normal”, our team decides they know what they are doing and started showing off how great they can be.
Not because we won the game, who cares about that, but because they went to positions they were supposed to on the field, ran under balls and actually caught a few, and threw strikes. Mind you, these are 8-10 YO boys, so any expectations are high, but they came through.
The best of all was one kid who didn’t have a hit all year. It has been frustrating because he has a fantastic swing, has been working hard w/ his dad, and there is no doubt if he begins connecting he will be a star hitter.
Today, he connected w/ a shot in the gap! A two RBI double! Sweetttt!! You should have seen the smile on his face! I am positive he is still smiling in his sleep to this moment! That’s not all though, he also caught a fly ball AND got a strike out.
All this from a kid who had never touched the field before this year, really had no baseball skills at all, but had a genuine desire to learn, had his head in every pitch all year long, and constantly searched for how he could do better, to the point of asking too much!!!…lol.
Just when I was ready to give up on this team and get frustrated, they pull something like this. The nightcap came on the last play of the game. The other team has the best player in the league on it, a larger boy who will definitely move up to majors in the spring. He was barreling home as a play was being made on him, my son, who had not had the greatest game of his life, was the catcher.
This boy had at least 25lbs, if not more, on my son, but he held his ground blocking the plate perfectly as the throw came in. The kid from the other team slide (properly) hard into the plate and the catcher. There was a very loud “thud” sound, as the two ran into each other. The sound was that of a large ball being slammed against a wall, the place went quiet and everyone was still.
Suddenly the runner realized he hadn’t made it to the base yet and the throw was slightly off-line so my son didn’t make the catch. The runner crawled around him and just touch the plate before my son could gather the ball and tag him. I didn’t care if there was an out recorded or not, the point is, the kid slide hard and perfect, the plate was blocked perfectly, and, believe it or not, apparently my son does listen to what I tell him.
In fact, it appears the whole team does! Do you have a story that makes you feel like it is all worth it? Please share it.
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My Life Just Changed Forever
Today I submitted paperwork to the Florida Division of Corporations that I am sure will change my life forever. I feel that the culmination of everything I have done in my life to this point has led me to this. Today I submitted paperwork thereby officially forming the “Youth Sports Support Group”.
What is the Youth Sports Support Group (YSSG) you ask? It is the path my life has told me to take. The YSSG is a not-for-profit organization that will raise funds in the community to support local sports programs and allow kids that may not otherwise be able to participate, play the sport of their choice.
It is not about baseball, basketball, football, soccer, of whatever sport a child may chose, it is about getting them into an organized competitive environment and allowing them to thrive. The mission statement for the YSSG is:
“Give every child the opportunity to build character through sport”
All my life I have searched for something to truly be passionate about. Those that know me well know that I can move a nation when I am excited about something, I feel this project may consume the remainder of my life. What do I see it doing?
-Provide “scholarships” to those unable to pay league registration dues
-Provide new equipment to leagues so kids can have the best to play with
-Marry leagues with sponsors for teams, signage, and various sponsorship opportunities
-Provide funding for facility upgrades
-Manage and run fund-raising activities for leagues with little to no manpower
-Staff concession stands to increase funds collected during activities
-Any other activity that benefits the kids of the world through sport
I have to admit as I write this post I am very nervous about this life decision. I know I will face many skeptics, some of them in my own home, but I believe this is what I am supposed to be doing. My players all know that when they are nervous I tell them that is “God’s way of telling them they are about to do something important and exciting”.
It sounds good when I say it to them, but to me it simply leaves a lump in my throat! I believe I can make a difference in the lives of so many children if I employ my strategies properly. Hopefully my plans are sound and my decisions are solid.
Today, I begin a new journey. I will keep you posted on the progress here. If you wish to make a contribution you may donate by clicking the button below:
Thank you for your generous contribution and please pray for the success of the organization.
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Now is the Time for Debt Consolidation
Are you looking for Debt Consolidation help? Trying to get out from under your debts – maybe a lower payment, cut interest rates, have only one payment, or just get out of debt faster? Bills.com has debt consolidation tips and resources so you can get the best option for your situation and save fast.
With the economy in the tank, and the market dropping, dropping, dropping, it is important to eliminate high credit card debt and consolidate everything into one easy payment. Debt consolidation can help you get out of debt faster and you will only have one bill to pay!
My favorite use of debt consolidation is eliminating high interest credit cards. That cuts hundreds off your monthly payment and the extra money can be used to pay down the debt quicker! Debt consolidation lowers your payments and is a much better alternative to bankruptcy or credit counseling. Plus you have one simple monthly payment and you can be debt free fast!
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10 Reasons I am Sad the Season is Over
10. I won’t know what to do every night at 5PM
9. I will have to readapt to my family
8. I won’t have any umpires to argue with
7. Nobody will accuse me of “only wanting to win”
6. I will have to work more hours
5. I will start way to many projects that I will severely neglect when the spring season starts
4. I will miss all the smiling faces
3. I will have no excuse for not completing my “honey do” list
2. It is going to be cold!
1. I am going to miss the kids
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Little League Annouces 2009 World Series Dates
Little League announced the dates and locations for all division’s World Series events for the 2009 season. Click here to view the entire announcement.
Of note is the fact that the 2009 Big League Softball and Big League Baseball World Series tournament championship games will be televised live in prime time on the ESPN family of networks and all eight World Series finals in softball and baseball will be televised nationally for the third consecutive year.
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Water Under the Bridge
Two weeks ago we had a major incident in a game that involved a team and a league with which I have very much respect. They are our closest friends, as far as competitive leagues go, and we often help each other out. It was an unfortunate and disturbing situation that could have festered and grown into a long-term feud.
Today we had to play the same team again. Our coaching staff and team made a conscious decision to “let bygones be bygones” and just show up, play our best, and allow the kids to have fun no matter what the circumstances. It seems their team did the same and, even though we lost the game, we had a fantastic time at their park.
Again Ms. Peevie, both teams truly had a choice. I will repeat again what one of my old girlfriends used to say quoting her mother, “If you are looking for trouble, you will find it.” This is so true. I would translate that to this situation as “If you are looking for a fight, you will find it.” Had either team shown up “looking for a fight” they probably would have found it somewhere.
But that’s not what happened. What happened is all the adults involved took the high road and taught the kids on both teams how to put our differences aside, focus on the objective at hand, and just go out there and play the game. This was obvious from the time warm ups started and I am proud to say that I was part of it.
How many times in your life have you had a dispute, argument, disagreement, or outright fight with another person, only to end up being best friends? Why is it that this happens? So often we look to that person next to us and say to ourselves, “How did I ever end up teaming up w/ this guy?” My assistant coach during the spring is a guy I have the utmost respect for, but when we were on different teams we were always at odds. Now together, we are very powerful.
Who was it that said, “keep your friends close, and your enemies closer?” So what happens when our enemies become our friends? What human dynamic causes this to occur so often? Passion is an emotion from which we derive so much pleasure, but it is also a major cause of dispute. This is prevalent throughout all societies.
My first Real Estate instructor was the most colorful instructor I ever studied under. He used to take the boring legal parts of the real estate game and paint them with passion so vivid that his students would get lost in the particular dispute he was discussing. He would always end every one with one or the other parties saying, “it’s the principal of the thing.” At this point he suggested we pack our stuff up, walk out of the room, and let the attorneys figure it out since they were the only ones who were going to get paid now anyway.
Coaches are passionate about their teams, parents are passionate about their kids, kids are passionate about the game, this is a recipe for conflict. If we recognize and understand this, we can overcome anything that occurs “on the field.”
I preach to my kids every game, “what is the most important pitch?”. The next one of course. We can’t change the one before it no matter what the outcome. Therefore, if we as the adults put prior “pitches” behind us and focus on “the next pitch”, we are certainly better off. If we hold on to hostilities, no matter how justified, we are simply “looking for trouble”. Do we really want trouble? Is this what we want to teach our kids? Do we tell our kids as they go off to school, “go get in trouble today honey.” Of course not, we say “have a nice day”, or some other semblance of good wishes.
So why do we so often show up at games “looking for trouble”? Don’t we know we are certain to find it? Today anyway, everyone involved decided to put our troubles behind us and let the kids enjoy the game. I am proud to say I was a small part of this situation and know in the future, our relationship with this particular league remains in tact, as it should.
Who is your best friend right now that you fought with initially? Please tell us the story, we would love to hear it!
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Last Space Shuttle Night Launch
Took the family over to Port Orange, FL to watch the space shuttle launch tonight. Even though we were 30 miles north or so, it still lit up the sky. It is an amazing thing!
Check out the video:
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