youth sports

Homegrown Hope

I love the start of ski season for the same reason I love working the start area at races: There’s so much hope. Now, when most of us have felt the crunch of snow under our feet or seen an errant flurry, but few have actually clicked into skis, it feels like anything can happen. As the anticipation of the season builds, it’s also a time of year when access is still extremely limited, whether … » read more

Taking Back Fall

Last year I spent the most spectacular weekend of fall standing around on a landfill. I was not alone. Many parents were there too, watching our many children chase soccer balls back and forth across said landfill, and a host of other once-barren areas that had been repurposed into mega soccer complexes. These fields are needed to accommodate the seemingly bottomless rosters of young soccer players, many of whom were in the process of kicking … » read more

Doping 101: Teachable Moments in Lance Armstrong’s Biggest Crash

It was a typical evening scene in our house. My husband and I were chatting about current events lite—weather, gas prices, potential carpet colors—while my youngest son was ensconced in a project at the kitchen table, paying us little to no attention. That is, until the conversation turned to Tyler Hamilton’s newly released book, The Secret Race, and Lance Armstrong’s demise. From his seat at the table my son suddenly engaged into our discussion. “You … » read more