December PE Star Students

The students below received the most votes from their peers and were named December PE Star Students!  It is recommended that students vote for the person of their choice who showed the most excellence in the qualities of:  Leadership, Work Ethic, Sportsmanship, Positive Attitude, and Focus. 

3rd Grade

4th Grade

5th Grade

6th Grade

Overcoming Obstacles

Sports and life often parallel each other in the fact that we will experience disappointments in both.  The way we respond to these difficult situations will determine if we grow intellectually and emotionally from them.  Although it may sound contradictory, failure can often lead to success.

This year the middle school boys basketball team chose the following quote to put on the back of our shirts.  It is from a former 6-time NBA Champion named Michael Jordan.  It goes like this:

"Obstacles don't have to stop you.  If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up.  Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."

After a very disappointing first game loss this season, the middle school boys A-team has now won six games in a row, including a Palmyra Tournament Championship this past weekend.  They are now 6-1 heading into the final three games of the season where they are sure to face some of the best competition of the year.

I truly believe that one cannot be afraid to fail.  It is an important part of life.  It's how we learn to adapt and overcome the obstacles in our way.  We also must have the courage to keep trying.  Break through your wall today!

Training the Core - Plank & Side Plank

The plank and side plank are fantastic exercises for increasing stability of the "core."  Your core is made up of the rectus abdominis, external/internal obliques, transverse abdominis, erector spinae, and multifidus.  Strong core muscles protect the spine, allow for correct posture, and improve movement patterns.  A true plank is performed with forearms and toes on the ground, while keeping the spine and hips in perfect alignment.  This position is held as still as possible.  If the hips are sinking too low or shooting up in the air, the exercise is too difficult to perform.  For someone in this situation, a front plank on forearms and knees can be performed.

November 2012 PE Stars

Here are the students who were voted "PE Stars" by their classes.  Each month students are asked to confidentially vote for one student in their class who they believe showed the five star qualities most consistently.  The five star qualities are:  Work Ethic, Leadership, Positive Attitude, Focus, & Sportsmanship.  Congratulations to the students below!

3rd Grade Stars

4th Grade Stars

5th Grade Stars

6th Grade Stars

Do Electronic Devices Disrupt Sleep?

A recent study in the Journal of Applied Ergonomics suggests that the blue light from tablets and cell phones may disrupt an important sleep hormone in the body called melatonin.  Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lighting Research Center discovered that two hours of light exposure to the eyes from backlit electronic devices could suppress melatonin by about 22%.

Melatonin is an important hormone released in the brain at night that helps the body fall into a deep, restorative sleep.  Without proper melatonin release, it can be difficult falling and staying asleep.  If you feel like you have not been sleeping well, try limiting your use of electronic devices at night, and instead incorporate relaxing strategies like reading a paper book.

Reference:  http://news.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=3074&setappvar=page%281%29

October 2012 PE Stars

Here are the students who were voted "PE Stars" for the month of October.  Each of these students showed excellence in the following qualities:  Work Ethic, Positive Attitude, Focus, Sportsmanship, and Leadership.  Awesome work & keep it up!

3rd Grade Stars

4th Grade Stars

5th Grade Stars

6th Grade Stars

Fitness for Life & Dancing with Russians

Last summer I spent two weeks cruising along the Baltic Sea with my wife Melanie and her parents. We saw many amazing places throughout the countries of Denmark, Norway, Estonia, Germany, Russia, Finland, and Sweden. It was an awesome trip. In the video below we were dining at a restaurant in St. Petersburg, Russia. As we ate, we were entertained by a musical quartet, featuring instruments and songs unique to Russian culture.  Near the end of their performance, I was approached by one of the band members to join them in performing a Russian dance. Of course I jumped at the opportunity to give it a try!  The crowd cheered & laughed and it was a lot of fun!

Reminiscing on that experience, it makes me think of a particular quote I'm fond of:  "Always be ready, so you never have to get ready." I think this quote relates to health & fitness quite well.  When you have a strong, mobile, healthy body, the world can offer many more opportunities to you. I was confident going up in front of everyone to learn the dance because I knew my body and mind were capable of doing it.  Without that confidence, I may have declined going up there and would have missed out on a super cool life experience.  So why do I stay fit?  To fully participate in life!