Phiten Necklaces

This is the number one birthday pick for my son this year!  He's a pitcher and short stop when he plays baseball.  Well, all the MLB pitchers must wear these necklaces....the pitcher necklace is called the tornado (it looks like a twisted rope)!  These necklaces are made out of titanium, supposed to help with chronic pain and enhance the quality of life. :)

Not only do I not understand their philosophy, but I don't understand the cost...lol.  This necklace runs anywhere from $32-$55 ($45-$55 if you want the tornado).  They are very cute, very stylish, very trendy for boys which I do like, because there are not many accessories for boys that don't make them look girly. 

Here's a pic of this "special" necklace!  Up and rising trend it seems!  Go out to get them for your 10 year old to improve his quality of life...wow.  I think I need one more than him!

JCYA Football

Football season is here and the boys are hard at practice and camps!  We aren't playing for JCYA this year but I did want to write a little something about their program....

We were very lucky to have the best coaches when we played for them which really helps when it comes to my review of their program!  If not for them, we would not be going to Falcon Football this year, which is where some of the coaches went with their kids this year.  The program overall was fabulous! There are weight limits so that a 125lb running back isn't running against my little 76lb corner back.  They have weigh ins to make sure this happens!!! 

The football program at 8-10 gets very intense!  Their practices are long and frequent, we had 2 hours of practice and the first hour was training/exercise, etc.  It is strict, the boys really have to listen or don't play.  It teaches perseverance...I love that!  The games are on the weekends and the parents are such fans! We met so many people through football, such a good group! 

The price is expensive compared to baseball.  $200 to register then uniforms, etc.  We traveled all over St. Louis to play so many nights out at restaurants.  Well worth the money, as this is my favorite sport to watch my sons play.  They learned a lot about teamwork and sticking it out...kinda like boot camp in the army.  :) 

I think a lot of parents anticipate injuries and too much roughness in the game, but I was surprised as well to see that there wasn't a lot of injuries and very good sportsmanship practiced by the players.  (can't say that for some coaches and parents...lol)

Two thumbs up to JCYA's football program! 

YMCA Summer Camp--South County

We just finished a great week of summer camp at YMCA South County!  It was a hit with the boys!  Very affordable camp, $125 for the week per child.  They also provided a before and after Fun Club for the parents who work at $12 for the week per child.  Two Thumbs Up!!!

The staff was very friendly, the kids made bonds with the staff, hand shakes, etc.  They had a theme each day and on Tuesday went to the Magic House.  They got to travel to Carondelet Recreation Center for swimming on Thursday and ended the week with a hot dog roast!  One of their favorite things they participated in was a You Tube Video they all made together! I thought that was very creative of them. 

Next year, we will definitely hit this camp again as the boys truly enjoyed their time there.  Considering overall cost, times, and activities, we definitely got our bang for the buck! 

Next stop this week~ Vetta Sports Camp!  Will let you know how that goes...up to this point, parents have raved about Vetta!

Have a great week and stay hydrated!

Chesterfield Sports Fusion

My oldest son is turning 11 soon and we were looking for the best sports place to have a cool birthday!  We thought about paintball so I called Meramec Bottom Road Paintball and they were kind of expensive, $25 per child.  Not that big of a deal if you were going to have a few kids but we are having over 10 due to the fact it will probably be his last "birthday party" at a place for kid's parties.  And FYI, we asked about their laser tag party...out of the question, $45 per child!  I lauged because it would cost $750 to have a birthday for laser tag...crazy.   With August being so warm, we decided to go indoors if possible.  Sad to say, but there are not many places to do this, especially if you live more south in St. Louis. 

I searched on the web and found that Chesterfield Sports Fusion was an indoor location to play laser tag.  I even found that you could have more than one event there...laser tag in a two story room, dodge ball (everyone loves dodge ball), obstacle course, video game room, rock climbing, mini golf, or jump shot basketball.  They offer a few different packages, we chose the bronze package for 1.5 hours, 10 kids, 2 events (dodge ball and laser tag), included a party room for after the events along with all paper products and soda.  They also have a deal with Dominos that you can order a large pizza at $6 per pizza for the party.  Right on!!!  Total package price:  $200!!!!  Watch out Bounce U...here comes Chesterfield Sports Fusion!  

Due to living further south, we chose the bronze package because parents would have to stay for the party basically, or atleast stay in the area for the amount of time the party last due to travel.  We hope that they move south soon!!!!

So, if any of you parents are looking for a great place to have a birthday party that isn't the traditional blow up deal or if your child is getting a little too old for those type of places, then definitely look no further and give Chesterfield Sports Fusion a call! 

The day you call to make the reservation, be prepared to pay $100 down towards the party at that time.  They will send you a confirmation by email of your party time, etc.  Very helpful staff thus far!  Follow the link below and make your child's next birthday party reservation!
http://chesterfieldsportsfusion.com/

We look forward to our party and will comment on this post once our party is over in August!!!

Swimming at Little Fishes Swim School

Outdoor public pools may be closed come September, but children still need the opportunities to practice their swimming skills they learned in the heat of the summer!  The more time children can practice new skills they've learned, the more successful they'll be in the water.  When children are out of the water for an extended period of time, they lose their water skills.  For each month out of the water, it takes 1-2 swimming classes to relearn those skills.  Children who are cautious or fearful around water may take even longer to relearn a previously taught skill. 

This is because motor skills, like swimming, are learned through repetition.  It requires patience and supervised time in the pool to become safe and proficient in the water.

It's especially important to continue to expose toddlers to water.  The fear of water often surfaces in the toddler years.  If you help your child feel comfortable in and under the water, there's a much greater chance you can prevent water anxiety.

For optimal learning,  Ruthie, owner and instructor at Little Fishes Swim School, recommends year round swimming lessons.  When this isn't possible, she recommends parents to take their child to a pool at least once a week because there is a clear correlation between swimming ability and the time spent in the water.

I myslef love that the water is 90 degrees all year round!  Little Fishes Swim School has small intimate classes, 5 swimmers and 2 instructors!  Their prices are higher, $250 per session,  but I always say,  You get what you pay for!
If you would like to enroll your child for the fall, be sure to give them a call or check our website under the swim icon!  Fall classes start September 12-November 20, 2011. 
http://playkidsports.com/sports/aquatics/

Falcon Football is starting!

This year we have switched from JCYA to Rockwood Falcons Junior Football.  If you've never seen 5-12 year old boys play tackle football, it is definitely intense.  Out of all of the sports my children have played, this has been the most physically demanding by far.  Not only demanding for them, but as far as time goes, demanding for parents.  (I hear hockey is pretty demanding as well)  We start practice in July...even though the season doesn't start until September..and will have a camp as well that they are required to attend around the end of July. 

The practices are very intense.  The first hour being exercising..hard ones such as laying on your back and holding your feet off the ground for as long as they can hold it.  As a mom, it's sometimes hard to watch :(.  But,  at the end of practice I always feel as if the boys grew from the experience.  Football truly separates the ones who can persevere from the one's who can't. 

I do love that they have weight limits for the positions.  You won't see a 125lb running back going up again your little 76lb son.  I do still worry though...worry that my child hasn't grown into his body enough to take hits. 

Overall, I LOVE to watch them play tackle football!  This sport really brings a group of kids together and makes them learn to be a team.  I love the team aspect of this game!  I look forward to watching them play this for years to come, just hope they will want to. :)

As I said before, this is our first year at Rockwood, but JCYA was a great program to be in!  If you're looking to get your child involved in the future, I can't speak for Rockwood but I know JCYA rocked!  It's pricey....all football is...around $300 per player.  Other than the cost, everything about it has been beneficial to my boys and their attitudes.

We will see...Go Falcons!!!!

Face Masks on Helmets for Baseball or No?

This past weekend, my sons played in a baseball tournament.  Because of the age group, they are no longer required to wear face masks across their helmet.  (the cage part that goes across their nose and mouth) So, of course they wanted to take the mask off so they can see better when they bat.  Everyone else also took their mask off so I didn't see a reason why they shouldn't.  Of course throughout the season I've been watching many games and have seen a lot of balls to the mouth, nose and eyes injuries.  However, I never put two and two together to come to the conclusion that maybe the face mask was a much better idea since it was protecting their FACE from fast pitches!

Until this game......my youngest son who plays up an age group was up to bat.  The pitcher throwing to him was a very hard and fast pitcher but not as accurate as some.  If you can envision the batting stance, his head is turned and bat is raised, completely making his face visible with no protection.  (Oh, how the face mask is becoming more my friend...)  The pitch came in about 40mph and rocked him in his eye.  My son dropped the bat and immediately placed his hands to his face in pain.  I was crazy scared and ran to the field.  Having a medical background, I knew many things could happen from this and some if not treated quickly could be very bad.  I was afraid his orbital bone, the bone surrounding the eye ball had been broken.  (If this happens, you will see a clear liquid flowing out the nose which means that could be brain fluid leaking....not good)  However, nothing like that had happened....in fact, after all was said and done, he barely had a black eye.  How this happened, I have no idea...it was hard and fast and perfectly positioned into his eye. 

Looking back, wish I would have never agreed to take the mask off.  I don't think it will be hard to convince him to let me put the mask back on considering the pain he felt, however convincing my oldest son who has never had a face injury,  to put his back on will be a challenge.  You rarely want to be the only person who has something different when you're a child and I can empathize with that, but I also don't care about the social status of protective gear and may just MAKE them play with it on.  What to do, what to do.....to be determined at a later date. :)

Protect Your Children In Sports~ Now That We Know!

As a mom, the last thing you worry about during a baseball game is your child dying while up to bat.  It broke my heart to hear the story of the 13 year old child, Hayden Walton, dying while attempting to bunt during his baseball game.  The article I read on http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/06/04/arizona-13-year-old-dies-in-freak-baseball-accident/, stated that Hayden took an inside hit to the chest while attempting to bunt, walked 2 steps and collapsed.  The next morning, Hayden passed away.

It's something I can not comprehend.  Something I am deeply saddened by.  I have two little boys, very aggressive sport's playing boys.  I can not imagine the pain another mother who has lost a child must feel. 

The one thing I do plan to do-----purchase a heart shield compression shirt, you know the ones that you see in the stores with the foamy patches on them?  I never knew why those were on there, just figured they were made to look fancy for the "real" athletes.  I never knew they were used to SAVE my child. 

With everything so much more advanced in the world now, research being done on everything then we turn around and try to guard against it, protect our families, and it seems never ending of something new we have to buy to try and save the world, our families and ourselves.  But, when it comes to my children, it becomes very hard for me to read such a freak accident that happened from such a common baseball move could end their lives, not only that but I could have prevented it. :(

So....for all you over protective mother's (and father's) out there, I will list below links of some that offer these wonderful life saving shields!!! Now that you know what could happen, I hope you will try to prevent it happening!
Our prayers go out to Hayden's family...

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10868427&cid=CSE:GoogleProductSearch

http://www.onlinesports.com/p/heart-gardreg-protective-body-shirt-teen-size--I,MW-SMHG3TNGY.html?srcid=frglcb&utm_source=frooglecb&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=MW-SMHG3TNGY&cm_mmc=Frooglecb-_-Products-_-PPC-_-MW-SMHG3TNGY

http://www.sportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4253117&cp=2344524&sr=1&origkw=heart+protector&parentPage=family

Swim America Swim Classes

We just completed our session at Swim America!  The girls are 4 and 6 and the 4 year old feels safer in the water but still not swimming.  This may be due to her apprehension of water touching her face :).  The 6 year old can now swim under water!!! This is her 2nd year in swim lessons, this being the most time spent on lessons. The one thing I really liked about Swim America is that they taught our children on their ability not as a group, meaning that if my 6 year old could breath under water and the others couldn't, they would continue to teach her from that point regardless of where the others were at in their swimming abilities.

As far as cost is concerned, these classes are definitely costly, $60 per session,  for the amount of time a session is (4days).  Also considering we have taken lessons at the YMCA for 1 night per week for 10 weeks, costing $65 for that session.  Taking into the account that they received one-on-one instructions at Swim America and based solely on their ability not the group, I would give it an A-, with cost being the minus on the A.

All in all, we are truly happy our 6 year old is swimming now and our 4 year old is becoming more comfortable in the water. Thanks Swim America!!!