Kids Are Good For You

I'm hardly ever seen at judo tournaments any more because my company is taking up my life. I'm not complaining. I knew what I was signing up for when I founded a start-up.

So, agreeing to go on a road trip with 8 kids and 3 teachers, across California, Nevada and Utah was not in the schedule. However, we had promised that if they had good attendance at judo, kept their grades up and stayed out of trouble, there would be a trip for them at the end of the year.

I can't claim to know everything that defines a good person but I know damn well that one thing is you always keep your promises. 

One way in which I have found kids to always be good for me, both my own children and those I have coached or taught, is they pull me away from my desk.

"Sensei made us go out in nature"

I'm practically chained to my desk these days, and if it hadn't been for this trip, there is no way I would have gone hiking in Zion National Forest. Even if some of the kids did complain,

Sensei made us go in nature.

I believe they really did enjoy it.

If it wasn't for them, I would have stayed home working. Yes, now I'm a few days behind schedule and working 16 hour days. Yes, the trip cost more than was donated so I have to figure once again how to balance the budget when we are spending money to build really cool games that aren't out yet, but the cost for the developers, audio and art is still coming in.

On the other hand, I wouldn't have gone hiking in the mountains.

I wouldn't have been able to stand on this hill and look out at the northern rim of the Grand Canyon.

I wouldn't have driven to Salt Lake City to teach judo and met up with Dawn, who has been my friend since we were teenagers.

 

 Dawn was a significant factor in me winning the world championships in so many ways. First, there was the thousands of drills we did together. For years, we were in the  top 3 in our respective weight classes, training together for the U.S. Nationals, U. S. Open, Olympic Festival, world trials. When she didn't make the world team, I know it was a sore disappointment, but Dawn still came to practice every day, just to help me train. That's a real friend. There's a lot more, but my point is, if it wasn't for taking the kids to Salt Lake City, I wouldn't have taken the time to meet up with Dawn.

I wouldn't have gone to the rodeo.

 

I definitely wouldn't have gotten my picture taken with Miss Rodeo Utah. (At this point, you might think I'm going to make fun of beauty queens, but actually, she was a sweetheart and could ride a horse like nobody's business.)

Actually, for most of of these guys, it IS their first rodeo

I would never have gone to see BMX - which was crazy amazing - if I hadn't been with  these kids.

 

So, when you find yourself saying, "I don't have time or money to be doing this" ask yourself, really, what do I want time and money FOR?

Speaking of kids, by  the way, my own kids are amazing, but that is another post all by itself.

When you didn't have time for breakfast and your daughter brings you doughnuts

The game I was working on before the trip, Making Camp Bilingual - is now in the app store and you can play it on any web browser. Get if for $1.99  Quit saying you are "Going to learn Spanish" or "Get better at math" or "Learn about history". Do all 3 at once.

Life Advice to Gompers Judo Team

Guest Post by

Jael Hernandez

Gompers Judo Team Member

Me, between Las Vegas & Salt Lake City

Imagine working as a professional gambler and having fun while doing your job. Mike Landers, a professional gambler, came to talk to us today. He was kind enough to give the Gompers Judo club a game of chess to each of us along with other gifts.

Explaining the odds

He explained to us which games in the casino were not good to play because the odds were against us and no skill was involved. Our sensei, AnnMaria De Mars, was happy to see us learning about statistics.

Thank you, Bellagio & Mike for the lunch!

During lunch at the Bellagio, I had the chance to talk to him and even though he didn't want to be interviewed. I appreciated the opportunity to hear his words of advice.

"My tip for success is to be in relationships with people" Landers told me. "Be around the right people, people whose behavior is better than yours and you will drift towards the right direction."

He also told me to not be afraid to ask.

"If you know a winner, like Ronda Rousey, and she needs someone to mow her lawn, get over there and ask to do it." Although I only got to speak with Landers for a few minutes, he is a kind and wonderful man. His last advice that he told me is, "Being around a winner will rub off on you." His words of wisdom are not something to take for granted. I am thankful I got to meet him and talk to him today.

Speaking of games, Making Camp Bilingual is now available for iPads for only $1.99 from the app store for iPads

or buy it on the web for Mac, Windows or Chromebook

Why You Should Watch Battle of the Network Stars with Your Kids

It's hard to find something the whole family will enjoy - at least in my family. There are some who love sports and some who are bored out of their minds watching any competition. A few years ago, my youngest was into watching High School Musical - OVER AND OVER AND OVER.  If I had to listen to "Get in the game" one more time I was going to pull an Elvis and shoot the TV.

Family members watching at our house ranged from age 2 to 61. Now the two-year-old just laughed at the dunk tank and then went off to do something else. My nine-year-old granddaughter liked the obstacle course the best. Everyone from nine and up liked seeing the stars they remembered from a few weeks ago (Fuller House) to a few years ago (High School Music) to more than a few years ago (Roseanne, Facts of Life).  There were a lot of exclamations of "Hey, I remember her!" which led to talking about "Remember when you were younger and that was your favorite show "  and "Yeah, Jenn and I used to fight over whether I got to watch my show or she got to watch her stupid old movies."  

Bringing back memories and talking with your children are too big benefits to watching the show - anything that has families sitting around reminiscing is good. Yes, I know that is such a mom thing to say but every mom has a sentimental side (yes, even me).

The MAIN reason you should watch Battle of the Network Stars with your kids

All that is nice, but the main reason for watching with your kids is the messages they hear from the coaches. Kim Fields and Lisa Whelchel were hesitant to compete in the swimming competition because they didn't look the same in a swim suit as they did 30 years ago. They talked to Ronda about people on social media judging your body if you are a woman, and now they are women no longer in their teens like they were the first time they competed on the show.

Ronda said,

"Strong is beautiful" ... and went on to tell them that no one should hold back on what they want to do in life because other people are judging how they will look while doing it.

As an older woman myself, as a mother of daughters ages 19-34 and grandmother of girls 9 and under,  this is a message we all need to hear.

Of course, I watched the first episode of Battle of the Network Stars because my lovely daughter, Ronda, was one of the coaches. Also, I'd been to visit her on set and the episode I saw had me laughing more than I had in years. The funny, silly and celebrity-spotting parts are important, I think, because, I can tell you, as someone who makes educational video games, to quote another childhood memory, "A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down."

In other words, your kids (and maybe you), need to get those positive messages about strong women and worrying more about what you do than about how you look doing it. However, they'll probably have more impact if those lessons come about naturally rather than sitting down lecturing them on following their own path and not giving up.

Both Ronda and fellow coach Demarcus Ware give a lot of positive advice to their teams who are very much not athletes - sometimes laughably not athletes - on just giving it your best shot and not worrying about your age or your level of skill. 

Get in the game.