Eye of the Storm

So with the construction of the second floor of Casa Gracon ready to be completed in early November I thought it would be great to head off to Barra around Christmas.  After all it seems silly to have a beautiful place in paradise and only use it a couple weeks of the year.  Of course this thought striking me in September meant that our place was already booked through Christmas.  No problem, undeterred I set about convincing Marla that we should go the week before Christmas break and invite some friends for a kid free pre-holiday holiday.  Seriously, that just sounds good doesn't it!

Long Story Short, with varying degrees of convincing My wife and I, along with three other couples booked our flights and began dreaming of sun, sand and lots of margaritas.  Then came the text from my friend on the evening of October 22nd.

I must admit this raised my anxiety level a bit , however, after a bit of google searching, a glass of wine and an episode of Ray Donovan I went to bed secure in the knowledge that my "Ya, but what are the chances..."  approach would once again serve me well.  I mean have you seen the size of the Pacific Ocean and the miles and miles of coast line in Mexico.

Friday morning brought the renewed optimism that a good night sleep often does and I grabbed my iPad at breakfast secure in the knowledge that I would find out the storm had changed course and moved out to sea or had blown itself out.  Nice bowl of Corn Pops, a cup of coffee and ....

Now I am not sure if you can make it out but where the red shading meets the coastline, in the lower right corner, it say Barra de Navidad.  That is the village that our place is in and the red zone is referred to in the article that accompanied the picture as the "Destruction Zone".  Ya, not the words you want to hear when it refers to the location of your investment property!

I am not going to recap the entire event as it is all over the internet but suffice it to say I did a lot of storm tracking that day.  A interesting thing, however, I found myself a lot less concerned for our property and our investment than I was for the people, the town and the surrounding area.  After all, this was not our home and we were safe and secure thousands of miles away.  I found myself recounting conversations I had with locals during our last visit and how they seemed so happy that the tourists and development were returning to the area after Huricane Jova in 2011.  My overriding emotion was sadness for these people who have put so much work into rebuilding and were beginning to see progress only to be hit again.  I was afraid this may be a devastating blow for this village we love so much.

Over the next few days as we watched events unfold and witnessed the clean up and incredible spirit of the Mexican people we were truly thankful the damage was far less than was expected and it reminded us why we love the place so much.  The people are amazing!  They welcome you in, share what they have and pitch in when needed.  The speed of the cleanup and how quickly people returned to their daily lives was truly amazing.

The following link has some video and pictures of the Hurricane and the immediate aftermath.  There are some great shots of the storm and even better one's of shops cleaning up and open for the business the very next day.

Hurricane Patricia Hits Barra

As for our own situation, we were very lucky that our place was under construction and the workers took time to secure our property and board up windows.  This despite the fact that their own houses were under threat.  Construction, resumed a couple days after the storm and we feel truly fortunate to be able to go ahead with our holiday and spend a bit of the holiday season in this amazing place with very special people.  

Looking Back

As you will notice from the post dates, should you really be that bored, you will notice my contributions to this blog have pretty much dried up over the past couple years.  However, recently I was preparing to make a post about the Hurricane Patricia (Stay tuned it is coming shortly.  Hard to believe I may make two posts in a month but get ready it is happening.)  and I began checking my previous posts looking for a photo.  Now while blogs may be slightly less cool than facebook these days and about as good an indicator of your age as your clarisworks files (yes, I went there Norm) it is quite enlightening to take a minute and retrace your thoughts through your blog.

This blog came about when "Blogs" were still just hitting mainstream culture and being introduced as "cutting edge" technology in education.  Since Blogs came about in 1999 and I came online in 2004 that 5 years put me on the leading edge in education.  You have to remember that this is a system that is still trying to figure out in 2015 how to provide reliable wireless connections in schools so a blog in 2004 defiantly made a person an innovator.

When I started this blog my only purpose was to play with the technology and model it as I was working as the Technology Coordinator for my school district (told you having a blog carried weight back in the day).  As a result this space become a place for random thoughts, a lazy way to send holiday greetings, and a place to vent about something insignificant that caught my eye.  As a result it is quite (OK, maybe not quite but at least slightly) interesting to me to see where my mind was at over the years and what actually motivated me enough to put a little bit of effort into sharing my thoughts.  Not sure what they say about me but here are few of the posts that caught my eye as interesting.

Priorities - This was the first post I made.  The picture link has long been broken but the sentiment is stronger today than ever.  Nothing makes you feel bulletproof like your family and eleven years later I still caught myself asking myself daily "Man, how the hell did I ever get so lucky"? 

What are we doing in Education - This post is still interesting to me as it is now 9 years later and the BC Education system is now all over 21st Century learning however, as I mentioned above,  I still can't get a reliable wireless connection in my school.  Seriously people we just need to figure this out!  It is 2015 and I can get a better wireless signal in a Greyhound bus than I can in a BC Secondary school.   

Oh Ya, we're in good hands now - This is the post that caught my intention and made me write about this.  2006 and we had just elected Stephen Harper.  Now anyone who knows me will tell you I don't like to be a person who says I told you so but ....  The sad part is it took 9 years for Canada to get rid of him.

On to the sea - This was the first post I made from Mexico (more on this to come in my Hurricane Patricia post).  It was also my first spring break, warm weather vacation in my life. Six years to Mexico, three to Arizona, one property in Mesa and one in Barra de Navidad and I would say it made an impression on me.

The office memo that ate the world - It is crazy to me that we still haven't figured out a way to deal with email.  Instead of dealing with our communication issues we have simple abandoned email in favour of technologies such as text messaging, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat so instead of having to read or worse compose an eloquent, thoughtful written passage we can communicate through winky faces, steaming piles of poo and selfies of scrunched up faces.  

Facebook Shmacebook - Still proud a proud holdout!

Boston Bound - Well, I never did make it to Boston.  The year I went to register the Boston Marathon filled up in 8 hours, the previous record was 4 months, ya no shit what is up with that.  The next year life just got really busy as my kids, and a result me, got way more into soccer and priorities shifted.  After that my qualifying time was no longer valid.  The great part is this is still on my bucket list and gives me a goal for the future.  I will run Boston before I  am 50, that's right you  read it here!

Raising Men - As my one son is in grade 11 and the other has started high school in grade 8 I can begin to see glimpses of the men they are becoming and I still think the thoughts I expressed in this post were some of my most important.

Unloading -  While this post came in 2010 it is the last one I will share here as it marked a point in my slowing down as a blogger and becoming a little more selfish with my time and thoughts.  This post came at a time of mental exhaustion with feeling like everything was an uphill battle and that unless you were willing to wade in unwanted changes would wash over you.  I am proud of the things I was involved in at this time but it teach me that if you don't take time to turn off the outside noise no one is going to do it for you.  

  

Merry Christmas!

Here is wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 

(Not so) Random Thoughts

It has been a while since I have posted (again) as it seems like putting down something coherent and well thought out just takes a little to much time and effort these days.  However, I do have a few things that have been bouncing around my head that I will share even if they come across as a little scattered and incomplete thoughts.  Besides let's be honest that is the type of thinking I do best  anyway.

First, being an educator the last year or so I have been bombarded by the latest educational trend... Professional Learning Communities, no wait that was 2005.  I mean, 21st Century Learning.  This latest trend in education is all about using technology to solve problems, access information, collaborate and think critically about the world around us.  So how can this be a bad thing?  Well that is my issue, I am on board with all of these concepts, in fact, I was on board before the 21st Century when I started my Master's program in Educational Technology in 1994.  The issue I have is how all of a sudden the 21st Century Learning movement has become a tag line to every educational conversation with educators announcing on Twitter (in 140 characters or less) how we must understand the world is changing and we need to produce thinkers who focus on process and not content.  Recently, I read a blog posting from a colleague I very much respect, that explained how different the world is for students now from when we were in school and how we need to prepare them for jobs that don't even exist today.  Again, all good points, however, what I take issue with is the idea that all of this is something new to education and that the system is broken and failing (this always seems to be an undercurrent to the 21st Century conversations).  My grandmother is 101 years old in January and I would argue has lived through the world's greatest era of change.  I am pretty sure that in her life she felt felt the need to adapt to new jobs, industries and technology.  She also would have needed great problem solving skills and an adaptable understanding of the world around her to deal with things like flight, the automobile, radio, television, online banking, and the list goes on.  I know for a fact that when I was a student my teachers focused on critical thinking and problem solving.  Yes, there was some content memorization involved and some rote learning activities but there was also a balance of skill building and content related topics that would broaden my learning and let me apply new skills.  I never felt that I had a teacher (even the bad ones) that were trying to turn me into a mindless factory worker which is sometimes how our 20th Century education system seems to be portrayed.  If we really wanted to focus on 21st Century learning we would return to a skill-based curriculum that was not void of content but allowed opportunities for students to be learn, build and apply skills and knowledge.  Perhaps a renewed focus on the quality of interactions and thoughtful responses in a world that is reduced to text messages and 6 second vine videos is really the skillset that will help our students further themselves over the next 50 years. 

I could go on but then this post would start to be a little too focused for one titled Random Thoughts.  The next thing that is bugging me is the whole "let our kids play" movement.  Again, this is difficult for me because I am a firm believer that we over schedule, over protect, over coach, over teach, over supervise kids.  I absolutely believe in the value and importance of unstructured play and the need for kids to get out, explore nature, skin their knees, fall down and pick themselves back up.  However, what I have a huge issue with is the idealized way adults seem to view their childhoods.  I will tell you I had a great childhood and I did all of the things a typical kid growing up in Canada would do.  Summers were spent camping and enjoying various lakes and family get togethers, winters I played hockey and skied and life was very good.  I did well in school, had good friends, was a decent athlete,  a typical well rounded Canadian teenager.  Despite all of that I will say my kids have it better than I did and are better in every respect than I was as a child.  They have more opportunities in sports and academics than I ever had, they work harder and are more dedicated and focussed than I was.  Sure they don't roam around the neighbourhood going from friend's house to friend's house or playing street hockey at the elementary school until dark without parents even knowing where they are but let me tell you as good as unstructured, unsupervised play can be there was a lot of bad things going on in the neighbourhood basements and playgrounds as well.  I just don't believe in the "lots of stuff happened when we were young and we turned out OK" argument. When I was a child people also smoked when they were pregnant and didn't wear seatbelts but we don't glamorize those things as the good old days. Having kids set goals and work hard to make them become a reality is not the problem.  The problem is when the goals are not the kids' and are instead the dreams of the parents. This return to the good old days and kids needing to experience how their  parents grew up seems a lot more about the parents' experience and reliving their childhood through their kids just as much as filling their day with activities does.

Interest vs Action

Living in the world of education I am never at a loss for jargon.  Seriously, where else are you forced to sit in meetings in 2014 to listen to how we are going to begin working on a 21st century learning agenda by highlighting things that are banned and/or blocked (ya, those Google apps and iPads are probably just fads anyways) or were introduced in  the early 1990's.  Yes, the blog or wiki will surely  transform our system and the who can argue with the power of teachers tweeting out their homework assignments to the kids they just spent over an hour with.  Ahhh... I digress, what I have really been thinking about this weekend is the use of words like engagement and empowerment in education.

Recently I was reading a post where a teacher was discussing how we should not be working to engage our students but empower them.  Basically the argument was that engagement is a teacher centered experience while empowering students means that they will take ownership and carve their own path through a topic or course.  This is also a theme of much of the 21st Century thinking in that we need to allow, even demand, students set their own learning goals and be more involved in the assessment process choosing topics, demonstrations and the content they want to focus one to build real world skills.

My issue comes when we have rooms full of adults who think that kids should learn for the love of learning and that if they are just given choice and ownership they will be highly motivated and willing and able to engage in real world problems and complex projects.  The reality is school is filled with a broad spectrum of topics and content, some of which kids may be interested and much of which is really secondary to their more immediate concerns like acne, the cute girl who lives down the street,  the basketball tryout after school, their driver's test, how they are getting to work after school and this is only for the kids who are not facing any number of socio-economic and/or family crisis's. 

The fact is adults and kids most often want to sit back and consume information long before they want to "do" anything with it, even when they are highly interested in a topic.  For example take a common adult learning topic such as a photography course.  These course will be filled with highly motivated interested adults who are willing to pay for a course and usually make a fairly large investment in equipment as well.  The course will be well attended and people will hang on every bit on information they receive.  About two weeks into the course you will most likely be asked to put some of your knowledge into practice and you will be asked to go out on the weekend and take some pictures and present to the class.  This is where things will take a turn.  You will have a few people in the class who do a fantastic job and exceed all expectations, then you will have a few more who do  a pretty good job and make sure that everything that was asked is completed and competent and all the requirements met, a few others will explain they have the pictures but did not get around to getting them ready to present and the rest will mumble under their breath about how they are very busy people, they had family come visit, work is crazy, their cat got sick and can you believe it they went to go take pictures but something went wrong and their camera died.  Seriously people are very interested and invested in their hobbies but most, left to their own devices, actually produce very little.  It is not that they are learning or don't want to learn but actually "doing" things is very difficult.  Check out the number of incomplete projects that you have around your house some time.

So if highly motivated, competent adults can't follow through why do we think kids who are taking "required" courses will be able to.   Learning is hard and often requires students to engage with content they are not interested in and build on skills they struggle with and are difficult to master.  Of course it would be great if the students could see the bigger picture and understand that these courses are essential parts of their journey to becoming a well adjusted, literate citizen.  I am sure most adults understand the importance of exercise, healthy eating habits and meaningful social relationships but lifestyles simply don't reflect this because, just like learning something new, it would take effort and require some sort of action.  I would say if we had to grade most adults against a wellness standard we would see a lot of "approaching exceptions".   This is not to say people, adults and children, don't gain some knowledge it just means that the jump from "thinking about things" and being interested in a topic to creating your own knowledge and the application of skills is a big own, one that often takes years.  Yet we are asking students to take that leap every day and often several times a day.  "Oh but what to they get out in the real world" people like to say.  Well I don't think there is any other time in a persons life they are asked to focus on so many new and different concepts and then apply and demonstrate their understanding, while being monitored and judged at every step of the way. 

The reality is the apprenticeship system is the best education system in the world because it has the highest level of accountability and follow through.  Why do you think people join group fitness classes, sometimes we need others to kick us in the ass to keep us going.  Preferably that person is an expert in the area so they know what path we should be pushed or pulled down and what pitfalls to avoid.  Wow, sound kind of like the role of a teacher.  I am not a passive facilitator in a students educational journey.  I am a content expert, a sage on the stage, a surrogate parent, a guide on the side, a counselor, a nag, a motivational speaker, a curriculum designer, a cheerleader, I am a Teacher!  Students should be able to expect all of this when they come to school. 

Yes we need more choice for students, yes we need more flexibility in our curriculum, yes we need to reach out to a broader cross section of learners.  However, this means having more opportunities to work with kids and a lot of the 21st Century learning agenda and student "empowerment" movement is driven by reducing costs around the number of schools and teachers the province needs to pay for. It is curriculum redesign on the cheap.   If you think this is going to be the answer check in with a few people who have taken distance education courses and ask them how the experience was learning on their own with minimal direct instruction.  Or better yet, ask yourself when the last time you really produced a meaningful expression of your learning and understanding around a topic just because you know it is "good for you".


 

Sucked In!

Thanks to my friend Glen I have been sucked into the chain "getting to know you" world.  I have decided to skip the 11 random facts about myself so that I remain the mysterious enigma that I am.  I am also skipping the 11 questions for others as I already know more than I want to about the people around me and I am trying to embrace a more "ignorance is bliss" lifestyle.  I will, however, answer Glen's 11 questions since to not would be rude.

1. If you morphed into an all-round Olympic athlete, what would be your Winter Sport and your Summer Sport?  Tough one as I would pretty much compete in anything if it meant I could attend the Olympics, heck I would even be the equipment guy.  However, if I could I would choose slopestyle snowboarding for winter and archery for the summer because these are the first events of their respective Olympics and it would mean I could just hangout and take it the experience for two weeks (with a gold medal hanging around my neck of course).
2. What was the most interesting book or written work you read in 2013 (and was it paper or digital)? A tough one as I read some good books in 2013.  I think the most interesting book I read was the Sports Gene by David Epstein.  It is the rebuttal to books like the Talent Code and Talent is Overrated and discusses athletic achievement from the genetic standpoint.  After doing a lot of reading on the 10,000 hours path to success it was interesting to read some of the counter arguments.
3. What is a major change you would make to the BC Education system?  I would give teachers a new contract with a decent raise.  Yes, I know it is not in fashion to say it is about the money but teaching is my job and I am tired of losing ground as part as my earning power and standard off living go.  On top of that I actually think the public education system is not in need of a major overhaul.  We do a fantastic job of getting educating a very diverse group of learners.  Yes, the system does not meet the needs of everyone but often those individuals have needs beyond what an educational system was designed to address.  The best thing we can do for our youth is put them with caring, knowledgeable adults and when this happens the system works.  Sadly, this seems to be more and more difficult as labour uncertainly, earning power, and public perception is pushing teaching to a second rate job from a noble profession.
4. What is a work of art (any genre or form) that inspires or challenges you?  I am still a sucker for poetry, even though I don't read as much as I used to or should.
   
5. Considering the wealth of oil in northern Alberta that we seem anxious to liquidate in a single generation, are you in favour of the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline?  Well, very current events of you to ask.  I am not in favour of Enbridge in the sense that I of course want to see our environment protected and our waterways and wildlife remain for generations to enjoy.  However, the more practical part of me sees northern communities dying and I am tired of people having to move south to large urban centers for opportunities and services.  Something needs to happen for the the north to remain viable as a place to live and to bring people back and rebuild our towns.  If it is not going to Enbridge we need to have a plan for something else.
6. What is a food experience that you wish on your children (or nieces/nephews)?  food experience?  Not sure what this means, I hope they always have enough.....
7. If your house was burning, but insurance would cover the obvious expensive items and your family & pets were safe, what meaningful artifact would you rescue from your home?  I would choose my hard drive with my photos.  Real simple and not too deep but I have spent lot's of time documenting my life with my wife and kids and I would want to keep those memories not as much for myself but to share with my kids as they get older.
8. If you had to pick a different career than the one you're in, what would it be?  I am really not sure about this one.  Like anyone I often think the grass may be greener in another career but nothing I can think of would fit my lifestyle and personality as much as teaching so unless I was able to be a professional athlete I have no clue what I would be doing.
9. If you were to ever publish a book, what would you like it to be about? Probably a children's book of some sort where I could rhyme, use photos and include sappy motivational messages that I am a sucker for.
10. What was a great event or experience in your work life from 2013 (e.g. teacher experience for many of you)?  I had a lot of good moments in 2013 but most likely one of the best was getting a little more diversity in my job.  Teaching soccer, working at the Sport School and still keeping a hand in social studies has a really nice way to keep things fresh without changing gears entirely.
11. What was a great family moment from 2013?  Lots of great family moments but I would say the hot days at the lake this summer was the highlight.  Nothing beats having family and friends around with lots of sun and water to play in.

Well there you go my first task of 2014 done!

Another Year Down....

As I sit on the couch drinking coffee and taking in the carnage of Christmas surrounding me it is hard to believe 2013 is coming to a close. It seems like just yesterday that we were enjoying this same scene wondering what 2013 would hold in store. As I reflect on the year, a truly great year I must say, I realize, as most of you reading this will already know, we did a lot of the same things in 2013 that we did in 2012... and 2011 .... So instead of a year end review I have decided to share with you a couple things I have learned in 2013.

First, time is the most valuable thing we own.  It is believable to me how fast time seems to be moving at this stage in our lives.  It seems like just a winter or two ago that Marla and I were loading up the boys in the sleds to pull them around West Lake.  Then all of a sudden Graeme is turning 15 in a couple of weeks and Connor is tying his tie to go to Christmas dinner (ya, don't ask about the tie thing at least it is not a cape and fuzzy pants, been there done that).  Time together with family and friends is so precious and there always seems to be something competing for this finite resource.  I have realized this year that unless you are willing to make time, say no to a few things, turn off the outside noise and be present in the moment no one is going to do it for you and before you realize it those moments will be gone. It seems simply and really boils down to time in has to be greater than time out. 


Second, work is work, play is play and play is always better!  Both Marla and I have had a great year at work.  We both enjoy our jobs, work with people we value, have a good mix of stimulation, fun and reward and are lucky to have much more good than bad in our work days.  However, with that all said work is still something you do so you can enjoy the play (even if your play often looks like work).  Work comes with rules, regulations, procedures, commitments both mental and physical.  Play is passion, compromise, liberating and empowering.  Too often the work part of your life takes over and reduces your willingness or ability to play.  Play is what feeds us and we need to nurture it, even if that play looks a lot like lying in the sun having a nap.

With New Years staring me in the face I don't really believe in resolutions but I am going to try and keep these two things firmly in mind as I make my way through 2014.  Graeme will be heading back to Kelowna in a few weeks, Connor is quickly approaching the end of Elementary School and we are too quickly moving through this stage of our lives so I am going to try and slow things down and make sure we enjoy it all.

 

Heroes

 

Yesterday the world lost a great man, maybe even one of the last truly great men left.  Nelson Mandela died at the age of 95 leaving a legacy of hope, justice and forgiveness behind.  I became aware of Nelson Mandela in the 1980's when the issue of Apartheid in South Africa was the popular issue for world activists much like Free Tibet is today.  Songs like Sun City, Biko, and Free Nelson Mandela along with movies such as Cry Freedom brought the issue of racial segregation to the middle class suburban masses of Canada and the United States.  It was through the story of Nelson Mandela that as a teenager I became interested in history and the stories the world held beyond the typical cold war rhetoric I had grown up with.  For me Nelson Mandela became a man to look up to, someone embodied strength, determination, compassion, sacrifice, caring and the willingness to sacrifice himself for his ideals.  Since my teenage years Nelson Mandela has always been there as a symbol that not all sacrifices go unrewarded, sometimes right does win and individuals do matter. For me Nelson Mandela was the living embodiment of histories greatest figures like Martin Luther King Jr and Ghandi.

The world is messier now than it was then.  We like to focus on the failings of people and we live in a world where people's personal lives and every misstep are often exposed to the world.  Professional athletes are regularly in the news for being arrested, our politician caught in scandal, our heroes constantly being brought back down to earth.  Mandela and his fight against Apartheid reminds us of a simpler time when there was a right and wrong stance and it was OK to pick sides, even if the people you were siding with weren't perfect.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/nelson-mandela-dead-at-95-1.2417872
Mandela's Release from Prison Speech
Who's is Nelson Mandela
Mandela, The Man and His Country

Moving On....

Last night was the PGYSA Annual General Meeting and today I find myself, for the first time in four years, no longer a board member of the organization.  Deciding not to run again for election was a difficult decision as I have invested a lot of time and energy, both physical and mental, to my duties as a director over the last four years.  Just like any investment it is hard to walk away from even if the time is right.  The decision for me is made much easier in that the newly elected board is made up of very caring, dedicated individuals who each bring a particular skill set to the table that will aide PGYSA as they continue to develop and implement a menu of programs that focus on all levels of development for both players and coaches.

As with any commitment that involves interacting with a large number of other people the last four years have been filled with highs and lows.  For myself, the time was right to step away as the obstacles and frustrations have been harder to shake off and began to overshadow the successes.  However, as I reflect on the last four years I realize it has been a great ride. I have made some great new friends, worked with hundreds of awesome kids, grown a tremendous amount as a coach and built relationships that will last a lifetime.  I am very proud of the programs such as Future Stars and the Whitecaps Academy as well as the increased focus on player and coach development. 

I am still intending to be heavily involved in soccer on the coaching side and I am sure I will have a hand in organization and program building as it is just not my personality to sit on the sidelines but I am looking forward to a break from the board room and the political side of youth sports.  As rewarding as the last four years has been it will also be nice to be able to say "Really, that's an issue?  Sorry, I haven't heard anything about it." 

Why we do what we do?

Recently I have been thinking a lot about the journey each of us takes in life and the little choices we make that lead us down certain paths.  No. I am not going through a mid life crisis that will see me buy a corvette or get a "Free Tibet" tattoo (though the corvette would be cool, and yes the Dalai lama should be able to return home but I digress).  Working with the Sport School athletes I have been challenging them to be aware of the choices they make and examine why they do the things they do.  As a result I a presentation about a journey which has lead a social studies teacher looking for a job to a life of teaching , coaching and generally spending the vast majority of my time working with kids and sports.

This is the first team I ever coached, the 1995-96 Blackburn Junior Secondary Volleyball team.  It was my first year teaching and I was on a temporary contract.  In those days everyone knew the way to go from temporary to permanent was to make sure that you left a big void if they got rid of you so being a sports guy I asked what teams needed a coach and there happened to be one left, Junior Boys Volleyball.  Of course, I hadn't played volleyball since grade 9 but I had bills to pay and I had left my job at CN Rail to pursue teaching so my options were limited, time to fake until I could make it.  Fortunately for me my best friend J.P. was a provincial team volleyball player and also a brand new teacher looking for a job.  Can you say co-coach!  

Our team was made up of primarily grade 9's so our success was limited but the kids were keen and committed and we as coaches still had the enthusiasm and misguided belief that through our guidance we would soon have a provincial championship team on our hands.  Well, long story short the provincial championship never came but what did was far more valuable.  Lots of laughs, life-long friendships, a belief in the value of hard work and the importance of being part of a team.  What I did not realize is that group of kids would begin me on what is now an 18 year journey in coaching and working with youth that would lead touch every part of my life.  

That first year of teaching I ended up coaching, in addition to volleyball, rugby, track and field, as well as running an intramural program, putting on basketball camps for elementary schools, in other words I got my full-time position.  But it was the volleyball, and the relationships I started to build that ignited my passion.  They were just such a great group of kids who worked exceptionally hard and (even though I didn't fully appreciate it at the time) demonstrated that the sport is secondary to the life lessons one learns from being part of a team.  

Soon coaching began to touch all parts of my life.  It was through my time coaching that I eventually met my wife, who would get called in to substitute teach my class when I was away on a tournaments.  It was only by chance that she was also a volleyball coach (her maiden name was Spike, if that was not fate I don't know what is).  My team knew Ms. Spike and took a lot of credit for "setting us up", when we had our first child, team mothers gave us hand made baby blankets and looked after my son during games and practices.   It was clear I wasn't just coaching kids I was gaining an extended family.  When I started coaching I looked at the kids as my little brothers, once I had kids I started to see characteristics in them that I would hope my son(s) would possess.  Truly the connections and relationships formed through hours in the gym and on the bus had become an indispensable part of my life.  

Now 18 years later I look back and realize I would not have wished for a different path.  My wife, sons and myself are all heavily involved in sports.  We still coach and compete ourselves, we have won games and lost games but the relationships are as important to us as ever.  When I look back on the that first team that it all started with I still smile.  I run into a few of the guys once in a while, some have moved, many have lost touch as they have moved on with life, one tragically past away a few years after he graduated (JP and I did the eulogy and I still think about him almost ever day) and I am sure what they mean to me is far greater than what I meant to them.   Most importantly, I do see glimpses of those boys in my own sons and it makes me proud and satisfied with time well spent. 

Going for it

It has been an interesting fall for the Lewis family.  The usual pattern has been that after a summer of sport, leisure, travel and relaxation we jump right back into school, coaching, meetings, practices and generally being over scheduled and generally being a slave to the appointment calendar.  A big part of the hectic fall schedule is coaching Graeme and Connor and running from one practice or game to another.

This fall has been  much quieter as Graeme has left home to play soccer.  He has gone to Kelowna to play for Thompson Okanagan FC of the BC Soccer Premier League.  It has been a difficult adjustment for Marla, Connor and myself but a great move for Graeme.  He is doing excellent in school, excelling on the soccer field and living with a great family who treat him as one of their own.  While it has been tough on the rest of the family it has been made easier by the fact that it has been such a good move for Graeme.

It is an interesting situation for me as I also work in the Canadian Sport School with elite high school aged athletes and I have several students who have moved and whose families have made major sacrifices for them to chase their dreams.  As with Graeme's dream of playing professional soccer it is likely that most of these kids will not achieve their ultimate goals.  However, does that mean the decisions, sacrifices and commitment to a dream has been a mistake?  I don't think so.  I think sometimes, especially when you are young you need to "go for it" and chase that dream.  Yes the reality is most people will fail to achieve their ultimate prize but some will and those who don't will have skills and experiences that few people share.  I have always been a bit of a safety and security kind of guy.  Have a back-up plan, keep your options open, plan for the future, prepare for a rainy day has always been the thinking that has served me well. However, when I look back at my life the times I have followed my heart and taken thee road less traveled it has been a good experience, even when it hasn't been a positive one. 

The fact of the matter is our son is in grade 9 and he is focused on fitness, academics and sports.  He has a great group of like-minded friends whose idea of a good time on a Friday night is going to the park for a kick around.  He has learned that if he applies himself to a task and stays committed to a goal good things happen and that to a great extent he can be the master of his own destiny.  Yes, we miss him and I wish we had more of the "hang around" time together but at the end of the day if you want your kids to grow sometimes you have to just let them go for it!  Would I like it if my son achieved his goals and lived his dream, of course. More importantly, however, I don't want him to live a life wondering "what if?".

What was I thinking!

A friend of mine recently made me aware an unforgivable error I made!  In my list of the of the Best Movies Ever!  I somehow missed maybe the greatest movie of all time.... Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.  I apologize for this oversight and offer no explanation other than I obviously lost my mind for a minute.

Perspective

Yes, it has been a long time between posts, again. I am not even going to try and make up an excuse other than to simply say I haven't felt like it. Yes, I know that no one reads this thing so it doesn't really matter but there are times I feel like sharing something even if only with myself. With the craziness of the last year I haven't really felt like I could take the time to have a thought let alone share it.

We have always been a pretty busy family during the school year but this year it was taken to a new level. The funny thing it was all good stuff just way too much of it. The part that really got me was the stuff crept into our summer which has always been about our time. This year it took until the last week of July to clear the schedule and get a few days at the cabin. Yes, I know there are people out there who will give me the old "Ya, you have it so too with your summers off" and to them I say you can have the, off too. Simply go get your 4 year degree, take another year and a half to get a teaching certificate, sub for a few years to get a job and then take another 2 years to get your Masters degree so you can earn a decent wage and then be told by the government and society you are not worth as much as a garbage man because you chose to work with kids. (Oops, that is better left for another post.)

What I really wanted to say is man life is good and sometimes you really need to slow down, unplug, take off the watch and forget what day it is to enjoy it. I know my life is great and stopping to enjoy it gives a person great perspective.

Christmas 2012

Well as most of you will know the Lewis' are not always the best at keeping up on correspondence.  A testament to this fact is that even my annual Christmas form letter greeting didn't get done last year.  So as proof that we really do think about you all I have committed myself to getting this year's greeting done before the Christmas day.

It has been a great year for us and while we seem to be extremely busy the time is filled with stuff we love and have chosen to focus our energies on, so life is good!  Soccer trips, sports, the cabin, Graeme on an exchange to Quebec, sports, sports and more sports....  it all seems a bit of a blur but here is my best attempt at the year that was for us.


Spring Break was spent at our place in Mesa.  It was the first time the boys and I had actually been there so we were pretty excited to do some exploring.  The trip was made even better as our good friends the Martins joined us for two weeks.  Mesa was everything I could want in a holiday and more.  Steve Nash and the Suns, the Phoenix Coyotes, Chicago Cubs spring training, NCAA basketball March Madness, cheap beer, Wine at Costco, mountain hikes, sunny runs, good friends and happy hour that starts at 11:00 AM.  Yah, it was good!!  In fact it was so good we have worked it with some summer work, athletic coordinating and spring break that we will spending three weeks there this March.  Tough to miss that lovely March Prince George Weather but we will have to tough it out with the smell of eucalyptus instead of melting dog pooh in the air.

Of course we did have to arrange our travel plans around soccer as that has become our life with the boys heavily involved in anything with a ball. It was a busy but great year on the fields and courts.  Connor and Graeme were busy most of the year with soccer tournaments all over BC and loving it.  Connor was especially happy as this year he got a chance to play with the older boys and was able to go to a few out of town tournaments which made him feel like he had moved into the big leagues.  It really was a great sports year with great group of kids and lots of success on and off the field.  Both boys are also playing basketball and volleyball as well which of course means Marla and I are coaching soccer, basketball and volleyball.  Really I am not sure who enjoys it more the boys or Marla and I.  Hanging out with your kids playing sports is not a bad way to spend your time.

In between the soccer sessions the summer was spent at the lake were we finally got repaid for  enduring the previous year's lack of sun and heat.  I was lucky as I bought a new boat in October so it was a little easier to sell as "an investment" to Marla while she was floating around with a cooler in hand at +30.  It really was a fantastic year at the lake, great weather, lots of friends and family visiting and we finally saw the realization of our backyard soccer pitch come to life.  Ya, like I said the boys really like soccer.

The fall has been a bit crazy as Graeme started high school and I started a new job.  I am still at PGSS in the mornings but the afternoon I am the teacher with the Canadian Sport School Northern B.C..  It is a nice change and gives me the best of both worlds between school and the gym and since it is a new project I get a hand in shaping how things will progress.

Graeme has had a great start to high school playing Junior volleyball, basketball and soccer while doing very well in his classes and making the honour roll all while still playing academy soccer 3 times a week and club volleyball.  The only issue is he complains about being tired all the time.  I am not sure what that is about, must be a teenage thing.

 Marla is still at College Heights counselling and having a very good year but getting grief from the kids for coaching at Duchess Park ;-)  

Connor, well the best way to describe how things are going for Connor is for you to picture a grade 5 King of Kensington.  Yup. He pretty much has life under control.  Loving his class, his teacher, mini sticks with his buddies, soccer, sleep overs with his aunties, choir, and straight A's. It is all good in Connor's world.

Since it is now approaching noon on Christmas eve, I better end this greeting if I am going to get it posted before Christmas.  Marla, Graeme, Connor and I wish you a merry Christmas and happy holidays and we are thinking of you.

Love the Lewis'
For those of you who would like you can see more Lewis pictures here  http://www.flickr.com/photos/kinglewy/

Long Time Gone

Time does fly.... I knew it had been a while since my last posting but I didn't think it had been almost 9 months.  Wow... I guess my only solace is that no one other than a few friends  every read anything I post.  Still I feel bad for abandoning the blogsphere and fear that next I will be turning off comments and posting an explanation about how my lack of commitment and effort in engaging in meaningful dialogue is everyone else's fault.  Let me assure you the lack of activity on this blog over the last year is all me and search for ways to unplug my life but just like Rocky Balboa in Rocky 4 just when you though it was all over I am back.

You will notice I didn't go with the more obvious Rocky 3 Eye of the Tiger reference, that would be too cliche.

Damn the Groundhog

I made the fatal error earlier this week as I was was walking into work with a friend.  It was a balmy plus 4, sun shining and a slight amount of snow on the ground so I without thinking say "Well, looks like we might get an early spring."  and .......   You guessed it a 4 days later we have a couple feet of fresh snow and the temperature has dropped to minus 21.

Despite the weather everything else says spring is coming as the boys wrap up their indoor soccer and basketball this weekend, taxes are waiting to be filed, soccer tryouts are on the horizon and my thoughts have increasingly turned to spring break. This year for the first time in 6 years we are not going to Mexico as we have decided to head to Mesa.  I am really looking forward to heading to Mesa, not having ever been to our new place, and with the Martins joining us, a weather forecast for the low 30s and a full slate of sports on the agenda I know it is going to be a fantastic time.  However, I must admit I am going to miss Mexico and not wearing shows and rarely a shirt for two weeks while enjoying great food that costs 15 pesos and comes from a cart, hmmm pork taco and shrimp on a stick.  Oh ya, the 70 cent beer is pretty good as well.  Of course, with NCAA Regional finals, Phoenix Suns and coyotes and spring training games every night I am sure we will get our fill of vendor food and beer.  Oh ya, spring break bring it on!  Now to bundle up and go and shovel my driveway.

Carnaval

This week my oldest son has gone to La Bie Quebec with his class as the first part of a cultural exchange. From the limited report we get from him it looks like he is having a great time and getting a real feel for why, even living in Central BC, learning French is still relevant in Canada.

La Baie is on the shore of the Saguenay river, close to Chicoutimi.  Apparently it is a real separatist stronghold and most of the people speak little if any English.  To quote a friend of mine who is on the trip "you won't find a lot of Canadian flags around here".  This has been a real eye-opener for my son as even when we travel to non English speaking countries it seems  you can be lazy with the local language as there is always someone who speaks enough English to bail you out.  So to find a place in Canada that really wants little to do with English has sure put his French to the test and given him a new respect for being multilingual.

I was hoping my son would get to experience and different "Canada" than what he is used to but I think after the memories of museums, ice-fishing and friendships fade coming to an appreciation of the importance of Canada being a bi-lingual nation has and will continue to be the most valuable part of the exchange.

Of course now we have a couple months to plan for the French kids return trip and show them why they want and need to be part of Canada and I won't be taking down my Canadian flag at the cabin!

What I have been reading....

Over the last few months I have been reading a number of books on success and achievement inspired by the Malcom Gladwell's The Outliers.  It has become a bit of an obsession with me as I find connections to my work as a teacher, my involvement with youth soccer as a coach and board member and as a father of two youth sport obsessed boys.



What has really struck me is how the research (admittedly all of these books reference each other and others of a similiar point of view)  all brings us back to an old school belief in the value and importance of good old fashioned hard work and dedication.  ...... I have written, edited, deleted and rewritten the following paragraphs and decided that I really have too much to say on this subject and at this point it all ends up as a rant so I'll leave it for you to read the books yourself and see where the ideas may apply to your own life.

On a lighter note if you liked the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo check out the following book.

Can't wait for summer

The calendar says July 31 but the weather says October 31.

What happened to Spring?

We are now a week into summer and after a Canada Day soccer tournament in St. Albert and several days of long neglected household chores it finally feels like we are getting a bit of a break.  This is our first Saturday without soccer since we were in Mexico and it feels nice to just look at each other and ask "what are we going to do this afternoon?" without an immediate answer.

Of course the break also means we have time to notice that it is supposed to be summer and we are stuck in what has been several months of cold and wet weather.  So much for our plans to head to the cabin and enjoy the lake.  I can't wait for soccer!