http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/ We love sports, and we love our communities. We have a hard time sitting still, and we have this crazy idea that we can change the world. Play City is a fusion of these two passions -- a hyperactive need to move and a genuine desire to make a difference. www.youthnoise.com/PlayCity en-us Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:48:06 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss playcity@youthnoise.org http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19920 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:48:06 GMT A lot of people smash pumpkins for cheap thrills. Some people make a serious sport out of it, construct catapults and cannons, then compete with one another for height and distance...But some people smash pumpkins to save the planet!That's right. I went to the Linden-Bushwick Community Garden in Brooklyn a few days ago to spend an afternoon destroying pumpkins. After we made the pumpkins go splat, we put them in the garden's compost bin along with food waste collected from neighbors and local businesses. In a few weeks, the waste will be fertile soil to plant vegetables in. Next year, the Bushwick Farmers Market will be selling vegetables grown in our pumpkin compost. These pumpkin guts look nasty, but they're going to turn into fresh produce soon enough!Every vegetable that gets grown locally keeps a delivery truck off the road, and every plant grown in composted soil saves a few pounds of food waste that would have gotten buried in a dump forever. I wasn't kidding when I said we were saving the world! Check the video, and I bet you'll want to start composting too. I really haven't had so much fun in months.Watch for the chainsaw (seriously).Big thanks to Earth Matter for organizing the event! Check out their website for a list of upcoming compost events and a great statement about the importance of composting. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19920 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19861 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:45:48 GMT New York City dance coach Nekia Thomas-Wise was recently nominated by Fully Focused dancer, Tianna Brown for the 2009 Play It Forward contest. I had the opportunity to chat with coach Wise. Here's what she had to say about being nominated, about being a coach and mentor in New York City, and some of her most memorable experiences, including the reality that comes along with coaching girls who confront issues like teen pregnancy and drugs.Congratulations on being nominated by Tianna Brown and placing 2nd in the Play It Forward contest! First things first, how do you feel about being nominated by Tianna?I was really surprised to find out that Tianna nominated me! I don't really look at what I do with the girls as anything "worth" awarding. In fact, annually, I give the girls an awards ceremony during their recital where I praise their "good" work and reward it. It felt really awesome to have that sort of role reversal.You and your team, Brooklyn's Fully Focused recently won the grand prize for the 2009 Nike/YouthNoise Step It Up competition over the summer. How was that experience for you and your dancers?The Step it up Competition was an amazing experience! Fully Focused has been in many competitions -and quite successful! Step It Up however was the first competition that they've ever won that required them to take so much responsibility outside of dance. I put lots of responsibility on the girls in terms of attendance, punctuality, and performing. The Step It Up competition gave my girls purpose in being performers and change agents simultaneously. It was a learning experience for them to be challenged to take their skill and use it to be even more productive in society!What do you think are some of the most important lessons a player or student can learn from her coach?Students can learn a lot from coaches! They have the opportunity to see a bit of the future, even if it seems impossible. I want my dancers to take advantage of having me in their lives to some extent. I want them to use me for insight to structure, and planning life long things. I hope I serve as a model and help them achieve their future goals. I come from where they come from. When it's all said and done, I'm one of them!What are some of the most important lessons a coach can learn from her players or students?Coaches learn teachable moments from students; for life and for the sport.How long do you intend on coaching dance?I plan on coach forever! I aspire to open up a studio in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn and service so many more young girls. I'll have dance camp in the summer, classes throughout the year, and Hip Hop aerobics with moms. Then I plan on conducting workshops for moms too! Tara, I have such a plan. And, I'm training the current FF dancers to be the teachers at the studio to help them earn money!Congrats Nekia, keep inspiring and continue to do great work in your community! Shout out to Tianna and the entire Fully Focused dance team. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19861 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19853 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:51:24 GMT The New York Marathon, AKA the big enchilada of marathons, took place on Nov. 1. And this year it seemed charity running was all the rage. Indeed, 6,000 runners representing more than 75 charities (up from 41 last year) ran the ING New York Marathon marathon this year in hopes of raising $21 million for charity and topping last year's record totals of $18.9 million.While running for a charity is pretty awesome, for one young changemaker, Sunkul Soni, running for a charity just wasn't enough. Last year the 28-year old New Yorker ran the Marine Corps Marathon in DC for an organization called ASHA. This year, however, Sunkul took it one step further. He didn't just run to raise money for a charity, he ran to start his own charity called Girls Can 2. Wow! I'm mucho, mucho impressed.I had a chance to interview Sunkul before the big race about education, gender inequity and the bumpy road of starting a nonprofit. Check it out:So tons of people run marathons to raise money for non-profits, but I've never heard of anyone ever running a marathon to start a non-profit. You're actually running the NY Marathon to raise money to start a non-profit called Girls Can 2. Tell us a little bit more how this came about?It really came about through my mother. My mother, Asha Soni, contributes all of her earnings on an annual basis as a teacher to an all girls school in India. She only mentioned this to me last year but as she told me the story I couldn t help but become more drawn to the cause. With her help and the help of a few friends, I have begun the process of creating a Non-Profit organization called Girls Can 2. The organization will look to raise funds to help provide materials and facilities needed to educate girls across IndiaThe background for this project began with Mr. Prem Singh Sodhi. He taught for 40 years in an all boys school in his village of Kharar (Chandigarh). He was pained to know that girls of that area were not getting any education, as there were no schools for them.To make this wrong a right, at the age of 60, Mr. Sodhi single-handedly started an elementary school for girls in the basement of a local temple. To finance the project, he contributed his retirement savings, collected money from friends and old students of his along with his well placed sons. One of his sons was the President of my mothers college, which is how she became involved.At present there are 525 girls that attend the school, of which 265 are extremely poor and live in rural Punjab (North India). The school ranges from grades one to twelve and covers English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Computer education, Punjabi and Hindi. Currently the school lacks a tremendous amount of funding because the government of Punjab, India has frozen its grant to the school.This is where Girls Can 2 comes in. This is not a stand alone case in India and I think it is important to help educate those regardless of gender, race, or religion. The organization will look to help fund various schools throughout India that are in a similar situation, and there are several.Do you feel that there is a significant amount of gender inequity in Indian schools? Maybe not in the mainstream view but when you break things down and get to looking at who's going to school and who's not, its typically the girls that are left out. In may cases children in poverty stricken areas (large amounts in India) are overlooked regardless of gender. People ask me if the things they saw in "Slumdog Millionaire" were true. "Is that really what its like there? Are people that poor? Are kids really treated like that?" Yes- there are no special effects for those scenes.Your mother has been a major inspiration in your life. Can you tell us how she has influenced you? She's not your typical Indian woman that's for sure, weather she knows it or not. She raised three boys as we moved all over the world (puerto rico, india, saudi arabia). She let us live and learn, and while education was important, life lessons were just as important. She always let us do what we wanted if we believed it was the right thing and let us learn from our mistakes along the way. She gave up her own dreams to raise us- that takes a special person to put others in front of themselves.Of all causes, what made you focus on education in India as an issue? I find it funny that we use India for IT and back office support but do nothing to support the education and well being of those we use (hope that made sense) It's not educating kids in India, it's more than that. These are kids who weren't even given a chance in society, period!! We have to understand that an education is entitled to every person that wants to learn regardless of their race, religion, or ethnic background. What if one of these kids one day creates the AIDS vaccine or a cure for world pollution, what if? What has the journey been like trying to start your own non-profit? Do you have any advice for others trying to do the same thing? It's been a bit bumpy. Everyone has a different opinion for every little thing. I'm lucky to have friends who are lawyers, and accountants. My advice would be to ask people around you. If you can have someone who has done this and knows how it works- that's your best resource. So about the race - last year you completed the DC Marathon in 3 hrs 43 min and set an ASHA record for their NYC chapter. That's a pretty amazing time! The NYC Marathon is more difficult and this year you plan to beat your time. What are you doing to train? With one under my belt I'm doing the same training as last year but mentally i know what it takes now. Last year was DC. This year is NY? What marathon will you run next year? Next year it's triathlons...I have to give the legs a break.Gu, Shot blocks or sports beans? Gu- but i hate taking anything down when I'm running What will you do to celebrate after the marathon? I'm flying my mom up for the race so we'll go out and celebrate as long as my legs can hold me up!! Any shout outs you want to give to people who have helped along the way? I definitely want to say thank you to my mom- Asha Soni, my cousin Samir Batta for his tech help, and all the friends and family who have supported me thus far. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19853 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19849 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:49:54 GMT Last week I was fortunate enough to make it to the 4th annual Healthy Neighborhood Festival held at the California Endowment s Center for Healthy Communities near Chinatown in Los Angeles. It was a block party for downtown Los Angeles residents that offered fun ways to get fit and lead a healthy lifestyle. All activities were free and included hoola-hooping (a serious workout that I highly recommend), dancing, rock climbing, making fresh salads and health screenings for families. It was great to see all of the kids enjoying their salads and fresh fruit; no one was asking for chips or candy. They were running around from one activity to the next with big smiles on their faces. Check out the video to learn more about the event and see some kids learning a new dance And check out the California Endowment for more information about how you can join the healthy lifestyle movement! www.calendow.org http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19849 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19840 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:03:06 GMT If you've read my recent blog posts you may have noticed I've been on a little jag lately about wearing costumes in races and raising money for good causes. I'm not sure what got into me...maybe it's just because I'm a fan of costumes and ridiculousness in general. But in the spirit of keeping Halloween (my all time favorite holiday) alive for one more week, I have one last blog post about a costumed crusader that I want to share. A few months ago, one of my co-workers introduced me to Bill Brazell. Bill is a pretty amazing guy. He's a Harvard grad with a masters degree from Berkeley. He's on the board of trustees for the National PKD Foundation and he's worked with some pretty cool companies like Federated Media and Etsy. But what I find most amazing about Bill (and maybe I'm just a little jealous) is that he rocks out a gigantic kidney costume to help raise awareness for PKD. Never heard of PKD? You're not alone. Most people haven't. PKD stands for Polycystic Kidney Disease. 'Poly-' means 'many' -- people with PKD have many cysts, or pockets of fluid, throughout their kidneys. PKD comes in two forms. The dominant form, ADPKD (autosomal dominant PKD), is much more common, occurring in as many as 1 in 400 people. When a person with ADPKD has a child, the child has a 50-50 chance of also developing ADPKD, which can lead to kidney failure in the thirties, forties or fifties. The recessive form, ARPKD (autosomal recessive PKD), is rarer and more brutal. Thirty percent of children born with ARPKD fail to live even a month after their birth. Of those who do make it a month, another 28% will die before reaching their tenth birthday. Basically PKD is a pretty awful disease that few people even know about. But the good news is that researchers are super-close to finding a cure. That's why Bill is on a crusade to get the word out and raise money for research. This past weekend I was in New York and had a chance to catch up with Bill and learn more about PKD, the PKD walk and gigantic polycystic kidney outfits. Check it out. (1) Tell us a little bit about what motivated you to get involved in the PKD Foundation?I got involved because my father had PKD, and I was diagnosed when I was a freshman in college. For many years I found the whole idea vaguely depressing, and I waited passively for 'science' to find a cure. It never really occurred to me that I could help science along. Then my first cousin, Mike, died of PKD complications, leaving behind two young children. He was just 35; had been born less than five months before I was. His death jolted me into doing what I could to hurry 'science' along -- to raise money and awareness so a cure might come more quickly. (2) You just participated in the Tri-state PKD walk on Oct 25th. That's one of the big fundraisers for PKD. How'd it go this year? The Walk this past Sunday was a huge success, thanks. The TriState Walk raised just $34,000 two years ago. We knew we could raise more money in NYC, but we had to convince our core that doing so was the best way to cure PKD. Many wanted us to hold gala dinners, which tend to burn out volunteers and to net smaller amounts of money than you can net with a Walk, where overhead is lower. We began convincing folks of this last year, when the Walk brought in $139,000. This year, it's brought in more than $211,000 -- and the money is still coming in. This is a huge win. (3) I have heard that someone by the name of Kenny the Kidney made an appearance at the walk. Please tell us: who is Kenny the Kidney guy and what's his deal? A normal human kidney is the size of a fist, and weighs a few ounces. A polycystic kidney can grow as large as a football, and can weigh 38 pounds -- just one, and people tend to have two. Imagine finding room for two 38-pound footballs in your gut! Kenny the Kidney is a polycystic kidney who grew larger still. We think his original body consumed a radioactive milkshake. Whatever the reason, Kenny stands more than 6'6" tall, and weighs more than 185 pounds. Coincidentally, I have the same measurements. (4) Haha. What a coincidence. So how did the Kidney costume come about? You gotta admit, that's pretty unusual. I told a woman I'd just met, Halley Hopkins, that I wanted to raise awareness of PKD, maybe by climbing the stairs of the Empire State Building -- something foolish, I didn't know what. Halley, who is now a good friend, said, "You need a kidney costume! And I know just who will make one for you." She asked Corinne Leigh and Rob Czar of Threadbanger.com, who had never met me, to make a kidney costume. They kindly agreed, and made a wonderful costume, and FedExed it from Florida, which was then their home, to Schenectady, NY, in time for a Walk for PKD nearby. And they wouldn't take a penny for the costume material, or the labor, or the shipping -- nothing. Meanwhile, Travis Donia, who had introduced me to Halley, built me a web site, and then revamped it with the help of Claire D'Aoust and Yoshi Uemura. And Ramy Youssef, an amazing guy who was then in high school, offered to work with his friends Kyle, John, Chris and many others to make a music video for Kenny . None of these good people had ever heard of PKD before they met me. Yet all of them worked for free. They worked much harder than some people in my family, who you might expect would be more motivated to cure it. The generosity of these people -- it brings tears to your eyes. Or would, if I weren't so macho. (5) Okay, macho man. In the Kenny the Kidney Music Video, you state that sometimes you wish there was a mammary? Do you feel that breast cancer gets too much attention in the media? No, not at all. That lyric (from the music video) wasn't a comment on breast cancer at all -- although you're not the first to wonder that. We were parodying the original Weezer song, and we just needed a word that sounded like 'memory,' which was the original lyric. We thought 'mammary' would be funny, because ... well, if you have to explain it, it's no longer funny. The lyric wasn't a comment on breast cancer at all. My mom is a two-time breast cancer survivor, which is a scary thing, and I'm absolutely thrilled that breast cancer gets great attention. I'd like to see breast cancer get even more attention, so it could actually be cured. I was just making a small joke about kidneys being much less interesting, in general, than breasts. Let's face it: Breasts really *are* more interesting than kidneys. As a man, I don't mind that. As a kidney, it makes me sulk a little. (5) Why do you think so few people know about PKD? This is something that puzzles many of us who deal with PKD, and we've come up with a number of possibilities: (1) We have no big celebrity talking about PKD. The great playwright Neil Simon has PKD, but doesn't like to talk about it. The humorist Erma Bombeck died of it, but, like Mr. Simon, was from a more private generation. (2) People with PKD can hide the fact that they have it. No one would know that I have it, except that I talk about it, and sometimes walk around dressed as a kidney. As opposed to people with ALS or other illnesses, people with PKD have a choice whether to disclose. I kept quiet about it for many years, and only began talking about it after my cousin died, and I realized that if I did nothing, I might be next. Silence won't cure PKD. But many who have it remain silent, because the risks of disclosure are real -- loss of health insurance, loss of employment opportunities, loss of relationships. (3) Most of the people who have PKD don't yet know that they have it. When they find out, some become activists, some don't -- as with any disease. (6) Well, I feel like Kenny the kidney must be working to bring awareness to PKD. I just saw an article in the New York Times about the disease and PKD recently got a nice little plug on the CBS morning show. Any thoughts on the recent media coverage? Those of us in the PKD community understand well what the Waddington family, the ones featured in the NY Times and on CNN, has gone through -- the father needed a kidney transplant, but the parents forbade their two sons to get tested as possible matches, because they feared that one or both of them might turn out to have PKD -- and might be unable to get health insurance as a result. That scenario is very familiar to us, and we were grateful to the Waddingtons for going public about their dilemma, and to Nicholas Kristof and CNN for shining a light on it. We were also grateful to the CBS Early Show for talking about PKD, and to weatherman Dave Price for wearing our Walk for PKD hat. These mentions may seem brief to the rest of the world, but they mean a lot to us. Each year when we lobby our congresspeople on Capitol Hill in Washington, we have to explain all over again to a new crop of legislative aides what PKD is and why it matters. When we raise money for it, we have to first explain what it is. These media mentions give us something to point to: We're not the only ones who care about this disease. (7) I'm glad PKD is finally getting a tiny bit of exposure. How can our readers help to further spread the word about PKD? A number of talented volunteers made the Kenny the Kidney music video with the hope that it would spread -- that people would enjoy it, and pass it on to their friends. It would be lovely if your readers would do that. And if they enter a friend's email, they'll be able to see a couple of *secret* videos -- a new feature. We'll never abuse those email addresses; we don't even save them. We just offer the videos in an effort to get people to pass the word about PKD. Folks can also pass on the PKD Foundation's homepage, pkdcure.org, to anyone who wants to know more about PKD. The Foundation is there to help anyone who's newly diagnosed, or just wants more information about diet, etc. [editor's note: Bill didn't mention this but he also has a fundraising page if you know anyone who would feel inclined to donate] (8) Last Question. Do you, by any chance, know this guy? The giant testicle guy next to Pat was running for testicular cancer. Perhaps a league of superheros is in order? Ha! No, we don't all know each other. But I'd be honored to meet him -- we seem to be on similar missions. Embrace the embarrassing! It's the only path to a cure. And even if you don't cure it -- at least you're having fun. Cool, well thanks for the interview, Bill. I wish you the best of luck and look forward to catching up again soon. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19840 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19832 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:59:36 GMT You might have just read James' post about Critical Mass Halloween, an event that happens all over the country, and maybe the world. I attended the Miami one, which was the biggest group ride I've been on in the entire year that I've been here! The streets of Miami have never seen anything so huge, and it was definitely the highlight of my Halloween.There was a great article the next day in the Miami Herald about our "Strength in Numbers." It explained Critical Mass for those people in their cars who were wondering "what the hell is going on" which is great in helping to raise awareness!! The article also talks about how the Miami Police Chief is an avid cyclists, so he is not about to go after the riders. YAY! There were over 200 people! Many social issues were addressed through costumes; gay rights, animal rights..Insurance,personally, I like to go for the more *classic* costumesMore classics, Wednesday LydiaTake back the streets!! Si se puede!Insert wicked witch on a bike music here:Biking makes everyone so HAPPY!I stand corrected, 199 cyclists, and 1 rollerblader! This is Rydel, from Miami Bike Scene, that organizes the monthly rides! Check out Rydel's awesome VIDEO of this eventand more pictures can be found here.Happy November! http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19832 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19814 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:11:28 GMT New York City youth rugby coach Lisa Lake was recently nominated as Coach of the Year by Play It Forward essay writer Willie Dominguez. In an Up2Us press release, Lake noted that Coaches have a tremendous opportunity to not only help young people improve their game, but to help instill values strength, commitment, perseverance that are important in life as well. [Left: Play It Forward winner Willie Dominguez and NYC Rugby Coach Lisa Lake]Here's what Lisa Lake has to say about her experience coaching youth rugby:What's your background in coaching rugby?I started playing when I was 33, and I was on the National Team. Then I began coaching with the Under 19 Rugby Program in 2006 through the New York Rugby Club. A lot of the kids in the program are from my high school, but we train kids from all over the city. Before we started the program, we didn't have a gym or any equipment. Most of the kids didn't have access to sports programs. I got tired of hearing the kids complain about not being able to play sports, so I started holding some rugby practices on the median strip on the highway. We have grown a lot since then. Now we have about 40 boys and 20 girls in the program. The majority of our kids are from public schools, and we have a lot of kids from the Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan.What's the most difficult part of coaching?It's like a second full-time job. I often put in as many hours coaching as I do teaching. I'm the coach for the boys team, and I have to make sure that the uniforms are washed, that the kids know where they're going, and that we have access to practice space. I'm also busy pushing these kids to go to colllege, and helping with college essays and homework. Playing rugby, coaching, and working all at the same time can be rough.What's the most rewarding part?Every kid who has graduated from our program has also graduated from high school, and about 85 percent are going to college. Most of our program graduates are still playing rugby. It's really good to see our kids getting into college and continuing to play.Did you have a coach who made an impact on your life?My high school basketball coach, Coach Brown, was a great guy. He was also my advisor and made sure that I stayed on track and gave my best, all of the time. He had a big influence on how I coach today.I understand that you just went to Washington D.C. for the National Up2Us conference. What was that like?It was so cool! The Up2Us folks ran great workshops and presented awards. We had the chance to hear about different people who are involved in really interesting programs. Every person there had the same thing in common: we all really want to create a supportive community for kids, to mentor them and help them along the way. It was pretty amazing. My award was presented by Lillian Greene-Chamberlain, the first U.S. national champion in the 800m track and field event, and Nathaniel Mills, a 3-time Olympic speed skater who teaches inner city kids to skate in Washington, D.C.I was so humbled by my nomination. To read everything that my players have written about me was an amazing experience. You don't often get to see the impact that you've had on all of your players, and I'm very thankful for it.Anything else we should know?We wouldn't be able to run the program without the support of our entire rugby club. Some people give time, some give money, some donate jerseys or shorts. I'm very appreciative that we have so much support for our program. Also, if there are any kids out there who want to play rugby, we're always looking for players.Thanks, Lisa. Your contributions to the rugby program are also very much appreciated. Learn more about Coach Lisa Lake in the Up2Us press release, and read Willie Dominguez' Play It Forward entry. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19814 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19811 Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:02:15 GMT Last week I walked in the ALS Assocation's "Walk to Defeat ALS" in Irvine with Megan Mishork's team "Meg's Legs" and it was a really moving experience. There were so many people who came to support loved ones battling ALS or to celebrate and remember loved ones who had passed on. The energy and positive spirit was amazing. Here are some clips I pieced together from the walk: This won't be the only piece I'll write about Megan Mishork - she's started her own blog that I'll be following, "GimpGirl Adventures". It's both moving, reflective, and funny, and I promise to try to get some more of Megan's witticisms and stuff from the ALS community up here again soon. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19811 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19802 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:11:04 GMT Recently, I had the chance to catch up with Alli Weis. Alli is a biologist, an athlete, a musician, a passionate social activist, a good friend of mine, and an all-around fantastic human being. This year, Alli spent some time volunteering for Soccer Without Borders, where she had the opportunity to help teach soccer, literacy, and life skills to girls in Granada, Nicaragua. Check out what she has to say about volunteering for SWB:[Above: Alli (the taller one) with the girls]So how did you get involved with Soccer Without Borders?I moved to Granada, Nicaragua in June 2009 with the intent of volunteering with an organization teaching biology to kids. After a month I wanted to transition to a volunteer program that was a little more integrated in the community of Granada. I heard about SWB from a volunteer whom I had lived with for my first two weeks in the city, and the SWB office was two blocks away from my hostel. I went by the office one day and met Daniela Molina, the program coordinator, and an incredible group of Nicaraguans, teens through 24 year olds, who are all dedicated to playing soccer, empowering girls, and improving their country.I was instantly impressed by the organization. The volunteers were smart and excited, and the Nicaraguans involved with the project were welcoming and thrilled by my involvement. They embraced me, taught me about their culture and language, and made me feel part of a family in Nicaragua. From then on I was completely absorbed with the organization and spent all of my remaining time in Nicaragua with the SWB community, coaching and playing soccer during the day, teaching reading and writing in the evenings, and having an extraordinary amount of fun.What was it like to volunteer?An average day would involve waking up in the morning and buying fresh fruit for everyone for breakfast from the fruit lady on the corner next to our office (my favorite part of the morning!), and then starting on business: gear and supplies might be on the agenda, renovating our supply room was a big project one of the weeks, we plan our practices during the day as well as upcoming events and activities. Right now we are building a curriculum for our girls in the evenings, mostly involving reading and writing skills, so we have spent a fair bit of time researching literacy programs in order to implement a sufficient one of our own. We are currently investigating the education system in Granada, and sometimes we would go to public and private schools, visit the health fairs, and spend time forming relationships with the local government in Granada.In the afternoons volunteers can play soccer on a local barrio (neighborhood) team, and some afternoons I would meet up with my Spanish teacher for lessons. We offer all sorts of activities in the evenings, among them being: teaching reading and writing, teaching health care and leadership, team building activities, and career nights for the older girls.Saturday is our largest practice day. All of the girls (currently about 50) come to the field in the morning for a full practice of running, stretching, ball skills, drills, and scrimmage. Our futsol league is about to start at the end of October, where we will have games and more practices during the week. If it is a Sunday, then it is generally a break day, where we travel to a local beautiful spot, usually as a group of volunteers, staff, and youth leaders, and learn about Nicaragua and its land and culture.At the end of the day, almost without fail, we would have a dinner of some sort with the volunteers and staff involved in the program. Right now I can still taste the gallo pinto (beans and rice), fried plantains, and Nicaraguan cheese, and I can still hear the Spanish slang words, salvaje (cool), and entonces (then) amid laughter and salsa dancing in the hot Nicaraguan nights. What do you like the most about working with this program?I love how gratifying it feels. Every day the little girls in the program come spilling into the office or onto the soccer field with huge smiles, eager to participate in any activity that we have for them. Their enthusiasm makes them easy to teach, and when they do something correct (a good pass, a goal, a header, writing a sentence with an adjective, etc) each girl bursts with pride in her accomplishment. It is amazing to be part of a program that provides both a space and a community that is focused around the improvement of these Nicaraguan girls, and reminds me that we, the volunteers, really can make a difference in their lives.What was one of your best moments working with SWB?My most vivid memories, where I felt the most alive in years, are those of teaching reading and writing to the little girls in the office. The girls are so sweet, and as I said earlier, so eager to learn that it is an absolute joy to give them the educational attention that each one deserves. One moment in particular I was working with one of the little girls on a letter describing Granada to an American, and after about half an hour working on three sentences, she looked up at me and smiled, and I could tell that something had shifted in her thinking. She wrote the next sentence on her own, and then started confidently on the art portion of the letter. For that moment in time, she had accomplished something real, something tangible, and I had helped her. It was an amazing experience, and happened several times each night at the SWB office.Are you going back to Nicaragua?My plans right now are to go back to Nicaragua in January and continue to volunteer with SWB. I m not sure how long, but at least a few months, and I am very excited.How can others help this cause?There are all sorts of ways to help SWB. From fundraising, equipment drives, donating, sponsoring or partnering with us, to volunteering in Oakland or in one of the countries that we have camps in, we love any and all support! Anything else you'd like to add?This program has opened my eyes to the incredible opportunity that exists in creating social change through sports. The passion for playing a game like soccer can bring fun to marginalized youth around the world, and, when harnessed, can become a driving force for hope, empowerment and education to the participants. To me, this is the most effective tool for youth activism that I have ever seen, and I m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it, and to share it. Thank you, Alli. Let us know how it goes when you return to Nicaragua :)If you want to get involved, go to Soccer Without Borders. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19802 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19785 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:30:43 GMT Halloween is mostly about getting spooked, eating candy, dressing up ridiculous, and cutting loose. But last night, cyclists and cycling advocates in cities around the country got together for a spooky yet serious Halloween tradition-- the annual Halloween Critical Mass ride!Critical Mass is a popular group bike ride that happens around the world, in which cyclists band together and create a 'critical mass' of people-powered traffic that is large enough to lay claim on big city streets that are usually strictly car territory. Last night, riders around the world put on costumes in a an action that proved activism and a good time don't have to be mutually exclusive.I wasn't able to make the ride in New York because of a lingering bike-related injury, but thanks to the miracle of the internet, and the documentation of countless costumed crusaders, we can take a look at the action as it went down in a number of different cities last night. Image from NYC by Irene Roxanne on Flickr.You'd think that the fun-factor created by a costumed crew of cyclists would draw a groundswell of support from pedestrians, partiers, and motorists alike-- but according to Bike Blog NYC, an angry charter bus driver ran over somebody's bike during the ride! So much for bringing outsiders in with good spirits and sweet costumes.If nothing else, the story of last night's ride should highlight the importance of diplomacy and an alert attitude whether you're at a demonstration or trick or treating in your neighborhood. Some people just aren't amused at the sight of others having a good time (or changing the world!). It's best to simply avoid confrontation and stay safe. So when you're out tonight celebrating Halloween, stay smart! Don't go out alone, make sure that you can see and hear well out of your costume, and don't be afraid to steer clear of fishy candy or heated situations. Happy haunting! http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19785 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19761 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:48:49 GMT Erin Coffey (left) and Amanda Hass (right) recently won the 2009 Focus Roots Fellowship to help communities transition towards sustainable energy sources. The Focus Roots award includes $10,000 and operational support, a bicycle trip from New York City to Washington D.C. to promote a clean energy future, and a ticket to Copenhagen to attend the COP15 Climate Treaty Negotiations. Amanda and Erin's project, Rethink Din Power, seeks to use art and community organizing to stop pollution from a coal-power plant in the Navajo Nation, New Mexico. Why did they choose to embark on this project? As Erin explained in her Focus Roots essay..."Amanda Hass and I this summer have had the opportunity to travel to Abiqui, New Mexico to facilitate a youth leadership training. At this training we met a remarkable Navajo community organizer by the name of Eloise Brown. Eloise, along with a coalition of Indigenous Partners and other environmental allies have been fighting the Desert Rock Coal Plant proposal for the past three years. She has given up her day to day life, her health and well-being in order to protect not only the Navajo community but our national community as well. As we listened to Eloise's story of struggle and sacrifice, we found ourselves being pushed out of our state of inertia..."And this is what happens when two women break out of their state of inertia and decide to take action:Did you have any community organizing experience before you started this project? EC: To be honest, I had very little experience in community experience before this project. I had been campus organizing in Pennsylvania. I had worked the Power Vote campaign in Fall 2008, Powershift 2009, and the Sierra Student Coalition's Campuses Beyond Coal Campaign this summer.Before I met Elouise Brown, I had a hard time forming my personal thoughts about climate change. I remember during Powershift a reporter asked me what Climate Change meant to me, and I couldn't give him a great answer. Climate Change is such a vast issue that is hard to grip your head around because it affects every aspect of life.But then something happened that helped me crystallize what Climate Change meant to me. I was reading an article about cultural distinction. There are indigenous cultures, people, that are in danger of becoming extinct because of our insatiable consumption of fossil fuels and natural resources. Climate Change to me is a social injustice. Climate Change is the Navajo people fighting to protect their land and people. Climate Change is the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Climate Change is the nations of Maldives, Kiribati, and Tuvalu in danger of disappearing beneath the waves.AH: In high school, I was working with a group on getting the renewable energy purchase increased in Montgomery County, Maryland, which we won! Then at New York University, I did a couple projects while working at the Recycling Department with composting and move-out drives, where we'd collect things that would otherwise be thrown away and donated it to charity. Also I worked on the Power Vote campaign, getting people committed to thinking about the environment as a priority for the 2008 presidential election, by getting petition signatures around New York City.You recently took a trip out to the east coast to bike from New York City to Washington D.C. on the Climate Ride. What was that like?EC: Well, actually only I rode in the Climate Ride. Early on we knew that one of us was going to Copenhagen and one of us was going to participate in the Climate Ride. Amanda doesn't know how to ride a bike (how, I do not know) so the decision was pretty easy.I had not been on a bike for about a month and I didn't have any time to train for the 300 mile bike ride. I honestly thought I was going to die from muscle atrophy. But amazingly my body cooperated with me, I felt stronger each consecutive day of the ride. The only thing I wasn't prepared for was sitting on a bike seat for that long. That was the hardest part.I learned that biking for long distances is mostly a mental feat and when you have 125 fellow bikers alongside with you, it makes the ride much more easy as well as enjoyable.Also, I learned that you can patch your inner bike tire with a Cliff Bar wrapper. I thought that was pretty cool.Now that you're back from the bike trip, what have you been working on lately?AH: Now that Erin's back, we've really been able to solidify our youth project ideas and pitch them to local groups and community members. The Boys and Girls Club in Shiprock is now taking on our Storycrafting Sessions, where youth work in small groups with a local professional storyteller to craft their own personal stories in a way that motivates others to act and highlight issues, a skill very important to activists.What has been the most challenging aspect of Rethink Din Power?AH: For me, it's getting to work in such a marginalized community, where people really don't have a lot of the basic needs and are putting the environment and their health at a lower priority than the promise of jobs.EC: I think the most challenging aspect of this project has been building a relationship of trust with community members. What we are doing is a very unique concept to most of the community and there is a long history of organizers and people coming to the Navajo Nation and leaving with unfulfilled promises. We aim to change that image of outside organizers and commit fully to our promises till they are fulfilled.And the most rewarding part?AH: I'd have to say that the same thing that makes this work challenging is the exact same that makes it rewarding. We recently went to a clean energy forum for a college in Durango, Colorado and the concerns of the students there were turning off lights, driving their SUV less, all relevant concerns to their lifestyle, but quite trivial compared to the issues facing people only 60 miles away.EC: The most rewarding aspect so far has been the opportunity to listen and learn from this beautiful culture. Indigenous cultures have a much longer memory of history than we do, and they carry this through story. The spoken stories of the Navajo people are captivating and more valuable than any American attempts of recording of their history .I hear that you're going to Copenhagen soon. Will you tell us a bit about the upcoming trip and how it might help your project in New Mexico?AH: The conference is aimed at creating a global climate agreement that will start in 2012, which is the end date of the existing Kyoto Protocol. My presentation is where I can talk about the prevalence of coal in the Four Corners Region, its impact on the Navajo Nation's communities and how their resistance against non-renewable energy should be admired and reflected in the treaty drafted at COP-15.What are your plans for the future?EC: Our plans are to help establish a strong foundation of empowered youth within the Shiprock community, then expand our projects to communities across the reservation, as well as have Navajo youth plug into (or create their own!) existing activist groups across in the nation.AH: Basically, we want to get more youth engaged in activism, so our future plans include hosting community events, collaborating with existing groups, putting on youth programs.What can others do to help this cause?AH: If you're in the Navajo Nation, give us a call or shoot us an email! We love meeting people and hearing about what is going on, cause we don't know everything.Thanks, ladies. For more information, check out the Rethink Din Power blog or go to Focus the Nation. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19761 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19736 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:47:11 GMT The 2009 World Series kicked off last night, and this year's matchup between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies is a rare treat for baseball fans on the east coast, a matchup that hasn't happened in over 50 years. Some reporters are calling it the "Turnpike Series", a reference to US Route 95, which connects New York City and Philadelphia as the New Jersey Turnpike. I think its a great term to use, because it sounds ugly, and it's being used to describe an ugly series. Don't get me wrong, I haven't actually been this excited about Baseball since I was a little kid. The Phillies are the most losing team in all of Major League Baseball history, and the Yankees lead in championship wins, with 26 World Series victories. Yet coming off of last year's groundbreaking victory, the Phillies are in a position to redeem themselves after decades of losing, while the Yankees stand to take home World Series number 27, a league record. In many ways, this is a classic series. So where's the beef? Well, news outlets and fans on both sides of the stands are getting a little out of hand. Philadelphia sports fans are pretty notorious for their loyalty and passion... as well as their propensity for vandalism, violence, and general meanness. After the Phils won their National League pennant last week, live news feeds showed throngs of elated fans chanting "F--- the Yankees" in center city, and that was actually a subdued display compared to the window smashing and looting that went on after their World Series victory last fall. Since Phillies fans (or Phans, if you will) aren't exactly a gleaming example of American sportsmanship, you might expect New Yorkers to take the high road-- but you'd be wrong. Shane Victorino (pictured here at the Phillies' 2008 World Series Victory Parade) was the object of some un-called-for trash talk by the New York Post. Image source.The New York Post put a picture of Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino on their cover last week, photoshopped to appear on the body of a female cheerleader. The headline? "The Frillies Are Coming to Town". In addition to demonstrating a poor attitude, the Post is upholding the homophobia and macho attitudes too common in all sports. Baseball is already hurting, with ratings down as a result of steroid scandals and rising ticket prices. Sports are supposed to provide a space where we can safely re-enact the little battles and rivalries that exist in our regular lives, but when the ugliness follows folks out of the stadium, sports can't provide any escape.Can Phillies fans keep themselves non-violent? Can Yankee fans keep their egos in check? I think this is a big chance for both clubs and their fans to dispell their negative reputations. The thing is, I have to wonder if fans from outside the tri-state area will even be willing to watch the Turnpike Series. Here's hoping for the best. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19736 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19732 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:29:22 GMT Last week, I presented at the Cool Twitter Conference in Brooklyn, New York. I discussed ways in which people can use Twitter to disseminate and promote services, products, and ideas. I detailed my work with YouthNoise and how I use Twitter to engage in social conversations. My presentation was based on this idea/space I called Twitter Society. I define Twitter Society as, "A place where cultural exchanges take place and un/written rules, etiquette, and behaviors are thusly devised and supported by the society." Feel free to visit my blog for the PowerPoint slides of my presentation "Promulgating Ideas in Twitter Society: Our Purpose in Community and Conversations". The more I engage with folks on Twitter, the more I notice how this type of social space functions similarly to our 'offline' societies.In Twitter Society, there are patterns of written language, etiquette rules, and by golly, there's even a Twitter jail! There are networking groups and clicks made up of academics, activists, celebrities and regular Jills and Joes. All of these people are engaging in some sort of dialogical relationship. Though Twitter has over 50 million users, not all of them are active. But the ones that are active sure do tweet a lot, including yours truly!During my presentation I cited specific examples of how people engage. I mentioned one of my first ever encounters with an active tweeter; NBA player Shaquille O'Neal (@ THE_REAL_SHAQ). I joined Twitter about a year ago, but have only been active within the last 3-4 months (@taralconley). When I first joined, I began following Shaq because I heard his tweets were interesting (read: engaging). I noticed right away that Shaq tweeted a lot. One of the ways he would engage with fans was to send his followers on scavenger hunts. I remember one time he tweeted about being at the local mall in Miami and said the first person to find him at this particular mall would win a free pair of his sneakers. Fans and followers have noted how cool Shaq is for actually responding and talking "directly" to them. They feel a sense of intimacy with their favorite NBA star. Arguably, before Twitter came along this type of "direct" intimacy with celebrities - namely professional athletes, was non-existent. Sure, athletes have Facebook pages and blogs, but it's Twitter that provides a sense of immediate gratification and direct engagement fans and followers seem to embrace. But Shaq isn't the only one using Twitter to connect with folks. Orlando Magic superstar, Dwight Howard is using Twitter to engage with fans too (@DwightHoward). Mashable reports: "Howard is one of a growing number of athletes using social media to help build his image, and on his blog he chronicles some of the other things he s done recently." From a PR perspective, it seems as though pro athletes are adopting social media outreach for branding and image control purposes. While this may be true, I'm also incline to believe that celebrities and professional athletes are drawn to social media the same way you or I are drawn to these social spaces. They too desire to be a part of communities made up of diverse people and ideas. Call it narcissism, call it altruism, or call it our psychological need to be loved and belong to a social space. Whatever the case may be, it's apparent that these social networks speak to something human and societal, and they are changing the way professional athletes communicate with others.As I mentioned in my presentation, "Twitter makes us more aware of our purpose in the conversation." Those active tweeters know that Twitter requires time and commitment, perhaps even more than Facebook and Myspace. Twitter also forces us to choose our tweets wisely. We've seen what happens when tweeting goes awry for public figures. Just recently, Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs was suspended and fined $213,000 for tweeting a gay slur to a follower. Johnson's (@Toonicon) comments were infantile and derogatory. He deserved to be reprimanded by the NFL. Fans and followers will heckle, that's going to happen in the wide world of sports. In this case, Johnson lost a sense of his purpose in a Twitter conversation. So while Twitter and other social networks allow people to connect instantly and directly, all of us are still responsible for our social behaviors and actions in these spaces. We've gotten accustomed to rethinking a position before uttering it to a family member or friend, but because we live in such a terribly fast and invasive age with the advent of the World Wide Web, we're now forced to rethink our (re)thoughts. And maybe, in the end, that's a good thing.Johnson, Howard, and O'Neal are among many high profile athletes whose tweets will be scrutinized in Twitter Society. These athletes aren't only being watched by fans in the stands, but also by followers lurking behinds Twitter avatars. As a 'snew ' (social + new) media consultant, I'm hopeful these athletes can use online platforms of social media to further engage with fans and serve their communities off the playing field. For a full list of professional athletes on Twitter, visit www.twitter-athletes.com Images courtesy of Sports Networker, Inside Social, Hoopiquity. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19732 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19710 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:22:08 GMT (Ryan Hunter frontside five-O on the high side) Whenever my friends visit from out of state and are going through their itinerary, they always do the obligatory tour of Los Angeles. The Walk of Fame, Mann's Chinese Theater, Downtown LA, the Walt Disney Music Center are all some of the many tourist attractions that Los Angeles has to offer. Of course the most popular destinations are Santa Monica and Venice Beach. Venice is known for it's scenery and the eccentric cast of characters you'll find as you're strolling down the boardwalk. Whether it be an up and coming rap artist trying to sell his cd or a couple of beach hippies selling their hand-crafted trinkets, youi'll always be sure to find skateboarders cruising up and down the beach. (Mural and unoffical entranceway to the skatepark commemorating Dogtown) And I'm not talking about longboards either, I'm talking raw street skating. Unfortunately, with the large presence of skateboarding in Venice, there has never been a legitimate beachside skate facility at Venice Beach. After so many years of skateboarders and supporters petitioning for a legitmate skatepark on the beach, it finally came to fruition with its official opening on October 2, 2009. City council members as well as legends like Jesse Martinez came out to speak about the struggle and unheralded efforts of so many who've waited so long for this day: video source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30palseoYSA The park features a variety of obstacles including one medium sized bowl as well as a bohemeth pool with tile coping. It also has a smooth winding snake run with fun little hips and corners to air and carve through ending up at a mellow bowl at the end. Street skateboarders will find that theres slim pickins at this skatepark with a "street area" that includes a couple metal edged blocks and some curved ledges. Most of the tricks that go down in the street area will have you ending up in more transitions. (The Pool) (Snake Run) ("Street Course") The lack of street terrain does not deter from the grandness of Venice Skatepark because it is dedicated to the origins of skateboarding which is essentually cruising, carving, and just going fast and forever. It can get a little crowded because of tourists and the hundred of skaters trying to get their run in on the snake run and bowl but don't let that deter you from stopping by to partake in the shredfest. (Sorry for cutting off your hand during your frontside ollie across the roll-in Ian.)From the days of Dogtown in the 70's and 80's to the shady technical skateboarding scene a la Graffiti Pits of the 90's, Venice Skatepark is a great testament to the will and determination of all the generations of skateboarders who have rolled easy across the sand covered concrete and played four hour long games of S-K-A-T-E. Be sure to add this to your itinerary when you're hanging out in Los Angeles. Venice Beach Skatepark 1800 Ocean Front Walk Venice, CA http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19710 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19703 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:36:37 GMT We heard from Alex Davis on nominating his soccer coach for the Play It Forward Coach of the Year contest, and read his 3rd place winning entry here. Now we get a chance to here from Coach Madison himself, the man behind the entry! Name: Mark Madison Years as a coach: Current School, 8 Favorite sport: Soccer Hometown: Paducah, KY Alma mater: Murray State University Fave sports moment from your life:Playing in the Final Four in the Kentucky High School State Soccer Tourney (1993) Who were your role models growing up?Mark Spivey High School Soccer CoachStan Lafferty Then my girlfriend s father. Now my father in law until his passing in August of this year. The greatest man I have ever known. These men made me who I am today. Without question, I owe them more than I could ever repay. Were you surprised that Alex nominated you? Very surprised. Not something I would ever have thought I deserved or earned. He titled it: The man, the myth, the legend. Is it hard to live up to that? Hahahaha. I think it s a bit of an overstatement. We have worked to set high expectations in this program. I suppose I have to remember that it works both ways. Two years after coming to coach at Heath High School, you took the team to the State Championships. How did you do that? Well, our third year we were into the State Tourney. We made it as far as the final eight that year. Of course, you have to remember that Kentucky Soccer is not classed in Soccer. So regardless of size you have to play through all the teams in Kentucky. Our average enrollment at Heath is 650. The average team we play against is closer to 1000. The tournament in this state is huge. So making that the third year was a great accomplishment. The truth is that Heath always had the talent, they just needed a few of the missing parts. It took about two years to get the kids to believe in my system of play and philosophy. Once that was accomplished, the program flourished. It was a matter of players adapting to a completely different methodology and focus. We became a team, not just 11 players on the pitch. Once the boys were together on and off the field, the rest fell into place. They had to become family, similar to brothers. And this made the difference. Alex talks about how you get the team to solve their own internal problems. What does that mean? How do you encourage them to do that? Just like a family, the team will always have internal conflict. They will argue, they will disagree. And this has to be addressed up front, as a team. If two of my players have a problem, it involves the whole team. Often I will have both players together and I will mediate between the two. And at times, a solution doesn t occur immediately. And I believe this reflects real life. They learn very quickly that for the betterment of the team they have to set their disagreements aside. And more times than not, this brings about resolution gradually. I don t expect my players to hug and make up immediately, but I do expect them to respect the team as a whole and work together to succeed. This cannot be accomplished with internal conflict. What was the journey like for the kids that went from your program to play college soccer? The adjustment can sometimes be eye-opening. Most of the players have never experienced the demands of a college level program. In high school, soccer is played for the school, for pride, among other things. In college, the game becomes somewhat of a career, especially for those athletes on scholarship. The hours are longer, the pressure is greater, and the expectations rise. It typically takes the athlete a few weeks to adjust, but once they settle in to the new routine they typically flourish. What's one of the biggest challenges facing coaches today?Bureaucratic nonsense. I believe that covers the majority of problems. What's the best thing about your job?As a coach who teaches in my high school, I get to interact with my players on a daily basis. I cannot stress the importance and difference this makes. Any advice to young soccer players? Or to new soccer coaches? Young players have to start differently than I did. The philosophy of development and progression has to change in America. Players need to develop gradually and with those of the same skill level. Not by age. If you can play with the bigger kids, then move on. There is no reason to stay stagnate if you have bypassed those that are your own age.For the younger kids, don t just go to a field and shoot at a goal. That really doesn t help anything. Scoring makes up very little of the game of soccer. It s more about the skill of the player. The ability to control the ball, see passing options, develop the play. It doesn t take a soccer God to place a ball inside of a soccer net. But it takes a solid player to develop the opportunity for others or themselves to score. To new coaches, take your time. Programs and players will not develop overnight. Find a good coach and model what works for them. Don t be afraid to admit when you re wrong or something doesn t work. Your players will respect you more if you can admit your own mistakes. It's 8am on Saturday. You are: A) in your jammies eating cereal watching cartoons. B) on the field, kickin a soccer ball. Sun's up, your up. C) reviewing tapes of famous soccer games. -- D) sleeping! C'mon, it s Saturday! (If it s during the off season. During season I m probably at a match or tourney.) Bobby Knight of John Wooden? Bobby Knight, one of my all time favorites Coffee or tea? Neither, Diet Coke Defense or offense? Offense Disco or country?I hate both Crabapples or sourgrass?Crabapples Carpe diem or look before you leap?Carpe Diem Thanks Coach Madison! Congratulations on your 3rd place win and have fun in D.C.! http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19703 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19700 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:24:54 GMT "On the field Coach lake never let me give up on myself. She pushed me beyond my limits. She brought out my full potential and made me the player I am today." Willie Dominguez, Play It Forward Winning Essay Last month, YouthNoise Play City partnered with Up2Us to offer Play It Forward a writing contest to recognize and nominate outstanding coaches. New York City rugby player Willie Dominguez nominated his high school rugby coach, teacher, and mentor, Lisa Lake. Here's what Willie has to say: Tell us a little bit about what it was like to start playing rugby. Learning to play rugby was kind of hard, but it wasn't hard to get in to. Coach Lake was my history teacher and she was persistent that I play rugby, so I finally gave it a try. The team was friendly and welcoming; I felt like I had a new family. I was surprised how close rugby can make teammates. I noticed that while playing rugby I stopped hanging out with the bad crowd and hung out with my new brothers and sisters I made on the rugby team which really changed my life. [Left: Willie Dominguez and Coach Lisa Lake] What was one great moment you had with Coach Lake? One memorable moment I can remember with Coach Lake was the day I found out I was graduating. I messed up in some classes during high school so I had to make up all of the credits my senior year. For a couple of weeks Coach Lake had me coming to school early and leaving late making sure I did all the independent studies I owed to make sure I graduated high school. It was the dead line day of the missing work I owed and I gave my last project to Coach Lake to get graded. As I sat in her room waiting nervously she came in to the room with a straight face and cracked a smile and told me I was graduating. You mentioned in your essay that you plan to go to college. Do you know what you want to study? I just graduated high school in June, but I am taking a semester off. I want to become a math teacher and help change kids' lives, and at the same time make them smarter. I want to become a math teacher because I love math and I love helping people. I also want to do what Coach Lake did and coach a rugby team. I want to help show students that you can't go through life just playing sports that education is very important too. Are you going to keep playing rugby after high school? I do plan on playing rugby after high school. I also play for the New York Rugby Club Men's Program, and I train with them so when I go to college I am ready to play on the next level. I also see myself coaching. I want to bring the joy of rugby to kids who have no other sports to play or who want to be challenged more mentally then physically. Do you have any advice for other young people who want to get into team sports? I do have advice for young people trying to play sports. PLAY RUGBY!! It's one of the fastest growing sports in America, and almost every college has a rugby team. Rugby is also going to be in the 2016 Olympics. Rugby is a game where no one can be the star player; all 15 players on the pitch have to work together in order to win. Playing rugby will also help you make friends with people you wouldn't have ever talked to. Rugby is more like a way of life rather than a sport. Thank you, Willie! We here at Play City wish you the best of luck in your rugby, coaching, and academic future. Also, take a look at Willie's original essay for Play It Forward. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19700 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19681 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:27:42 GMT Instead of seeing the much awaited "Where the Wild Things Are" or the hilarious looking "Zombieland" I opted last week to catch a screening of "Whip It." Why that one? I was inspired by the fact that it was a woman directorial debut (Drew Barrymore) and it was about some sassy and strong roller derby chicks. Cool. Also, I have to give credit to the blog entry by Rachel Simmons at the Huffington Post for giving me that final reason to go: "Here's the deal. Whip It, the new Drew Barrymore/Ellen Page film, is tanking at the box office. We have to go see it. If we don't, the money's going to dry up for girl-power films." As a female filmmaker interested in possibly making a girl power sports flick or two in the future, I found this a very compelling reason. (Roller Derby = sport? Yes!)So I saw it and it was pretty fun. A little run-of-the-mill, but I liked all the tough derby chicas and their colorful personalities. Plus the acting was very good, possibly worth my 975 pennies. Evidently the movie going public at large did not think so. "Whip It" made about $12 million so far (which sounds like a lot, but turns out not to be when you realize the film actually cost $15 million to make). It flopped.What's up with that? Bad luck? Bad release date? Wrong marketing campaign? Yeah, could be.'K wait - isn't there another film (by female Director Mira Nair) about a girl's rise in the male-dominated sport world? Oh right, "Amelia". You know, about legendary ICON of global proportions, Amelia Earhart? That must have done well. What's that?! Amelia is tanking too????!! RATSSSSSSSSS! Ok, so I haven't seen "Amelia" yet. Yes, it's possible that it's not such a great movie, as the reviews are indicating, BUT WHEN HAS THAT EVER STOPPED THE MASSES FROM SEEING A MOVIE? (E.g. "Dukes of Hazzard".)I am beginning to just take for granted that there's a serious problem with the opinion of the movie-going public when it comes to women and sports and movies that should dare to combine the two. I want to change this. I just need to brainstorm. Any thoughts, peoples? http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19681 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19679 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:50:47 GMT Tony Alva (right) is one of the earliest pioneers of skating on vertical surfaces, and is widely credited with landing the sport's first ever aerial maneuver. This week, the International Association of Skateboarding Companies threw their first-ever Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. Pro skaters Danny Way, Tony Hawk, Tony Alva, and Bruce Logan were the first four inductees to what seems like the skate industry's most esteemed and elite inner circle. The men inducted to the Hall this week are all pioneers who deserve to be recognized for their contribution to the advancement of creative, high-flying skate styles, popularizing aerial maneuvers in the 1980's that were unfathomable at the time, yet became almost standard over the past couple decades. Danny Way jumped over the Great Wall of China back in 2005. Certainly a Hall-of-Fame level achievement. Since every other sport I can think of has a Hall Of Fame, it seems only fair that we recognize those who push skateboarding forward into the future. There's a difference between the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Skate Hall of Fame, though. Most professional athletes are a part of a league, and they can be evaluated according to statistics, compared against their peers. Skateboarding is different. Like Nando wrote last week, skateboarding is a sport without teams and without coaches. So while I think its important to recognize the contributions of the few internationally known innovators, it's also really important that we all recognize our local pioneers. Like the skaters who put in time to wax your local ledge, or the ones who lobbied to get your local skate park built, or the ones who run your local skate shop. East-Coasters like Harold Hunter and Gino Iannucci did a ton to advance street skateboarding in the past 20 years... so I hope they get the props they deserve from the Skate Hall of Fame! So do your homework, learn about the IASC's Hall of Famers, because they changed the face of sports and youth culture at large... then look into your own community to see who's made waves more locally. Alva Image from Wiki Commons. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19679 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19663 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:21:18 GMT Last Sat. Oct. 24th people in 181 COUNTRIES came together for the most Widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history! In over 5200 events around the world, people gathered to call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis. Check out their 350.org to see amaaaaazing 350 photos next to pyramids, elephants, underwater, and more! 350 is the number that scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Right now we are at 390, which is dangerously high. Bringing that number down is very difficult, and at the rate we are going it cannot happen. That is why people are getting together to demand bold and swift global action. Our 350 photo Here in Miami, 1Sky, Repower America, Emerge Miami's Critical Mass got together to organize a bike rally to urge Florida Senators to act on the climate bill. We want stronger climate legislation, as the one now includes too much money going to nuclear power and "clean" coal, which are not really solutions and WAY more expensive than investing in renewable energy which would also bring many more jobs. Climate Change is SO real. As a teen, I used to spend all day at the beach, HOURS laying in the sun, tanning, picnicking with friends. This last summer, on a hot day, I could hardly stay in the sun for one hour before needing to run for shade. I remember when a big condo was built that laid a HUGE shadow on our favorite part of the beach, how much we complained that it was blocking our sun. Now we purposefully go lay in the shadowy part to avoid the heat. It's scary to think what is to come if the temperature just keeps on rising. Can you find the 350 in this picture? On our bike ride, we rode through Little Havana screaming "PARE CAMBIO DE CLIMA!" over to Bicentennial Park in Downtown Miami where the University of Miami hosted a festival that featured the AROUND THE AMERICAS Ocean Conservation Expedition. "It is a 13-month, 24,000 mile circumnavigation of North and South America to build awareness of the increasing threats to our fragile ocean environment and to mobilize citizens to take action in support of ocean health." S/V Ocean Watch, sailing around the Americas to observe educate about climate change They have already sailed through the Northwest Passage, a formerly impossible route through the Arctic as it used to be blocked by ice. Their sailing vessel, The S/V Ocean Watch, was there and I got to go onboard where I met interviewed First Mate Dave Logan, who talked to me about the changes they have observed, and some of their experiences, like being offered Grizzly Bear meat. They have a teacher on board who is designing a new curriculum for parents and teachers, and is available FREE on their website. aroundtheamericas.org A list of the wildlife they have seen Also at the event were some other great organizations; Operation Green Leaves - replanting trees in Haiti, since they have all been cut down. Shake-a-Leg, a sailing, water sports, and ocean education center for special needs kids, which I have blogged about before The Big Blue and You - another great Ocean Conservation program for kids Biscayne Nature Center - an interactive activity center for kids that had hands on goodies from the oceanRepower America was there too helping people write letters on the spot and videotaping people's messages to send to Florida Senators. No matter what State you live in, Visit http://act.repoweramerica.org/us/action to get involved and take action! http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19663 http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19660 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:38:18 GMT Soccer Without Borders (SWB) is a program that seeks to "use soccer as a vehicle for positive change in the lives of marginalized youth." With year-round programs on the east coast, the west coast, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Uganda, SWB uses soccer as a tool for reaching youth, training new leaders, and teaching literacy and life skills to young people around the globe. Last week I posted an interview with two long-term volunteers (Zoey Bouchelle and Kaleen Adami) who work with Soccer Without Borders in Granada, Nicaragua. I recently had the chance to catch up with Granada Program Director, Mary McVeigh, who shared some more details about the program's history and future goals. Will you tell us a little bit about how SWB Granada got started? SWB founder Ben Gucciardi had done some initial site work in Granada in 2006, scoping out the needs of the community to figure out what type of program was most needed. One thing he noticed is that in the Latin American culture, girls often find themselves marginalized from social opportunities. Incidentally, there were very few opportunities for girls to play. Bringing a SWB program to Granada that was focused on expanding opportunities for girls to play as well as learn and grow through sports seemed like the best use of time and resources for the community of Granada. How did you get involved with the program? I became involved in late 2007, as I was finishing my master's degree while coaching at Lehigh University (Ben Gucciardi's alma mater). I heard about the program through Lehigh, and contacted Ben about volunteer opportunities. Given my coaching and playing background, getting involved in the establishment of the Granada program seemed like the best fit. After spending a couple of months in Granada alongside former Lehigh Women's Soccer player Molly Luft in early 2008, Ben asked if I would take the lead as Project Director. What does the future of SWB Granada look like? The program has undergone major changes and expansion during the last year, with the addition of the office space and nightly learning events in addition to soccer programming. As we formalize our life-skills curriculum, league structure, and camp opportunities, we also hope to continue to expand our membership in Granada. Simultaneously, we have recently been looking outside of Granada, offering to train coaches, supply equipment, and provide organizational support to other grassroots level soccer initiatives for girls in other towns and cities. Our program has drawn a lot of attention from the Nicaraguan Soccer Federation, and we hope to widen our support of their efforts to expand girls soccer around the country. Finally, we have a tremendous staff of Nicaraguans who are working hard to make a difference in their local community through Futbol Sin Fronteras (SWB in spanish), and we hope to eventually turn the reigns over to them. What does SWB Granada need right now? Expansion almost always means taking on an additional financial burden. Our Nicaraguan staff is growing alongside the membership, and we hope to continue to provide these much-needed employment opportunities, but expansion in Nicaragua means expansion of our fundraising efforts here at home. In addition to financial donations, however, we have been incredibly grateful to those who have given their time and talents to help us address some of our biggest organizational obstacles. Generous donations of webspace, t-shirts to sell, computers and printers, a video camera, graphic design skills, and so on have really helped to build the infrastructure of the program. We get a lot of equipment donations of soccer gear, but often times during the year our needs are a little more complex. What's the most rewarding part of working with this program? I have played soccer since I was four years old, and cannot imagine how different my life would have been without it. My best friends, my most memorable successes and failures, and the most essential parts of my character have all been shaped and influenced by this sport. Sharing in and providing those experiences to others who weren't fortunate enough to be born into a time and place with access to them is the most rewarding part of the program. I feel incredibly fortunate; to pay it forward as best I can is the least I can do. Anything else you'd like to share? We would love to hear from anyone who wants to get involved! You can email the project at granada@soccerwithoutborders.org Thank you, Mary! Also, check out the Soccer Without Borders website and the SWB Granada blog. http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/19660