Raise Hope For Congo is a group that is dedicated to protecting and empowering women and girls in Congo. They're doing this because the militias running rampant through the country are using rape as a military tactic and women and girls are getting the worst of it.

 The campaign wants to raise awareness and get activists interested that can speak out so the policy in Congo will change for the better.

http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org

 

DIAMONDS IN CARSON: COLTS AT WORK
I've heard that nothing strengthens a relationship quite like a diamond. And on Monday I had the opportunity to see it happen firsthand with the Women's Varsity Softball team at Carson High School. Nike brought it's new training program, Diamond Days, to the Colts and provided the second of five training sessions with a certified Velocity trainer to improve the team's speed, strength, and agility. But teamwork didn't stop there. Nike's Diamond Days will also be providing various giveaways and contests that are sure to hype up the already-heightened atmosphere of Colts readying for battle with their rival, San Pedro, on Thursday, April 16th.


BRINGING IT BACK: SUPPORTING FELLOW PLAYERS
Nike knows the powerful support seasoned veterans can bring to younger players. So Diamond Days also teamed up with professional softball player, UCLA alum, and US Olympic medalist, Andrea Duran, who made a surprise appearance and trained with the team during Monday's practice. She did drills with the young Colts team, spoke to its members about her experiences, took pictures with her fellow softball players, and even signed some t-shirts.

I later had the chance to speak to Andrea who stressed that her immense dedication to the game of softball as a youth, starting when she was around 12 years of age, paid off quite well. She is the recipient of numerous medals and has won various championships throughout her career. To top it off, she's still playing and loving the game, traveling, and meeting other softball players from all over the globe.


INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION: ONE ATHLETE TO ANOTHER
Colts Head Varsity Coach, Cam Werner, stated that Diamond Days is an awesome opportunity for her team because a lot of the girls look up to Andrea and other world-class softball players like her. She proudly added that this year’s Colts team is bursting with talent. Some of the girls have batted in the 400's and 500's and one of the Colts pitchers has a solid 75 strikeouts. Coach Werner said that her team is constantly working at raising their game and to be able to train with an athlete of Andrea's caliber is a big up for them.


DIAMONDS THAT SHINE: FROM ATHLETES TO SCHOLARS
The beauty of the diamond is it's ability to shine. Like Andrea, who graduated from UCLA in 2006, the Colt players are also dedicated to their academics. One Colt, Veronica Vasquez, is even at the top of her class at Carson. She's been playing softball since she was about five years old and loves everything about the game, from the smell of the grass to her teammates and team play. Wow!

I have to say that athletes like Veronica, Andrea, and the rest of the Colt's team (and staff) really made Nike's Diamond Days a memory I won't soon forget. And I'm pretty sure that Diamond Days will have the Colts relishing Nike's support for years to come.

Sounds of laughter and joy reverberated throughout the halls and the classrooms of the Groove With Me dance school on East 123rd street in New York City. Groove With Me, Inc. is a non-profit organization that offers free dance classes ranging from Hip-Hop to Yoga as well as performance opportunities to girls in the local community, ages four to eighteen. After spending time at a women's prison, Abby Rosin found that a lack of confidence was a common theme for women who travel down the wrong path. Rosin decided to step up, share her passion and make a difference. Establishing Groove With Me thirteen years ago, Rosin and her fellow volunteer dance instructors teach discipline, teamwork and instill confidence in young women through the art of dance. In doing so, Groove With Me hopes to decrease teen pregnancy, violence, substance abuse and other negative behaviors. Don’t be late, be ready to work and feel free to ask questions are some of the ground rules set for the students. The structure as well as the words of encouragement throughout the class looked to be beneficial to the students, as the class I observed appeared in sync and uninhibited when trying a new move. Most impressive was the genuine feeling of happiness that the energetic young girls conveyed. Whether it's because they have a passion for dance, enjoy making new friends or simply appreciate that there are people taking an interest in their lives, all the girls expressed that when they grooved they felt good.The girls may only spend a few hours a week at the dance studio but the lessons they learn and the confidence they build spills over into all areas of their life. Parents have commented that their child's behavior at home, grades in school and approach to handling conflict have all improved thanks to a little music and a lot of movement coupled with teachers who are truly touching lives. Click here for more information on Groove With Me Inc.

Sounds of laughter and joy reverberated throughout the halls and the classrooms of the Groove With Me dance school on East 123rd street in New York City. Groove With Me, Inc. is a non-profit organization that offers free dance classes ranging from Hip-Hop to Yoga as well as performance opportunities to girls in the local community, ages four to eighteen. After spending time at a women's prison, Abby Rosin found that a lack of confidence was a common theme for women who travel down the wrong path. Rosin decided to step up, share her passion and make a difference. Establishing Groove With Me thirteen years ago, Rosin and her fellow volunteer dance instructors teach discipline, teamwork and instill confidence in young women through the art of dance. In doing so, Groove With Me hopes to decrease teen pregnancy, violence, substance abuse and other negative behaviors.

Don’t be late, be ready to work and feel free to ask questions are some of the ground rules set for the students. The structure as well as the words of encouragement throughout the class looked to be beneficial to the students, as the class I observed appeared in sync and uninhibited when trying a new move. Most impressive was the genuine feeling of happiness that the energetic young girls conveyed. Whether it's because they have a passion for dance, enjoy making new friends or simply appreciate that there are people taking an interest in their lives, all the girls expressed that when they grooved they felt good.

The girls may only spend a few hours a week at the dance studio but the lessons they learn and the confidence they build spills over into all areas of their life. Parents have commented that their child's behavior at home, grades in school and approach to handling conflict have all improved thanks to a little music and a lot of movement coupled with teachers who are truly touching lives.

Click here for more information on Groove With Me Inc.

A few days ago, I found myself in a heated conversation about education with several middle-aged, middle-class women. One woman (let's call her Sue) was urging another woman to get her son tested for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). "[ADHD] is much more common than you think," Sue explained. "The proper meds can really help your son stay focused and perform better in school."

True. For some children, medication does increase concentration. But in my opinion, meds are overprescribed to combat what I consider to be a natural (and healthy) inclination for children to play.

If a large percentage of kids aren't responding well to our current style of education, then maybe we should entertain the idea that it could be a problem with the system and not just a widespread physical/behavioral disorder afflicting kids. In the midst of No Child Left Behind, standardized tests, and a public education system that often requires children to sit quietly in rows of desks for hours on end, we should really know better than to blame it on the kids. Under these conditions I would expect any normal child to fidget (myself included). Sure, kids can learn facts and figures if you drug them up and force them to sit still, tediously memorizing and digesting bits of information. Or kids can learn through play, movement, and creative problem solving. For many of the kids diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, I think the real problem lies in adults' unrealistic expectations.

So I tactfully asked Sue, "Well, don't you think that kids would perform better if they had more time to move around during the school day? Play is an essential element of childhood development." (Not to mention an essential element for adult happiness and well-being, also.)

"Yes, definitely," she responded, "especially for boys."

What's that supposed to mean? Is she admitting that she buys into the stereotype that girls are naturally docile, quiet, and obedient? That girls should be expected to sit still for hours while boys need sports, play, and physical activity to improve concentration? Now that's a double standard. Sue reinforced her statement by voicing some of her observations: when recess rolls around, the boys play sports while the girls often stand around talking in groups.

Ah, I remember this dynamic quite well. In middle school it had nothing to do with the "fact" that girls didn't like playing sports. Many of the girls who stood around at recess were also involved in field hockey, track, basketball, soccer, and other after school sports. The gender-based sports participation at recess had everything to do with social pressure. In my middle school, the contrast was stark. About ninety percent of the boys in my eighth grade class would play basketball or football every day at recess. Only one girl consistently played sports with the boys at recess, and she was often made fun of for being "mannish." I didn't play in eighth grade; I saw what happened to other girls who tried. They were mocked, no one would pass them the ball, and the boys would groan loudly when girls made mistakes. Some of the boys would be "nice" and pass to girls—a move that could sometimes feel as condescending as the overt comments voicing the girls' athletic "inferiority." Thinking back on it, the recess dynamics were rather extreme; these social pressures denied girls a comfortable entrance into recess sports. Though it has been awhile since I've been in eighth grade, I'd bet that the same recess gender dynamics still exist in small towns in Maine, where traditional gender roles maintain a stronghold in the local culture.

Does this happen in other schools, in other states? How do we reverse this trend and make sports participation a source of pride rather than a source of embarrassing ridicule for girls?

* photo (CC) banlon1964