My weeks are sandwiched between weekends filled with the kids’ swim meets, gymnastics meets and team events. The 8 weeks from January 1 – February 28 are undoubtedly the 8 craziest weeks in our schedule. But, its a good crazy – a crazy I wouldn’t trade for anything. So what does a busy, always on the go sports mom read? Below are some of my favorite articles from this week:

• Youth Basketball – Do you have to be a star to be great?  (StatsDad) I think this article plays to all sports, not just basketball… definitely a good read.
• It’s always a proud parent moment when the coach asks your athlete to train up with the next level or age group – but is it always a good idea? Moving Athletes Up: Good or Bad Idea? (JBM Thinks)
• On the ice skating front, twelve year old Jin Baseman’s story is one that gives me goosebumps! Abandoned in a box on the side of a road in China as a baby, Jin was adopted by and American family, started skating at age 5  and immediately loved it. Jin has had lots of injuries and set backs, but her love for ice skating and aptitude for it indicate that she has a very bright future.
• Determining what and how much your athlete should eat after practice or a game can be a little tricky as there is no simple one-size-fits-all answer. This article by Nancy Clark for Our Game magazine helps take some of the mystery out of it! Remember, if you are an athlete you need carbs.
• While we are on the topic of nutrition – Chicks Play Sports has a good post about teaching your kids how to read nutrition labels.
• Any guesses as to who will be the stand out star of the 2012 Olympic games this summer? It looks like there is not a general front runner at this point, however, gymnast Jordyn Wieber and swimmer Missy Franklin are definitely on the top of the list.

Have a great weekend everyone! One swim meet, one gymnastics meet, and one high school swim team bowling event define my weekend and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

1. Sleep – ensure that your athlete is getting the proper amount of sleep for their age. The body needs that down time for repairs and re-energizing.

2. Fluids - make sure your athlete gets plenty of water, milk and vitamin rich fruit juices in their daily diet. Steer clear of sodas and other drinks high in sugar and artificial sweeteners.

3. Fruits & Veggies – Fresh fruits and vegetables are the absolute best source of vitamins and minerals that you can give your kids. Be creative or be fun, but get them in their daily diets. The best vitamin sources are strawberries, papaya, cantaloupe, blueberries, tomato, broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes, apricots, carrots, mango and bananas. Check out USA Swimming’s list of the top 5 foods to build immunity for more ideas.

4. Reduce Sugar and Sweeteners – Sugar suppresses the immune system. The fewer sugary foods you can give your athletes, the better. Sugar is the main ingredient in so many convenient processed foods. Many of the artificial sweeteners on the market today are not much better, really. Aspartame can cause headaches and more serious reactions in some. Splenda is known for causing stomach and intestinal issues. Our family doctor recommends that parents give their children Splenda when they are constipated (we have tested this one and it works).

5. Yogurt – The enzymes in yogurt are great for restoring balance in your child’s digestive tract. Look for yogurt with active cultures as they are the ones that help restore the good bacteria in your system (especially after being on antibiotics). Yogurt is also high in calcium – good for strong bones. One note – steer clear of the candy colored, high sugar yogurts.

6. Good fats - Your body needs a certain amount of good fats in order to stay healthy. Many types of fish, like salmon, are naturally high in Omega 3 Fatty acids. Another good source of Omega 3 is flax seed oil. You can easily add flax seed to oatmeal and other hot cereals and your kids will never know they are there. We use Coromega Omega-3 Supplement in the Orange Flavor. They come as little squeeze packets my kids love and they taste like orange cream with no oily residue either. I blend them into smoothies in the morning for the kids and they love it.

7. Vitamins - Vitamins B and C are two of the most important when it comes to boosting the immune system. Our pediatrician recommends a good multivitamin just to fill in the gaps in your athlete’s diet. Vitamin C is available in many forms from fresh fruits, fortified in many foods, and vitamins. Personally I love Emergen-C. It is a powder that you add to water to make a fizzy, fruit flavored drink high in vitamin C and other vitamins and minerals.

8. Supplements - Sometimes athlete’s just need a little extra boost. Low doses of zinc have been shown to boost the immune system and reduce the severity and duration of colds and other viruses. Probiotics are important for restoring balance to the intestinal tract – especially following antibiotic use. Many of the vitamin/supplement companies are now making children’s formulas of their products (never give children the standard adult dose of a supplement and always check with your doctor first).

Building your athlete’s immune system all year long will help keep them on the playing field, in the pool, on the court or in the gym when everyone around you is looking for the box of tissues!

My days of gymnastics are over. So are my long hours at the gym. My nervousness and anxiety. It’s all in the past. No more ponytails woven with ribbons, no more glitter spray, no more bleacher analysis. My daughter has left the sport.

For years, Caroline competed on a gymnastics team and she adored everything about it. Four days a week, we drove the ½ hour back and forth to the gym so that she could practice 15 hours a week, year-round. I volunteered, I chatted with the parents, I watched and learned and bit my nails. The parents became my friends, the meets became a social time.

Eventually after three years of this schedule, the complaints began: the coaches were too hard, she had a headache, she was tired, she had too much homework. Her message read loud and clear: she was burnt out at the age of 11.

So much attention has been given recently on the downside of focusing on just one sport at such a young age, that we overlook some benefits. Yes, kids miss out on the opportunity to dabble in other sports or activities. Homework is often done in the car or in the bleachers. Dinner is split into two meals: before practice and after.  She frequently misses out on seeing her three siblings compete in their own activities.

Yet as we leave the world of competitive gymnastics, I’m forced to reflect on all that it has given us. We’ve heard many comments lamenting our “lost investment” or pointing out all that wasted time and money we’ve expended (and it’s been a tremendous amount, don’t get me wrong) but it’s certainly not wasted.  By focusing so singularly on a sport, she’s learned tremendous life skills. Not the least of which is valuable time management skills – homework and friends must be balanced with the team schedule. Competing individually in front of judges has taught her to handle intense competition and scrutiny in a way that class presentations never could. She’s mastered stress management and developed a self-confidence that will serve her well in any type of public arena.

Her teammates have taught her about the deep bonds you develop with others who share your passion. She’s met some close friends and seen the good and the ugly side of competition.  She’s learned about nutrition, hydration, caring for injuries, pacing yourself and pushing yourself. All before the age of 12.

It’s humbling to realize how much of my version of her is wrapped up in her being a gymnast and how much of her identity involves her being a gymnast. It’s part of what defines her. This is the fine line that we must walk as parents: when to encourage them to keep going over a bump in the road, and when to guide them to another path. There are never clear street signs.

We’ve watched in amazement. And now we will watch as she walks away from what defines her the most. She’s young; there will be other time-intensive activities I’m sure. The gymnastics world will slowly fade away from our family’s routine. Life goes on. But I will be forever grateful to the sport, to any activity, that can inspire and push children to dream and grow.

Perhaps the biggest lesson that she’s learned is the one that amazes me the most. Because of her rigorous schedule, she’s developed a kind of discipline that some people only dream of: when she’s tired, she goes to sleep; when she’s not hungry, she doesn’t eat. And that’s a life experience worth learning.

Laura Amann is a freelance writer and the mother of four children. You can learn more at www.laura-amann.com.

Image source: Stock.xchng

Posing for photo with Olympians Ian Crocker and Christine Marshall

The four-hour clinic was comprised of getting to know the athletes and their swim careers, stroke work in the pool, more stroke work, races with the Olympians (how cool is that?), question and answer time with the athletes, and autograph/photo sessions. Each swimmer got a t-shirt – love the back – “I raced a gold medalist today – what did YOU do?”, a bag, 2 DVDs of swim meets the Olympians, posters, a set of Finis goggles and snacks at the end of the swimming portion. I consider it to be an excellent value for the $75 entry fee!

All the goodies my daughter got from the Breakout Swim clinic.

Both Ian Crocker and Christine Marshall have retired from competitive swimming but it is apparent they both still love the sport and did an excellent job connecting with the swimmers. The drills were clearly presented with actionable instructions complete with high fives and compliments – all things that would inspire a young swimmer to be eager to try their best and bring what they learned back to practice.

Drills and practice for each stroke were done and at the end of the “instruction” for a stroke the athletes got their chance to race the Olympians. Ian and Christine were on the blocks side by side with the young swimmers and depending on how old the swimmers were, the swimmers may have gotten a little head start. It was all in good fun and had my daughter talking about it non-stop.

Olympic Swimmer Christine Marshall

I missed the beginning of the clinic – the part where Ian Crocker told his story – as I was out with friends getting a brisk walk in on a sunny day, but I was there for Christine Marshall’s story at the end of the clinic.

Christine is a young woman who certainly beat the odds when it comes to swimming. She was pretty upfront with the kids that she was not the coach’s dream athlete – she was super talented, but made quite a few bad choices along the way to include skipping school and practice, and not focusing enough on her swimming or her studies.

She must have been talented though!! In high school she was the State Champion in the 100 Free and was recruited by Texas A&M to swim in college. She was only given a 60% scholarship her Freshman year, but in college Christine definitely matured and got her act together earning a full scholarship by her senior year.

She talked about her road to the Olympic team. She was not even ranked in the top 10 in her events leading up to the Olympic Trials in 2008. As a matter of fact, she was ranked 50th. She needed to be in the Top 6 if she even had a chance.

One of the points Christine made to the swimmers is that you need to have Goals and that Goals are what keep you on track. Christine made herself a “death sheet” of the top 50 athletes in her races. Throughout the course of the season leading up to the Olympics she would cross off names as she swam faster than her competitors putting her in a confident spot going into Trials. I don’t think she ever expected to be in the top 2 but a top 6 spot was within her reach.

At the Olympic Trials her dream came true. She was in the top 6 and made the US National Team and US Olympic Team at the same time. While she only swam in prelims in the womens’ relay, her relay team took the bronze medal in finals which meant she got a medal, too.

My daughter asked Christine if she was trying for the Olympics this year, and she said “no, that she is trying to decide what path to take next in life.” For the moment she is managing a retail store and coaching gymnastics part-time.

If your swimmer has the opportunity to participate in one of the Mutual of Omaha Breakout Swim Clinics – go for it!! There is a different set of athletes for each clinic, but every athlete has a story and something to give back.

The DegreeGirl  “Don’t Fret The Sweat” campaign recently awarded $20,000 to five winning cheerleading teams of the Degree Girl Varsity Awards on their Facebook page. These cool and confident teams told DFTS how they were able to come together to overcome sweat-inducing moments and then rallied their communities to vote for them on Facebook. In celebration of the winning teams SportsGirlsPlay.com is hosting a giveaway a Degree Girl gift set for you, too!

The giveaway package includes:

• iHome – inspiring teams to get active before, during or after practice, with quick and easy music access
• Degree Girl Just Dance deodorant
• Degree Girl gym bag to hold gear
• Degree Girl water bottle to stay cool during workouts

The Degree Girl team sent us one of the giveaway sets to keep so we could give you our take on each item in the set. The iHome player is a fun docking station and speaker for your iPod that changes colors as the music plays. It charges your iPod while it plays music – perfect for practices, relaxing in your room or hanging out with friends. My 13-year old daughter immediately took the iHome to her room and it has become a part of her decor.

In addition, the gift set comes with a black gym bag for carrying all your gear to and from practice. The bag is very roomy and has plenty of pockets, too. The Degree Girl is my teen’s new favorite deodorant – according to her, it smells good and after using it for the past few weeks of gymnastics practices she has asked for a second one to keep in her locker.

So, how do you win this gift set for yourself?

Required entry: Leave us a comment on this post telling about a situation in sports that tested your nerves at first, but through determination, courage or encouragement from friends, you made it through! It could be about your first game, a championship meet, learning a new skill – you name it, we want to hear about it!

Bonus entries: Get BONUS ENTRIES by letting your friends know about our giveaway. Get one extra entry for each of the following, but come back and leave a second comment telling us where you shared it:

• Post about it on your own blog, in a forum, tweet about it or share it with your friends on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter (we are @SportsGirlsPlay) – please send us a tweet letting us know you are following us and introduce yourself, too.
• Like us on Facebook (we are SportsGirlsPlay and Don’tFretTheSweat) – again, feel free to leave us a note on Facebook saying hello and that you are entering the giveaway.

Rules

• Leave your comment(s) no later than midnight January 10, 2012.
• Make sure your email address is right. We only use it to contact the winners and we will NEVER share it or publish it.
• You must be 13 or older to enter. If you are under 13, just ask your parent, grandparent, favorite aunt or uncle to enter for you!
• We will be using the “And the winner is” plugin to select one (1) winners at random.

Disclosure: Degree Girl sent us a gift pack for purpose of review but the opinions of the products are our own!

Now, I happened to be a bit biased and know that some people will scoff at the idea of spending $100 for a doll, but her stories will be meaningful for the 8-12 year old set and I am sure the messages will be positive. The book summaries go like this:

• McKenna – Girl of the Year 2012 Book 1 (American Girl Today) by Mary Casanova – Seattle fourth-grader McKenna Brooks, who lives for gymnastics, struggles with school work until Josie, a tutor confined to a wheelchair, helps her with reading comprehension and much more. (Library of Congress summary)
• McKenna, Ready to Fly – Girl of the Year 2012 Book 2 (American Girl Today)by Mary Casanova – When Seattle fourth-grader McKenna Brooks’ cast comes off she dives back into gymnastics training in hopes of making the competitive team, but after volunteering at a therapeutic horseback riding center, she considers broadening her interests. (Library of Congress summary)

There is a movie in the works as well, starring Jade Pettyjohn as McKenna. I am not sure if the movie is being released with the doll on January 1, 2012 or will come later in the year to renew interest in the line as the Olympics approach.

For more information about the American Girl of the Year 2012, McKenna Brooks including a picture of the actual doll, visit my other site, www.dolldiaries.com. The official release date of the books is December 27, 2011 and the debut of the doll should be January 1, 2012.  It will be interesting to see the various press coverage of her debut and in the week’s after her release.

You may not know this, but you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get great lacrosse gear, especially if your daughter is just starting out. Higher-end lacrosse heads and shafts are going to make a big difference in her game, but if she’s new to the sport, you can shoot for the middle of the road for now and go up from there. It’s also important to know that lacrosse sticks are actually two separate parts. You can purchase the head and shaft separately, and built you own lacrosse stick, to meet your daughter’s exact needs on the field. You can also purchase a complete lacrosse stick and get everything you need in one fell swoop. I recommend complete sticks for first time players. They take a lot of the guess work out of gear shopping, help develop preferences, and are typically cheaper than purchasing the head and shaft separately. Advanced players will want to buy them individually to get the most customization out of their game though.

Lacrosse heads are, for me at least, the most complicated piece of equipment to purchase. They have the most direct influence on her game, affecting ball control, passing and shot accuracy, and defensive maneuvering, so I have always erred on the higher-end of things. But for new lacrosse parents, it’s more important to understand what you’re getting from a woman’s lacrosse head, than to just blindly buy an expensive one. When looking for a new lacrosse head, understand and consider:

• Stiffness vs. Flexibility – Stiff lacrosse heads tend to be heavier than flexible ones, and are better for defensive players, since they can take more punishment. Flexible shafts are more malleable, and are great for picking up ground balls.

• Width – Heads range from narrow to wide. Narrow heads, like the STX Crux10 take more skill to use, but hold the ball in the pocket and protect it from steals, making them great for attackers. Wider heads, like the Harrow Prime 7 lacrosse head are better for new and defensive players, since they have the most surface area to block passes and shots, and make catching easy.

• Weight – Lightweight heads let you shoot, pass, and move faster, but may reduce accuracy and durability. Heavier heads are typically stronger, and have the opposite effect on performance, slowing shots and passes but typically improving accuracy.

• Sidewalls and Scoop – The sidewalls of a lacrosse head give it its shape and create the pocket where the ball rests. The height of the sidewall affects the depth of the pocket and ball retention. The top portion of the head is called the “Scoop,” and affects how the ball is scooped into the pocket, and how it leaves the pocket when you shoot or pass.

• Pocket – Lacrosse heads have to be strung with an approved net before play. When you buy a new head, you can either buy it unstrung and string it yourself, or buy it pre-strung by the factory. Unstrung heads are typically cheaper than strung heads, but if you are new to the game, I suggest purchasing a factory strung head like the STX Crux Lacrosse Head. You can also go with an unstrung head like the Brine Epic 2 Lacrosse Head, and have your coach string it for you, before you learn and develop personal preferences.

Lacrosse shafts are just as varied, although somewhat less complicated than lacrosse heads. The higher-end shafts are going to be stronger and lighter than the more cost-effective ones. However, if your daughter is just starting out, the differences are going to be negligible, especially since women’s lacrosse has less contact than men’s, and shaft strength is less of a concern. When searching and pricing lacrosse handles, take into account:

• Construction– The days of all wood lacrosse shafts are over. Today, companies like Brine, STX, Warrior, and Harrow are using advanced metals and alloys to create shafts that range in weight, strength, overall performance, and of course, price.
  • Aluminum shafts are the most common, and typically most affordable. They have a solid strength-to-weight ratio, and are versatile for all positions and skill levels. The STX Lilly Girl’s lacrosse stick is a great, affordable aluminum stick.
  • Titanium lacrosse shafts are much stronger and lighter (also more expensive) than aluminum ones, making them perfect for more advanced players who need something to handle hard hits without adding weight.
  • Composite lacrosse shafts, like the STX Tremble, are made of high-grade carbon fiber, giving them incredible strength with minimal weight. These shafts have an interesting feel, warmer in cold weather and cooler on hot days, and also feature excellent grip, making them easier to control.
  • Alloy lacrosse shafts are some of the strongest, lightest, and most expensive shafts out there. Most manufacturers have added built-in grips on these handles to give you even more control and feel.
  • Scandium shafts are currently at the top of the game, with the highest strength-to-weight ratio and massive durability and versatility. The new line of Under Armour Illusion 700 Scandium lacrosse shafts is becoming very popular!

• Grip / Feel – How the shaft feels in your hands. Does it feel hot, cold, comfortable? Does it have a built-in grip, texture, or tack area, to help hold and control it? All of these are important features that determine how the stick reacts and performs.

• Weight / Strength – The lighter the shaft, the quicker you’ll be able to move down the field and the faster you’ll be able to shoot and pass. A stick must also be strong though, since it has to hold up to regular abuse. In women’s and girl’s lacrosse though, strength is less of an issue, since stick strikes are illegal.

Overall, the idea is find a lacrosse stick that works for her style and skill level, and fits your budget. There are plenty of options out there, and sticks can range anywhere from $20 to $150, and beyond, making it easy to get lost. Hopefully this information helped clear some things up a bit, and makes it a little easier for you to get your girl ready for the game. Good luck out there!

It appears that the children in our society are more in danger from predators than many of us would have believed prior to the last few weeks. News of alleged inappropriate behavior toward children from coaches in college football, gymnastics and college basketball brings to the forefront the age-old questions, how do we protect our children from people who want to do them harm? How do we allow our children to reap the benefits provided by all the wonderful adults involved in youth sports while protecting them from that small percent of one percent of coaches with immoral motives?

First and foremost, our children must understand what constitutes inappropriate touching. But, if prevention is our goal (rather than reaction), we must teach our kids to recognize the signs of prepping and baiting used by adults to build relationships with children that may allow future abuse. What seems to be common to all the cases reported is that the children involved were allegedly set up for the abuse over a time frame of months or years.

Unfortunately, the things a coach tries to develop in a good relationship with athletes, trust, confidence, care and concern are the very things a pedophile tries to develop when “setting up” future victims. This forces parents, coaches and administrators to walk a very fine line between protecting our children and falsely accusing good people. But, it should also lead all of us to accept and implement certain guidelines that are set in stone and followed without exception. Doing so will go a long way toward protecting our children from that percent of one percent of coaches who want to do them harm and it will protect the nearly one hundred percent of adults involved in youth sports for the right reasons from being falsely accused of inappropriate behavior.

TEN STRATEGIES FOR PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN
(and their good coaches)

1. A coach should never be alone with a child, not before practice, not after practice, not during travel.

2. Coaches and athletes should never share hotel rooms when traveling.

3. Coaches should not provide special treatment to one or two athletes compared to the rest of the team. This could be trips to movies or ballgames, gifts, etc.

4. Team sleepovers should be supervised by multiple adults. Use common sense when considering the sex and number of adults supervising this type of activity. Make sure parents are involved.

5. Trust your child’s coach, but not blindly. Trust is something earned, not given. It must be continually earned or it should be taken away.

6. Parents should monitor their child’s relationship with his/her coaches, not in a conspiracy theory, witch-hunt way, but to simply confirm they’ve chosen good people to guide that part of their child’s life.

7. Everyone should report abuse when witnessed. Not hearsay or rumors, but if you witness abuse, REPORT IT!

8. Adults should intervene on behalf of the child when witnessing child abuse (if you can do so safely).

9. Children should understand what constitutes inappropriate touching and know to report it when they see it or experience it.

10. If you are one who is part of that percent of one percent who coach or get involved with youth activities for immoral reasons, please get help.

Note: Although these thoughts are presented in a coach/athlete mode, they can just as easily be applied to many adult/child relationships.

About the Author: Mark Folger has coached gymnastics for over 30 years and is  currently on the USA Gymnastics National Committee, and was the USA Gymnastics 2009 Junior Olympic National Coach of the Year. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in education from the University of Oklahoma and spent two years in graduate school there studying sports science (primarily youth sports motivation).

My older daughter has been a gymnast since she was a baby (she is now 13), having grown up in the gym while I was coaching. It actually amazes me that she has not had a major injury in all these years. She did have a scary fall off the bars when she was 7 or 8, but she wasn’t hurt. Two weeks ago she was tumbling and second guessed herself for a split second. That split second was enough to put her in a precarious position and she came down hands first from a forward tumbling pass.

She said she heard her arm break, yet some how she just walked off the floor and collapsed near some mats. Most of the gym didn’t even know something had happened. Her teammates and coaches got her arm elevated and on ice, but when I walked in the gym I took one look at her elbow and the very obvious swelling and said let’s go, it’s off to the Emergency Room for you.

I went back into x-ray with her and stood behind the glass with one of the x-ray techs. The new radiology technology is amazing. They took a picture and slid the films into a think that looked like a giant CD player and the x-ray immediately came up on the monitor in front of us. It was so obvious from that first slide that her arm was broken. She ended up with a displaced medial fracture in her humerus bone (she says its not funny though) and they soft casted her right there in the ER.

The next day we headed an hour south to the orthopedic office that specializes in pediatric sports injuries. If your athlete is ever injured – look for a doctor that deals with kids who are athletes on a daily basis – it makes all the difference in the world. The orthopedic doctor took a look at her films and determined that surgery was needed immediately to pin the piece of bone that had broken completely off back onto its rightful place. She broke the arm Monday, we saw the specialist Tuesday and were in surgery Thursday morning. Crazy!

The surgery went very well and she was able to go home that afternoon. She will be in the cast a few more weeks, but since she did not do any soft tissue (muscle, ligament or tendon) damage, they expect the arm to be stronger after the cast comes off than it was before.

The most difficult part of the injury has not been the injury itself rather the fact that she has not been in the gym. The weekend after she broke her arm was the team’s first competition of the season. She didn’t seem to be overly concerned until we walked into the meet to support her friends and then it hit her. That was the very first meet ever that she had not competed in since she was 6. And that was the hardest thing for her to handle. I just wonder if it will be a motivating factor once she is given the all clear to return to training.

We went back to the doctor this week to follow up on the surgery and the cast will stay on until December 13. But at least she has been cleared to go back in the gym and do conditioning – which makes her happy. Gymnasts are a little crazy that way!

When my husband and I had kids, we had a pretty good idea that they wouldn’t be very “athletic.” We’re kind of a nerdy couple who do not play any sports ourselves and tend to focus on activities like computers and theater. Yet over the last several years I knew that we needed to create some healthier habits in our house, so I took up running. After running two half marathons myself, I convinced my husband to join me for my third. Before too long, my older daughter Jillian (who is 10), decided that it looked interesting to her as well and started running a couple of miles at a time.

At intermediate school orientation I saw a sign for cross country. I asked Jillian if she might be interested and she decided to give it a try. It only lasted about 7 weeks, but it was a great experience for her both from a physical standpoint of getting exercise and the mental standpoint of achievement. I asked her the other day to answer a few questions about her experience and here is what she had to say:

Tricia:  Did you ever think that you would be competing in a sporting event?
Jillian: No, actually, I didn’t. I never thought about it much. I’m usually into stuff like composing music, and choreographing dances. I’ve never played soccer or basketball or anything like some of my friends. The closest that I ever got was taking gymnastics when I was little.

Tricia: What is your favorite thing about being a runner?
Jillian: Finishing. When you’re a runner, the best feeling is the feeling to finish a race and to say in your head, “I did it.”

Tricia: What were you thinking as you were running through the course during your first meet?
Jillian: At the start of the race I was just trying to listen to the rules. Then as I was running I started thinking, “Oh my gosh. How am I going to finish this?” But I just kept telling myself to keep going, and to finish strong.

What would you tell other girls thinking about starting cross country?
I would tell them to try it once. If they like it, continue. If they don’t, stop.

Tricia: What are your future plans for running?
Jillian: I am probably going to continue to race. And to compete in longer distances than a mile. Like the 5k Race for the Cure.

My sincere hope is that I am instilling a lifelong love of running in Jillian because I have found it to be one of the only activities that I have no excuse not to keep up with. I can run on vacation or at my in-laws’ home. I can run by myself or with friends. And now I can run with my daughter.

Tricia Meyer is the owner of Helping Moms Connect and other female-focused blog sites. She is a mom to two daughters, Jillian and Cassie, and hopes to eventually be running half marathons with both of them.