Twelve Mohawk Valley women are joining the American Heart Association for the Go Red for Women BetterU program, a heart-healthy makeover from the inside out to help women protect their hearts.

The 12-week program is designed to remind all women of the need to make healthy lifestyle choices. It is being sponsored by First Source Federal Credit Union.

Each participant will receive a gym membership at Accelerate Sports with personal training, a baseline medical evaluation from the Mohawk Valley Health System, wellness and nutrition coaching, and smoking cessation help if needed. Among activities are workouts and food shopping field trips.

The American Heart Association asks each participant to make changes in her own life, as well as inspiring friends and family to do the same.

Supporting sponsors of the BetterU program include Standing Insulating Co.; Accelerate Sports; Gilroy, Kernan & Gilroy; MVHS; Townsquare Media and Lite 98.7; and Professional Media Services.

We invite all local women to join the BetterU participants in making healthy lifestyle changes. Talk with your healthcare provider, get moving with exercise, take advantage of programs offered in the community, and visit GoRedforWomen.org for helpful tips and recipes, said Jennifer Keida, 2020 Mohawk Valley Go Red for Women chairwoman. Our goal is to make heart health a priority for local women.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the U.S., taking the life of one in three women. Thats one woman every 80 seconds. Research shows, however, that 80 percent of cardiac events in women are preventable with simple lifestyle choices involving diet, exercise and smoking.

The BetterU program will conclude in May. The participants will be recognized and share their stories at the Go Red for Women Luncheon on May 6.

The Mohawk Valley BetterU participants are:

April Arch-Espigares, Westernville April lost both of her parents to heart disease. She says she has spent the last two years mourning her mom and she doesnt want that to happen to anyone she loves.

Sonia Martinez, Utica Sonia applied for the program because she wants to help manage her diabetes and encourage her family to be healthier, as well. She also wants her son to see her as a hero.

Angy Medina, Utica Angy says she wants to learn new ways to get her heart pumping. Her number one goal is to feel better about herself.

Lynne Orendorf, Mohawk Lynnes mom had a quadruple bypass and Lynne says she sees herself going in the same direction. She has been a caregiver for several family members and says its time to take care of herself.

Christine Pandolf, Utica Christines number one goal is to lower her blood pressure. She says the time was right when a coworker encouraged her to apply. Christine says its time for her to focus on her own health.

Lina Perdomo, Utica Lina has high blood pressure and diabetes. She says this is her time. She wants to learn how she can get off medication with a healthy lifestyle as much as possible.

Barbara Pollard, West Winfield Barbara calls this opportunity a godsend. She says she has been taking care of everyone else and has suffered major losses in her life. Barbara says she applied to the BetterU program to mend her broken heart.

Kari Puleo, Utica Heart disease runs in Karis family. She wants to get healthier and take steps in her efforts to complete the Ride for Missing Children.

Lisa Provost, Clinton Lisa lost two family members to heart disease within a few months of each other. She wants to take care of herself and inspire others because she doesnt want to leave heart disease to chance.

Kathy Riolo, Marcy Kathys father is living with serious heart problems and Kathy knows she is at risk, too. She wants to be healthier no matter what that looks like and doesnt want to equate health with just weight.

Sandy Scholl, Whitesboro Sandy says as soon as she heard about the BetterU program, she knew it could change her life. Sandys number one goal is to break the cycle. She doesnt want to be on the list of family members who died of heart disease.

Brianna Wichowsky, Utica Brianna says she wants to be better for her son. She says she was an avid gym goer before her baby was born and wants to make the gym her happy place once again.

Read more from the original source:
Participants named in Go Red for Women heart-health makeover - Rome Sentinel

High blood pressure doesn't usually come with symptoms, which is why it's so important to have your doctor check it regularly.

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When it comes to blood pressure, a reading of 120/80 is "perfect," right? Well, not exactly. Just like 20/20 isn't necessarily perfect vision, 120/80 is technically the borderline between normal and elevated blood pressure. So, not bad, exactly but not really ideal, either.

It might sound like we're splitting hairs, but high blood pressure (aka hypertension) is a lot more dangerous than imperfect vision. It affects more than 100 million Americans (almost half the adult U.S. population), according to the American Heart Association, and those people are at a higher risk for some pretty serious health conditions because of it.

It's not all bad news, though: High blood pressure is largely preventable and definitely treatable. And it all starts with the basics.

Arm yourself with the knowledge you need on the causes, risks, prevention and treatment of this common foe so you can keep or bring your numbers into a healthy range (that's below 120/80, for the record). Plus, get tips on how to recognize when blood pressure goes too low, and what to do about it.

Your blood pressure is an important gauge of how healthy you're likely to be in the future.

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Your doctor takes your blood pressure at each visit because it's a key indicator of your health. But beyond a number on your medical chart, how much do you really know about blood pressure at the basic level?

In layman's terms, your BP is a measure of how hard your blood is pressing on the walls of your arteries as it courses through your body. The top (systolic) number gauges the pressure when your heart is beating, while the bottom (diastolic) number represents the pressure when your heart is resting between pumps.

A little bit of pressure is good, to help the blood get where it needs to go (read: to all your vital organs). But as the saying goes, too much of a good thing isn't, well, a good thing.

Learn more about blood pressure basics and check out a chart that breaks down healthy vs. unhealthy numbers.

High blood pressure is referred to as the "silent killer."

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High blood pressure means your top number is 130 or higher or your bottom number is 80 or higher. For most people, hypertension is caused by aging or lifestyle factors tied to heart health (think: diet and exercise). For others, it could be the result of another health condition, such as sleep apnea or thyroid issues, or even certain medications.

Whatever the cause, high blood pressure doesn't usually have any symptoms, which isn't a good thing. Hypertension is often called the "silent killer" because it can lead to heart attack, stroke and coronary artery disease, among other conditions, with little to no warning.

Regular exercise can help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range.

Credit: Rawpixel/iStock/GettyImages

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, as the saying goes, and preventing high blood pressure is no exception to that rule.

That's especially true for people at higher risk for developing the condition, such as African Americans and those with a family history of hypertension. Even if you're prone to high BP, though, there's plenty you can do to keep your numbers from sliding into the red.

A regular yoga practice could help lower your blood pressure by reducing stress.

Credit: PeopleImages/E+/GettyImages

If you already have high blood pressure, there's no reason to throw in the towel. In fact, now's the perfect time to get a handle on your numbers. With just a few tweaks to your daily habits, it's totally possible to bring down your BP and reduce your health risks along with it.

For many people, lowering salt intake is a crucial step, because excess sodium can increase BP and put a strain on the heart. But there are lots of other small steps you can take beyond changing your diet (hello, breathing exercises!) that can make a big difference, too.

Low blood pressure, or hypotension, is more common among older adults.

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High blood pressure is a concern in any context. Low blood pressure, on the other hand, isn't always an issue. But while complications are less common, low BP can sometimes be just as serious.

Technically, low blood pressure (aka hypotension) is any reading below 90/60. Low BP is simply genetic for some people. But it's only considered dangerous if it's brought on suddenly by things like infection or dehydration, or if it's accompanied by symptoms, such as nausea, feeling faint or having cold, clammy skin.

If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.

Read the original post:
Low and High Blood Pressure: Numbers, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment - LIVESTRONG.COM

Although colorectal cancer is typically associated with older age-groups, a recent study has found that there is an increase in cases of colorectal cancer in young people between the ages of 20 to 49.

In Canada, colorectal cancer is the third most prevalent cancer among the population. Estimates are that over 12% of all cancers diagnosed in 2020 will be colorectal cancers. Most of the cases occur in people aged 50 or older, and the older a person gets, the greater their risk of contracting this disease. This is why doctors recommend colonoscopies, a test to examine the inside of a colon, as well as newer non-invasive tests for patients aged 50 and older.

There are many factors that have been shown to increase the risk of colorectal cancer in the general population. These include a family history of colorectal cancer, a family or personal history of polyps (non-cancerous growths), diet, exercise levels, smoking, and alcohol consumption. This means that there is a combination of genetic risk factors and environmental factors that can contribute to the growth of cancerous cells.

It seems that colon cancer may not remain a disease common only to older adults. A recent study from England has shown that there is an increase in the number of new cases of colorectal cancer in young adults.

Researchers examined documented cases of colorectal cancers over a 30-year period, from 1985 to 2015, using a database that keeps track of cancer cases in England. They looked at the ages of the affected patients and the location of their cancers, as well as the patients gender, geographic location, and their estimated socioeconomic status. In total, they examined over 1.1 million cases of colorectal cancers over the 30-year span. What they found is that there has been an overall increase in the trends of diagnoses of colorectal cancer in young adults.

The researchers then examined factors that could affect these trends across the population. They found that the incidences were similar between men and women, and did not change based on the geographic location or the estimated socioeconomic status of the patients. This surprised them, since a common risk factor for cancer is obesity, and there is often a higher incidence of childhood obesity in lower socioeconomic areas.

However, according to the researchers, there has been an overall increase in obesity among English youth, regardless of socioeconomic status. This could go a long way to explaining the increase in colorectal cancer diagnoses seen in young adults. Yet, this is only one of many risk factors, and it cannot fully explain the increased incidence.

For example, the researchers found that there was a slightly higher incidence in the South of England as compared to Northern England, despite the South of England benefiting from an overall higher socioeconomic status. The researchers believe this is due to the fact that the population of Southern England has slightly better access to medical services. This can lead to more cases being detected earlier in the patients lives and it would explain some of the differences in the age of diagnoses.

While there is no clear-cut answer as to why there has been an increase in colorectal cancer in young adults, the trend is definitely moving upwards, and medicine will have to adapt to this in order to respond to the needs of all future colorectal cancer patients.

Written by Nancy Lemieux

References:

1. Study reveals rising colorectal cancer rates among young adults. (2020). Retrieved 16 March 2020, from https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-03/w-sr031020.php

2. Chambers, A. (2020). Demographic trends in the incidence of youngonset colorectal cancer: a populationbased study. Retrieved 16 March 2020, from https://bjssjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bjs.11486

3. What is colorectal cancer? Canadian Cancer Society. (2020). Retrieved 16 March 2020, from https://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/colorectal/colorectal-cancer/?region=on

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See the original post:
Increase in cases of colorectal cancer in young adults - Medical News Bulletin

Families across the UK are scrambling to figure out how they can keep their children's education going at home. Sky News asked the experts.

Tom Rose and Jack Pannett are qualified teachers and sports coaches and run an activity business that helps children learn. They also broadcast their own podcast.

Here, they set out their five top tips on how to keep your kids engaged, learning, healthy and happy while schools are closed because of coronavirus...

1. Plan and prioritise: The core subjects

If you're not a teacher by trade, give yourself some realistic goals - trying to conquer the whole curriculum is probably going to make you and your child anxious (especially if you're juggling your work and this new teaching role). Prioritise the core curriculum - Maths and English. We are firm believers that your best is enough.

There are other lots of ways to cover the rest of the curriculum and you can get creative with these, for example, watching Horrible Histories or Blue Planet is a great way to cover some of the humanities. And don't worry, Ofsted won't be calling anytime soon.

You don't need to reinvent the wheel. There is an abundance of free online resources, as well as those that your child's school will probably send you. Instead, prioritise and plan what you're going to cover, and do your best to execute your plan. Like any new job, the first few days will be about finding your feet.

2. Opening your new school

Welcome to your new school - make yourself at home! It's time for you to meet your new pupils.

We find that with the children we work with, starting with 'why' is key. It helps the children understand the purpose of the task and enables them to understand why they're being asked to do it. Each household's 'why' will be different: it could be "because when we go back to school, we need to be up to date with the learning," but just make sure you don't use "because I said so, or you're grounded". Let's be honest, we're all going to be grounded for a bit.

After starting with 'why' we give the children an element of choice: we've found this to be a brilliant motivator. An immediate decision they could make is to give their new school a name and design its badge. Then, once they've done this, you can begin to have a discussion with them about what's going to be included in the curriculum. Spoiler alert: it's primarily Maths and English.

Include your children in the discussion around the different topics you cover and when you're going to do so.

Now you've managed to get your new class on board, it's time to set some school rules. This could include phone use, use of calculators, rules on talking over one another and reinforcing the "absolutely no children in the staff room" rule. Ever!

3. Fresh start: Establish routines

From our experience, children and adults react well to structure, especially a morning routine. Heck, maybe even get out of your PJs and put on your new school uniform? Try to design the learning schedule together and if possible, allocate a specific work space for your new class - their new classroom. This way they can primarily associate this space with their learning, and will find it easier to switch off when in other areas of the house.

To try and maintain some links to their usual school experience, consider setting break and lunch times. You don't need to install a bell for this, but if you're feeling lavish, a whistle will suffice. Make sure you take into consideration any of your work commitments that may affect this if you aim to align your work with their learning time.

There will be ample opportunity in the evening for some downtime and being firm on breaks will help to reinforce the value of learning time.

If you can co-ordinate this time with other 'schools' (families), the children could regain some of the social elements by communicating with others and having some virtual playtime.

4. Tips on teaching core subjects

When you were at school, who was your favourite teacher? Remember them? Even if you can't, this is your opportunity to be THAT teacher. Try to see it from your child's perspective: this will shape a lot of your decision making and allow you to optimise their learning experience.

Champion progress. Fortunately, your class is small. This is a great opportunity for your children to not have to compare themselves with their peers. Instead, they can focus on doing their best and beating their own scores.

A great way to monitor progress and understanding is by flipping the classroom dynamic. After you've covered a topic, swap over the pupil/teacher roles and get the children to teach you what they've learned. This is another opportunity to give them choice: they can plan their lesson and teach it however they want. Additionally, if they use a computer to plan their lesson, without knowing it you're forging cross-curricular links. Look at you go! (No, you cannot have a pay-rise).

A good teacher is reflective. Stubbornness is different to being firm. If things aren't working out, don't be harsh on yourself or your class. Try it and then feel free to tweak down the line if need be. Remember: there are no exams this year, so there's no need to 'teach for the test'. This is your opportunity to inspire your children and foster a love of learning.

5. You can't pour from an empty cup

As you will find out, teaching can be a stressful job. It's not the cliche eight-week-holiday dream that you were mis-sold by the careers adviser. Staff and pupil well-being is now in your hands.

The school canteen needs to have brain healthy foods where possible, such as fruit and veg, lots of water and avoid sugar. Exercise is something we'd advise should place early in the school day to get your class energised, but not fatigued. If they've forgotten their PE kit, don't be too harsh, just don't forget to bring this up at parent's evening.

A good teacher also leads by example, so remember to put plans in place to take care of your staff too. Take time to relax, have a varied and balanced diet and partake in physical exercise.

In the past, we have found journalling, meditation and breathing exercises all to be very useful for reducing stress. These steps have really helped us to maximise our teaching ability and stay positive when times are tough. Remember: you can't pour from an empty cup.

It's the dream job you never expected. Stay positive, don't be too harsh on yourself or your class, and remember... your best will be enough.

:: Tom and Jack have set an English competition for kids to try from home and they're offering a 100 prize for the winner. http://www.tomandjack.co.uk/callwritesharecompetition

Read more:
Coronavirus homeschooling? Five ways to keep your kids learning, happy and healthy - Sky News

Some time ago I had a consultation with a prospect.

It went like this:

Prospect: I want to feel amazing all the time.

Me: Are you sure that this is what you want?

Prospect: Yes.

Me: Ok, lets do a health check on it

Of course, we think we want to feel great, amazing, ecstatic, accomplished (you pick your own high) as much as and as often as possible, ideally all the time. But its exactly this expectation that makes us feel miserable because we dont feel amazing all the time.

You cannot, you will not, and do not even want to feel amazing all the time, youd get sick of it.

The way society is these days makes us think we should be feeling constant climaxes and peak experiences. Why wouldnt you, right? Seems like others are. See their Facebook and Instagram and what they say.

Well, dont forget people typically broadcast the best parts of their lives, especially on social media. Photos of holidays, new cars, new houses, amazing this and amazing that. In the big picture, be grateful for that. Better than if everyone were complaining.

But also understand that these are the highlights of their life (often exaggerated for an ego stroke; we all have been there). Everyone is trying to market themselves in the best light possible, and thats understandable. We want to look good but just take it with a pinch of salt.

Think about it as a movie trailer. They always show the best seconds from the movie, the mind-blowing effects, explosions, actions, to make you go WOW, suck you into watching the whole movie because it must be so amazing. You dont expect the whole movie to be that way though, do you? This is the same.

Even the happiest people you know dont always feel amazing.

Im a life coach, and I work on being on top of my stuff and mood every day, and yet I had a pretty crap leave me alone kind of day yesterday. But I know these days come now and then (especially if you run your own business), and I embrace them.

Why? Because of days like this, I feel amazing.

Think about it: PEAK experience!

Have you ever gone hiking of climbing?

If you have, you know its the whole process that makes it a great experience. Dont believe me? How satisfying would it actually be to just be dropped off by a helicopter on the top, have a look and fly back down? Going from the base of the mountain, climbing little by little to the top, sometimes for hours or even days, leading to the sweet moments on the top. Its the contrast that makes it amazing. Its the difference between the high and low.

Wanting to feel amazing all the time would be like wanting to be on the top all the time. It would mean no valleys, no lows. It would then look like this.

How does it feel? Its anything but exciting. Its a flat line. If you dont have lows, you dont have highs.

An old friend of mine used to tell me a story about how there was a time in his life when he had it all. He had money, cars, girls, position, everything he wanted. Life couldnt have been easier for him.

It seemed like he was at the peak all the time, and so it reached the point when he looked up one day and said: God, universe, please hit me or do something because Im tired of everything going so well.

He got what he asked for. He got an opportunity to climb, reach the peak again, and experience the high again.

The truth is that these peak experiences are and should be just a seasoning of life. It doesnt mean that all the other times youre supposed to feel miserable or depressed. Not at all. Most of your life you actually feel fine. If you feel mostly low or depressed, then you should speak to a professional. But expecting to feel amazing all the time will backfire by you feeling crap because you wont actually feel amazing all the time.

When you are at your peak, enjoy it, experience it, savour it, because it shall pass. There will be a new low whether its because life knocked you down, or because you create it by finding another mountain to climb.

Remember, its the lows that make you appreciate the highs.

Your Life Coach, Tomas Svitorka

Continued here:
LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS AMAZING, AND YOU WOULDN'T EVEN WANT IT THAT WAY. - Thrive Global

MISSOULA -- State championship Saturday at Dahlberg Arena was supposed to make history. It did, of course, by not being played after state basketball tournaments across the state were canceled following Friday's semifinals, crowning the winners co-champions.

The boys basketball teams at Fairview and Scobey did still make history by becoming the first Eastern C teams to both advance to the state championship game since 1980, when Outlook defeated Opheim 44-35. Rollie Sullivan was the head coach of the Blue Jays at that time, one of his many coaching stints across the state, and was set to end the Eastern C's drought Saturday night as an assistant coach at Fairview.

MTN Sports sat down with Sullivan on Friday, March 13, hours before the Montana High School Association announced the cancellation of its state tournaments, to discuss the 40-year drought between all-Eastern C championships, how eastern Montana was at the top of its game during that era, and how basketball had and continues to shape his life.

Rollie Sullivan: "Let me tell you something, when I was coaching in the Eastern C in the mid-to-late 1970s, early '80s, there were lots and lots of good players in that league at that time."

MTN Sports: It wasn't even just Class C, you look back then at Plentywood, Scobey, but Opheim, Outlook, Antelope was in a state championship game, Poplar was really good. Was that just the golden era of hoops up there?

Sullivan: "It was really good. It was really good. The Puckett brothers from Peerless, very good players. The Hatfield brothers from Flaxville were very good players. Antelope, the Guenther kid. Westby had Allan Nielson and others. I mean, the Selvig boys in Outlook. There were just a ton of good players."

MTN Sports: Is it hard to believe, then, that literally four decades have passed since Class C has seen two East teams in the state championship? That was mind-boggling when I researched that stat.

Sullivan: "I won't say it shocks me, but it surprises me. At that time, I don't know if there was any better basketball than what there was in the eastern part of the state -- Eastern C, Eastern B, it didn't matter what. There were really good players. The schools have just dwindled in size so much that I can see where that maybe has happened, simply because some of those schools are no longer in existence. But I'm surprised."

MTN Sports: Before we break down any specific games or seasons or whatever, I know people would like to know and I would like to know, what are all those coaching stops that you have had? Can you remember them all, head coach and assistant coach?

Sullivan: "Oh yes. From 1975-80, the first two years I was (in Outlook) I was the assistant girls coach, then the third year I was the head girls coach, and then the fourth year I was back to the assistant girls coach. The fifth year I didn't coach girls at all, but all five years I was the head boys coach. In 1981 I was going to go back to school to get my endorsement in English, but I got a call from Frenchtown and ended up being there for a year, and we ended up winning the state tournament with really, really good kids. I was extremely fortunate there. Then I spent the next four years in Circle, and we played for the state championship in boys one year, I was an assistant one year and the head girls coach in the other year. At the time, my ex-wife, my wife at the time but now ex-wife, was the head girls coach the first two years and I was her assistant. The last two years, she has a baby and so I became the head girls coach and boys coach, and we had really good kids there, too. I had a great stop in Circle, that was a lot of fun. The last 18 years I was in Sidney as the head boys coach. So I can remember most of them. Being a coach at any level in high school, I think it's always fun. If you have kids that play hard, and I really understand how fun it is to coach the kids that play hard, coaching is a lot of fun."

MTN Sports: 1980, let's talk about that year specifically, you're able to come out on top in the last state championship that featured two East teams, what do you remember about that game? About that season?

Sullivan: "That season we played Opheim four times. They lose four games all year and all of them were to us. We were fortunate to beat them because they were good. They were way bigger than we were. Norm Dyrland was something like a 6-foot-7 kid and a good player, the Lawrence kid and the Moss kid, they were both in the 6-foot-3 or 6-foot-4 area, Kevin St. John was a 6-foot or 6-foot-1 guard, and then they had a little, I think it was Nelson, can't remember for sure the other guard's name, but they were really good. Loren Baker, really good coach. He was the head coach, then goes on and coaches great at Northern Montana College (now MSU-Northern) and elsewhere, if I remember right, but Northern Montana College, he did a great job. They were really good and really well-coached. Every game we played with Opheim got closer and closer and closer. There were a lot of points scored, and then our championship was about (44-35), I mean, it was low-scoring. I thought we did a nice job taking care of the ball, getting good shots off. We had the best player in the state, in my opinion, in Doug Selvig -- a 6-foot-5 guard for us. He was a great player at the University of Montana and in my opinion was the best player in the state of Montana that year. We had the best player, plus a bunch of kids that accepted their roles well ... we just had kids that accepted the roles and really were great kids to coach. They were all about 'us,' nobody was about 'me,' so it was a lot of fun."

MTN Sports: What about this weekend then? Here we are 40 years later and we get a chance to see two Eastern C powers. You said four times you (and Opheim) played that year, here we go again with another Scobey-Fairview match on Saturday night.

Sullivan: "Third time this season, and I think since I've been helping (Fairview), last year and this year are the only two years I've been helping again, we played them, I think it was three times last year and they got us all three times -- once in the regular season, once in the divisional championship and once in the state third- and fourth-place game, and now they're 2-0 against us this year. We're due to win one, gall dangit. Scobey is really good, and they're really well-coached. They have really good players. We have to play at the top of our game, we have to play our A-game. We have a lot of good players, too, but we have to play well. They're just diverse. They have so many kids that can do so many things. It's a handful for us, but we're as heck looking forward to it."

MTN Sports: Final couple of questions, how much has basketball, we've seen it within your family, some college athletes in the family, but how much has hoops revolved around your entire family, your entire life?

Sullivan: "My whole life. I have four kids, all of them played basketball. We had the good fortune that they were all pretty good high school players. My daughter Jordan played basketball for the University of Montana and had a great career here. She's now a member of the Lady Griz coaching staff. My son Jace coached a little bit in Sidney, my daughter Ashley coached a little bit in Culbertson. My son Ryan is now coaching in Casper, Wyo., so they've all been in it, they've all enjoyed it. They had no choice, they had to like it because mom and dad would drag them every place and make them play. But basketball has been so good for me, because I've met so many good people -- officials, other coaches, kids that have played -- it's been great. I've been blessed."

MTN Sports: You kind of answered my last question a little bit there, but outside of your family, all those relationships -- you and I were chatting before the cameras were rolling about all the old coaches and these familiar names you coached against -- Norm Dyrland is my uncle from up in Opheim -- what are those relationships you've made bouncing across the state from place to place?

Sullivan: "When you grow up, you think your best friends are always going to be those guys that you knew and were great friends with in high school, but my best friends in life are the guys I've coached against, coached with and met as a result of basketball. Obviously Loren Baker was a great coach that I got to coach against, but Terry Bakken was a really good high school coach, (C.C.) Zoonie McLean was impactful, Don Holst coached for the Griz here and was my roommate in college, we've been good friends forever. I could name 25-30 coaches that were really good coaches, in my opinion, that I've had the wonderful opportunity to get to know and become friends with."

Read this article:
What could've been: Fairview-Scobey was championship 40 years in the making - MontanaSports

Perhaps the most jarring thing among a million jarring things regarding our new (temporary, have to keep writing that) coronavirus-related normal is the pace at which all of this accelerated.

A week ago, for instance, every player in every major U.S. league was preparing to play games. Sure, there were adjustments such as locker rooms being closed to media and there was talk of large batches of games being played in empty arenas and stadiums, but it wasnt until Wednesday night when Rudy Gobert tested positive that the NBA postponed its season.

Others quickly followed suit from there: among them MLB, Major League Soccer, the NHL and all NCAA sports, including March Madness the last of which was canceled altogether instead of just delayed.

If you feel like you are operating in a hazy mixture of apprehension, boredom and in fits and spurts resourcefulness, Twitter is reinforcing that athletes and coaches are very much in the same head space. At a time when everything has been put on hold, including practices, heres a rundown of what some of those who planned to be playing or coaching are up to now:

MUSIC

Lets start upbeat. Were finding out that a good number of athletes have musical interests and varying degrees of talent.

Timberwolves guard Josh Okogie posted on Twitter a short video (just 14 seconds) of him playing a keyboard. Day 4 w/o basketball. Guess imma be a producer. Who tryna hop on this beat? he tweeted along with an admittedly catchy sequence.

The best part? Someone wrote lyrics for it and someone else actually put a beat to it and it sounds good. These are the heroes we need right now.

Giannis Antetokounmpo played a VERY rudimentary opening riff of Smoke on the Water, but he gets 1 million points for trying.

That seems to have inspired fellow NBA player Patty Mills to post his own guitar video. Im also free and available for any group in need of a guitarist. In box me for booking@Giannis_An34.

Golfer Erik van Rooyen can legitimately shred. No golf. Might as well have some @foofightersin your life! he wrote.

FUN AND GAMES

Karl-Anthony Towns, a known video game enthusiast, posted a video on an Instagram story with teammate and buddy DAngelo Russell dominating a game of FIFA soccer with 20 pushups on the line.

Giannis prefers to take his gaming offline. He posted a picture of a chess board and a late night game (1:59 a.m.).

BOREDOM SETTING IN

Alas, sometimes the down time gets the best of all of us. Under the ideal circumstances, with a bunch of unexpected time off, we could all be our best selves. Social distancing, closures and travel restrictions all of them necessary in the battle against a global pandemic create less-than-ideal circumstances and in many cases isolation.

Gophers mens basketball coach Richard Pitino tweeted Tuesday night at KFANs Justin Gaard and Dan Barreiro: You guys free this week? Ill talk about anything. You can make fun of my contract, career, .anything. Give me an excuse to drive around Edina for a few minutes.

That made me actually laugh out loud, which is a nice feeling.

Twins pitcher Randy Dobnak tweeted: Hey Alexa, what do people typically do during the spring months?

And just a few hours after Okogie posted the video of his piano skills, he admitted on Twitter: Took three naps today. Dont got nothing else to do.

The pandemic is creating FAR more serious health and economic problems, but these examples illustrate some fundamental, less serious every day struggles that are natural offshoots of our new (temporary, still have to keep writing that) reality.

Read more here:
Music, video games and boredom: How athletes and coaches are coping with coronavirus - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Your team looks to you as its role model for leading and learning. What do they see? Does it look to them like you know it all, like you're stuck in the past or like you're just cruising? If your team sees your thirst for learning, they will model the same behavior. Your continual learning hones your competence . . . and competence builds confidence. Confidence is critical; inspiring coaches need it, and their teams want to see it.

Today more than ever, there is a "leadership lab" of learning activities and opportunities available to help you build your leadership skills and refine your coaching mindset. There is a treasure trove of knowledge about leadership and coaching at your fingertips, literally. But there is more to learn than just what you can read on the Internet.

You can find best coaching practices everywhere. Observe the coaches in your life. You can find nuggets of coaching excellence from a parent or in-law, a clergy person, a speaker at a professional association meeting, a fellow leader, your child's school principal, a scout troop leader, or a particularly helpful salesperson at a local department store. Watch, ask, listen, and learn.

There are also lessons to be learned in everything your team does. Look for learning opportunities in post- project reviews, customer meetings, conflicts with other departments, changes in priorities, miscommunications, and mistakes. Seize all these experiences to build your coaching mindset and skill set.

Another way to elevate your coaching game is to glean wisdom from mentors. Mentors offer you a precious glimpse into their life experiences. If experience truly is the best teacher, then you would be wise to study the life lessons and expertise of a mentor.

For the greatest benefit, seek out mentors with the specific skills you desire to acquire. Maybe it's the company's top strategist, the salesperson with the magnetic people skills, the teammate who consistently wows the crowd with presentations, or the executive who everyone wants to work for. Target their strengths and learn what makes them the best in their area. As our goals evolve or you enter a new stage of your career, your mentors will naturally change. Be prepared to end mentoring relationships (always with appreciation) and be willing to initiate new ones.

The brilliant scientist Albert Einstein once said, "Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death." Wise words. Never stop learning. Take the time to invest in yourself so you can invest well in others.

Published on: Mar 18, 2020

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

Read the original here:
All Great Leaders Have This in Common - Inc.

With everything going on in our lives, its common to feel as if our creative life needs to be put on the back burner. Theres no time to focus on our creations or balance yet another thing in our day-to-day.

I feel like Ive done a decent job at balancing my creative life yet still find myself struggling when things get a little hectic in the other aspects of my life. Our creative life is important in keeping us healthy, and our continual growth in something we love helps us take a break from the crazy.

But Ive developed habits for these crazy moments that keep me grounded in my creations. These are the small, and sometimes big, mindset shifts that keep me focused on maintaining a balanced life.

You have to believe you can balance your different lives. If your self-talk is always focused on how busy you are and how youre barely juggling things, youre going to continually be disappointed.Go in with confidence. Know that its possible to maintain your creations while doing life. You are capable of achieving your goals.

Between balancing my writing, work, and relationship, I feel like there arent enough hours I can stay awake during the day. Instead of getting frustrated that I cant get as much done as I want on my projects, I am confident that because I have other great habits surrounding my life, I can get really good work done when I am present with it.

When you are working on your creations, thats all you should be focused on. Let go of the rest of your day anddeep diveinto your creative work. Get caught up in the flow by scheduling your creative work for your most productive time of day. If you cant do that, just build time into your day where you can focus completely on the task at hand.

My best time to write is in the morning. I have the clearest mind, the stress of the day hasnt caught up to me, and I know Ill have an hour of quiet focus. I schedule my morning hours at home to be writing time before I head to work. The time cap helps keep me on task and working on the things that matter. I know I wont have time to write until my lunch hour so I make sure I get a good portion of my work done early.

Keeping a habit of health is critical for success in any aspect of your life. Prioritizing sleep, mental health, and physical movement are key parts of keeping your body and mind in peak condition. It doesnt have to be crazy, but getting enough movement in your day and sleeping enough can do wonders for improving your work.

Because my morning is perfect writing time, I know Ill have to sacrifice some of my evenings because I get up early. To get my best work done, Im up by 4:30 AM on the weekdays. Im not advocating you do this unless it works for you, but it means that if I want enough sleep, Im getting in bed around 8:30 PM. I also make sure I move throughout the day, especially if I dont come home and run in the afternoon. At the end of the day, I make sure I have a short session of meditation or journaling to de-stress and ready myself for sleep.

Youre not going to want to balance your creative life if you dont actually enjoy your creative life.While I say you should be passionate about your creations, you can find joy in just doing a creative activity that is fun for you. I am passionate about writing, which means Im passionate about building it into my life. Your creations should bring you some sense of fulfillment if you want the motivation of keeping it in your life.

As a writer, I never get it right the first time. With only an hour or so in the mornings, I dont always have time to go back and fix my work right away. It also means I dont have time to sit and make every sentence perfect the first time. When I write, I practice failing. Its not perfect, but I always go in with the understanding that this is a rough draft.

With all your creations, its important to practice failing. You learn more from your failures, and understanding what you can and cant accomplish in your timeframe is important for moving forward.

Because Ive practiced to failure, I know that my morning time allows me to write just one article or post and make it good enough to publish. I dont try to write anything more than that, and if I can finish early, I have enough time to edit an already written chapter of my novel. Knowing what I can reasonably do in a timeframe gives me the practice of maximizing my time.

Before I go in and work on something, I visualize what Im going to work on. It helps me continue thinking about my projects and prepares me for when Im ready to sit down and work. If I know what Im going to be working on during my creative time, I can maximize my efficiency in writing.

Visualizing your work helps you go in with a plan. It doesnt have to be a rigid plan but its something to get you over that first hurdle of starting. I know that if I dont have a vague plan of what Im going to write in the morning, I waste too much time researching or looking for ideas. Instead, I go in with a general idea and visualization of my final draft and let my mind take it where it needs to go.

Creating habits around my creative life help me stay focused on where Im going with my work. Changing my mindset to one of confidence and passion is critical to my success as a writer. Ive been able to balance writing daily, publish every weekday, and launch alife coaching business.

Some days it feels like a lot, but instead of letting myself get overwhelmed, I reflect on my confidence, visualize my progress, and continue practicing. A creative life doesnt have to be yet another thing on our plates. Use it to fuel the rest of your life and bleed confidence into your day.

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Original post:
Habits to Help You Balance a Creative Life - Thrive Global

BATAVIA The coaching landscape at Notre Dame High School continued to change over the winter when Athletic Director and head boys basketball coach Mike Rapone stepped down as the head varsity baseball coach after 12 successful seasons.

Though Rapone will remain on as AD and boys hoops coach, the search began for someone to guide the team on the diamond and the Fighting Irish looked no further than to keep it within the family.

Two weeks ago Mikes brother, Rick Rapone, was named as the new head coach of the program after a number of impressive years as NDs junior varsity baseball head coach.

Rick Rapone is still currently the JV boys basketball coach as well at Notre Dame, where his teams have gone 46-14 in his three seasons at the helm.

Im very excited, obviously, I love baseball and coached it my whole life at all levels, though Le Roy, Notre Dame and the (American Baseball Congress Collegiate) Wooden Bat League, said Rapone, who coached the wooden bat league from 2002-12. Im thrilled about it and Im honored to be in that tree at Notre Dame that includes Father Zietler, Bill Sutherland, Rick Mancuso and my brother Mike.

Rick Rapone, a 1973 graduate of Notre Dame, joined Notre Dame first in 2007 when he was the modified baseball coach, where he remained for seven highly successful seasons.

In 2014 he was named the head boys basketball coach at Le Roy High School, where in less than three years he completely turned the program around from being in the doldrums to on the verge of a sectional title.

As was highly publicized a few years ago, Rick Rapones tenure in Le Roy ended unceremoniously with his firing mid-season. Yet that has not stopped him.

I never saw that situation as an obstacle, he said. The circumstances played themselves out in that situation. But I knew another opportunity would come up and Im honored that it came at Notre Dame.

While at Le Roy, Rick Rapone was also the modified baseball coach, where a number of his players would go on to win multiple Section V titles with the Oatkan Knights.

According to a press release sent out by Notre Dame, the school says Rick, who has been a highly successful baseball and basketball coach, is recognized as a high-energy coach who has a proven track record of putting in the time to maximize his athletes potential.

In two seasons ad the JV baseball coach for the Fighting Irish, Rapones teams went an amazing 30-3.

However, like everyone else in the current situation of the world,

Ricks plans and his vision for the Notre Dame baseball program has been put on hold because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Its certainly been deflating, to say the least. I was named the head coach the week before practice and the boys and I were all really excited, Rick Rapone said. And the weather was unbelievable. Who could have thought that we could have that many outside practices the first week. The energy was off the charts but then the e-mail came from Mike and everything comes to a halt. Its been deflating, not just to me but to the kids too.

Rick Rapone, who is the co-owner of Service News, earned a BA in History as well as both teaching and coaching certification from Roberts Wesleyan. He has three children Chris, Joey and Sierra who all are Notre Dame graduates.

Rick Rapone was also the Le Roy 19-U Travel team baseball coach from 2000-15)

He replaces his brother Mike, whose teams posted a record of 163-92, winning sectional titles in 2008 and 2014, while advancing to the NYSPHSAA Final Four both of those years.

His teams won six Genesee Region League titles and lost in the sectional finals four times.

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Rick Rapone excited about ND baseball coaching job when the time comes - The Daily News Online