The Huddle Up!

2006 has been an exciting year of transformation for Joy of Sports. After more than sixteen years of passionate and tireless leadership, Joy of Sports’ founder, Andrew Oser, passed the torch to a new executive team. While change always presents a certain degree of uncertainty one thing is crystal clear. Joy of Sports has an impressive track record on which to build and tremendous potential that is generating an explosive level of enthusiasm and anticipation. Our goal is to catapult Joy of Sports to the next level – the next level of high performance operations that produces high impact programs and results for the children and families we serve. It will take a total team effort with each and every one of you playing an important position.

Whether you are a Red Sox fan still basking in their cathartic championship; a Notre Dame fan reveling in their resurgence; or a Redskin fan loyally offering your support during the challenges of rebuilding; you understand the pride and joy that comes from being a part of a team – something bigger than each of us that binds us together. We believe Joy of Sports is no different. Our achievements and wins are simply measured in smiles, healthy choices, and successful children.

So, from the passion and commitment of new staff members like Scott & Amy (highlighted in this e-newsletter); to the re-energized Board of Directors under new Chair, Anh-Thu Mai; to critical new community partners like GlaxoSmithKline, the Oakland Raiders and the national Action for Healthy Kids coalition; to the hundreds of enthusiastic donors, volunteers and supporters; we believe there has never been a better time to be a part of Joy of Sports. We invite you to help us build a championship team by joining us “on the field” as we help children and families in our communities succeed in the game of life. Stay tuned for all the fun and innovative “game day” opportunities we’ll be offering in the months ahead (program volunteering, tennis & golf tournaments, Walk Across America, community service projects etc.) and we hope you’ll find a role to play so we can celebrate our accomplishments together as a Joy of Sports Team.

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Coach's Corner

Being a good coach requires patience and a clear understanding of the athletes you work with. Jumanne Jahi is one of the Joy of Sports Foundation’s coaches that truly lives by these standards. He has been part of the JSF team for about eight years.

Jumanne grew up in Florida where he participated in many sports including; football, track, swimming, boxing and martial arts. Through these sports he was active all the time which has been a key element to his career. Joy of Sports has helped Jumanne find other jobs that allow him to stay active throughout the day. He is part of the US Tennis Association where he is a Tennis Service Pro, he is a Tennis Pro at the Fairfax Community Park and Recreation, he is part of the US Professional Tennis Association where he is a teaching pro and he also works with high school tennis programs around the local DC area.

Jumanne not only works with the inner-city youth that JSF serves but with youth from upper-middle class suburban areas. Through these experiences he has noticed differences not only with the youth but also with the parents. Overall the parents from the suburban areas tend to push their children to be active in many areas and the youth are more likely to become overextended. Inner-city youth tend to come from families that aren’t given enough resources to enroll their children in sports which can create a lack of interest once they become involved in an activity. All communities have different styles of motivation which have to be accounted for on and off the field. Jumanne enjoys the challenge of being able to teach in multiple ways so that each child can succeed in their own way.

When Jumanne works with the kids he teaches them not only to basics of the sport but he also challenges their thought process. He stimulates their cognitive thinking about the sport by asking them “What are you trying to do?”, so that the youth can grow not only as an athlete but also as a critical thinker. Helping them make quicker, smarter decisions on the court or the field will allow them to practice this in the rest of their life. This also allows the kids the challenge themselves instead of directly competing with other kids in the program. When a youth understands what they are doing, and they have control of their choices on the court they are also gaining confidence within their life.

Jumanne sees the star in every child and creates a supportive environment for the child to see the star in themselves.

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In this game, you solve mutliplication problems to decipher the secret phrase. Match the letter with it's answer. We did the first one for you as an example.

77

75

96

56

42

144

51

96

133

75

42

128

36

Fun Things to do to stay active

1. Dance to your favorite music while you are getting ready in the morning.

2. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

3. Ride your bike with friends afterschool.

4. Skip to the bus stop or to your neighbors house.

5. Organize a pick-up basketball/soccer game at a local park.

Rebecca Mohning MS, RD, LD
Registered Dietitian
www.expertnutrition.net

As you walk into Chamberlain Elementary Charter School, you feel a warm and comforting vibe from the faculty and the students. The community within the school is strong and welcoming of newcomers. As you walk into the office you are greeted by three of the women that work in the office, each as friendly as the other. Anyone would be proud to be part of a school similar to this one.

Principal Shepard is a motivated educator that never fails to be in high spirits. He creates a positive attitude for all the people that come into the school. Principal Shepard is entering his second full academic year of being principal at Chamberlain Elementary School. The Joy of Sports Foundation is also entering its second academic year with the school.

Principal Shepard shared a conversation that he recently had with one of the male parents about Joy of Sports. They talked about how inactive kids are in today’s society. There were many factors that they talked about; such as unsafe neighborhoods and too many video games and the amount of TV shows available for kids. They reminisced about how when they were kids they could play outside for hours until they were called in to dinner.

The teachers at Chamberlain Elementary have voiced that they enjoy the opportunity to learn how to implement activity within the classroom, especially since Chamberlain Elementary doesn't have recess built into their schedule. Since there isn't recess, some of the parents voiced their concern with the lack of physical activity that their kids get. Joy of Sports creates a program that implements the need of health and fitness within schools.

When we asked Principal Shepard what he would change about the program, he wished that Joy of Sports could spend more time at the school. Currently Joy of Sports has the funding to go to each school twice a week, but as Principal Shepard voiced, it would be more beneficial for the kids and the teachers to have the program every school day.

Chamberlain Elementary School is looking forward to the following academic year. They are starting a fourth and fifth grade girls and boys basketball teams. They already have the uniforms and many of the kids are excited that the school is able to bring a new sports team to the school. Joy of Sports is also helping Chamberlain Elementary create a tennis team and a golf team for the upcoming academic year. There is a lot of excitement within the school about these three new sports. It is motivating for Joy of Sports to work with a school that has so much enthusiasm about brining new sports to the kids of their community.

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Joy of Sports Foundation is proud to welcome Amy Brady to the JSF Team as our DC Regional Director! As a lifelong athlete, Amy understands the value that mentoring and sports play in building confidence and self esteem in youth. She has coached youth soccer and worked extensively with underserved populations. With a Masters in Public Health and a B.A. in Human Development, Amy brings a passion for promoting health and experience and knowledge of implementing behavior change interventions to increase physical activity and improve nutrition.

"I have been blessed to have so many amazing people in my life who have inspired me and helped me develop into the person I am today," said Amy, "but the one person who really saw the star in me was…my dad, Jim Brady. Growing up I played soccer so my dad and I spent hours upon hours in the car driving to practices and games. These drives gave us time to talk about what was going on in my life on and off the field. Whenever I would tell my dad about something I was interested in trying he would always say 'Amy, if you set your mind something, I have no doubt that you’ll be able to do it.' His confidence and support empowered me to think big and not be scared of trying new things. To this day when I am faced with a challenge or want to try something new I hear his encouraging voice in my head. Shinning the star inside of me is easy when you know people believe in you!"

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Molly Moran is the Regional Director for the San Diego area in California. At the age of six Molly became involved with soccer and baseball. She fell in love with baseball and enjoyed watching the Boston Red Sox games with her dad. Her childhood dream was to be the first professional female baseball player. Her dream as a child taught her how important it is to be vigorous about the activities that you love the most. In high school and college Molly enjoyed skiing, lacrosse, softball and field hockey. Most recently Molly has been surfing along the coast of California which she finds physically, emotionally, and spiritually challenging; especially since she had grown up playing team sports.

Judy Finerghty, Molly’s most influential coach, was her hockey and lacrosse coach at Vassar College. The time Molly spent with Judy was an important part of her college experience. Judy taught her to be the best person that she can be, as an athlete and in the classroom, which is now present throughout her life. Sports taught Molly that her dreams can only be reached by her own desire and effort.

Volunteering at the Joy of Sports Foundation gave Molly the opportunities to succeed within the organization. Before taking her current position as Regional Director, she tried out different career paths – working with children, coaching at different levels and acquiring her graduate degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology. She realized the life benefits that sports had given her as a kid should be an opportunity for all kids. Joy of Sports became an important part of her success in giving underprivileged children some of the same opportunities that she had growing up.

Molly’s favorite experiences within the Joy of Sports Foundation include being out on the field working with the kids. She enjoys coaching at the Joy of Sports Foundation’s Healthy Kids Club. The kids that she works with have been thrilled to have the chance to play a sport and be part of a sports organization.

Molly’s dream is to help inspire the kids that are part of the Joy of Sports Foundation, so that they can live a healthy life by engaging in physical activity and nutritious eating. Part of this dream includes giving youth the confidence to feel great about who they are and empowering them to take control of their lives and run with the things that will lead them to their individual success.

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Scott Boyle is the Regional Director in the California Bay Area. As a kid Scott played any sport he could find time to take part in. He was fortunate enough to live in a neighborhood that was safe for him to play outside until the street lights came on. He and his friends took advantage of this each day; playing sports or riding bikes and skateboarding were a few of the things that kept him busy.

Scott particularly enjoyed team sports. He was lucky to have parents that supported him in each sport that he tried, whether they were the team parent or the coach. As he got older he began to play baseball at a competitive level; this left him little time for other sports but kept him extremely active. During high school, college and professional scouts began to watch him play which lead to Scott being drafted by the San Francisco Giants. Scott declined this offer realizing that attending college was of more importance to him.

Mark Whitburn was not only Scott’s best coach, but he was also his best teacher. Mark was his high school English teacher and baseball coach. “He simply gave me the tools to succeed in the classroom and on the field”. The guidance and friendship that Mark offered Scott gave him confidence through difficult times and allowed him to focus on the important things in life that still matter to him today.

Sports taught Scott that nothing is certain. Sometimes even when you give 110% to attain your goal, you don’t achieve the outcome that you might have wished. Through the wins and the losses in sports, Scott learned that this was what allowed him to grow physically and emotionally.

Scott became involved with the Joy of Sports Foundation through luck. He had previously been working in a residential treatment facility for abused children. During his time there he began programs that allowed the children to focus on life skills and taught them how to compete against themselves. Scott was influenced to do this through his B.A. in Sports Psychology and was able to work well with communities that had limited access to structured play. After his ten years at the residential facility he trained adult athletes for triathlons, marathons, and other endurance events. Scott began to miss working with kids because to him they are much more free and inventive than adults. He began searching for a job that would fulfill not only his passion to work with children but also one that would allow him to apply the knowledge that he has in Sports Psychology and his managerial experience.

Scott came across the Joy of Sports Foundation and fell in love with the mission. He applied for the job, and has been part of the Joy of Sports team since the fall of 2005.

Scott’s dream for the Joy of Sports Foundation is; “to cultivate the team we have on board right now into a foundation that has the capacity to sustain our greatest impact sites locally and replicate them nationally”. Scott’s dedication and support within Joy of Sports will help the organization grow into its future aspirations.