Archive for Great Resources
Free Printable Summer Camp Packing List
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Summer is here and I know there are athletes all over the country anticipating one thing… SUMMER CAMP!! Many of the gymnasts at our gym go to week long overnight camps in the summer and I know one source of stress for many parents (and kids) is WHAT TO PACK! Luckily one of the very experienced camp Moms from our gym was kind enough to share her master packing list with me to use as inspiration for the official SportsGirlsPlay.com Summer Camp Packing List.
How to use the summer camp packing list:
- Print out the Summer Camp Packing List from the PDF files below – one is gymnastics specific and the other is for any sport
- Slip the printed packing list into a plastic notebook sleeve or laminate it
- Check off items as they are packed with a dry erase marker
- Wipe off once everything is packed and pack in your camper’s luggage so she can use the list to re-pack her stuff on the last day of camp
Feel free to print out as many copies of the list as you like and share the list with your friends. All I ask is that if you post the list online (whether it be on your club or camp website, Facebook, or a forum), you link back to SportsGirlsPlay.com for the actual file download.
Your athlete might also enjoy our matching printable training journal to keep track of her workouts, whether she is at camp or just to keep track of her summer improvements.
Tips for Traveling with Kids
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Whether you are planning a family vacation or just traveling a few hours away for a soccer match, gymnastics meet or another sporting event, having the right strategies in place can really help make traveling with the kids much easier. As part of my role as the “Sports Mom” at Kellogg’s Snackpicks site, I recently wrote an article on tips for traveling with the kids. The 5 sanity saving ideas include:
- Gallon Zip Bags
- Single Serving Snacks
- Entertainment
- An Emergency Bag
- Built in Breaks
You’ll have to go read the article for an elaboration on each of my tips – they have all been “road tested” many times with my crew.
Links Worth Noting
Posted by: | CommentsSo it has been a bit quiet at Sports Girls Play for the past few weeks. I have been crazy busy! It seems like just about every weekend recently has been consumed by a gymnastics meet (either me coaching or going to watch my daughter compete), a swim meet or clinic (for my other two children), or dealing with home projects. And since I have to be out the door in a few hours for both a swim clinic and a gymnastics clinic, I am just going to share some links to interesting reads this week:
- The Womens’ NCAA Gymnastics titles were awarded this week with UCLA taking 1st as a team and LSU’s Susan Jackson winning All Around. For the best highlights/recaps, check out GymnasticsCoaching.com and Gymnastike.com.
- Mark Folger of Folger’s Gymnastics has started sharing some of his coaching tips/philosophies/observations and all I can say is that his gymnasts are very lucky to have a coach with such compassion and understanding of his athletes, the process of becoming an athlete and the daily ups and downs in sport. A recent favorite and must read for every coach of any sport – Never Give Up on a Child.
- Youth Sports Parents reminds us again, Why Kids Play Sports. And to win is not even close to #1.
- USA Swimming has come under fire recently regarding inappropriate behavior by male coaches towards female athletes. The allegations/law suits have prompted USA Swimming to take a hard look at the processes they have in place to protect their athletes. While I am deeply disturbed by the allegations, I want to remind parents that there is the potential for inappropriate behavior by adults in power (coaches, teachers, den leaders, youth group leaders, etc) in EVERY sport, EVERY activity and EVERY organization. You must educate your children, keep the lines of communication open, reduce the risks (like not allowing athletes to be in an unsupervised one-on-one situation with a coach), and don’t just hand your child over to anyone.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend! I’ll definitely have some good updates this week!
