The fact of the matter is, I miss my sports. I needed to find a sport that my body could handle, would get me outside, and would be something my husband and I could enjoy as we get older. Since my husband already plays golf, I thought I’d give it a try.

Last year for Mother’s Day I got the purple golf clubs I had been wanting. For my birthday I got a gift certificate for golf lessons, and this spring I decided to turn my back yard into a golf practice range! I have been out in the yard practicing my swing, hitting the light practice balls and trying to figure out how to decide which club to use.

Friday I finally got to give my skills a test and played my first full 9 holes of golf ever – at 40. I had so much fun!

We played the “Island” course and it was definitely a challenge. I learned what the difference between the white posts, blue posts, gold posts and red post were. Red are the ladies tee boxes and I was really grateful for them.  We had plenty of water hazards to deal with – yep, I lost 4 balls to water, and it was a challenge to keep track of my boring white golf ball. I am seriously going to look for something a little more lively – like bright pink, orange or blue. (like these Precept Lady iQ 180 Pink 1 Golf Balls)

So my average was about 7 strokes per hole, which I know is horrible, but you have to start somewhere. I know that from here out I will be making foward progess, learning the rules of the game, relaxing my stroke, and appreciating the fresh air.

But most of all,  I really am excited about learning a new sport – because you know how the saying goes…You CAN teach and old dog new tricks!

Soccer star, Brandi Chastain, who was part of the US Womens Soccer team for 13 years (1991-2004) is most remembered for her part in the US win over China in the 1999 World Championship. Her famous celebratory removal of her jersey is one of the most memorable images in sport.

Kerri Strug is best known for her courageous vault at the 1996 Olympics where she landed on one foot in pain. Her ankle was severely sprained yet she chose to do a second vault in order to help the US and her Magnificent Seven teammates win team gold.

The two will join others in the ING Run for Something Better campaign to help community and school based youth running programs. Running is one of the least expensive and easiest sports to get kids hooked on! It is another effort to help teach children the benefits of exercise and to try combat childhood obesity trends.

You can help support ING Run for Something Better and get your own orange laces.

One of the biggest challenges for parents, athletes and their coaches is determining how much water an athlete needs at different times in their day and training.

If the athlete’s urine is dark and scanty, it is concentrated with metabolic wastes and the athlete needs to drink more fluids. When the urine is pale yellow, your body has returned to its normal water balance. Your urine may be dark if you are taking vitamin supplements; in that case, volume is a better indicator than color.

All athletes must drink water before, during, and after exercise. Follow the basic guidelines below to be sure that a child is drinking enough water throughout an exercise session.

• Before Exercise: Drink 10 to 14 oz. of cold water 1 to 2 hours before the activity. Drink 3-6 oz.of cold water or diluted fruit juice 15 to 20 minutes before the activity.
• During Exercise: Drink 3 to 4 oz. of cold water every 15 minutes.
• After Exercise: Drink 2 cups (16 oz.) of cold water for every pound of weight loss. With no weight loss still drink the minimum of 8oz of water.

You must watch and see how much water a young athlete actually drinks. Supervision is essential because children do not instinctively drink enough fluid to replace body water losses. Children may not recognize the symptoms of heat strain, and they may push themselves to the point of heat injury. Young athletes can use non HFCS sports drinks, especially during activities lasting lore than 90 minutes (such as Football or  Soccer). These drinks should contain between 6 and 8 percent carbohydrate or 15 to 18 grams of carbohydrate per cup.

Other tips include:

• If products labeled “sports drinks” do not meet these guidelines, they may need to be diluted. Water is adequate for most children.  However, some youth athletes are more likely to drink sufficient amounts if you give them flavored fluid; sports drinks or diluted fruit juice are appropriate choices.
• Be sure to dilute fruit juice at least twofold: 1 cup of water for every 1 cup of juice.  Tell children not to drink carbonated sodas or undiluted fruit juice as a fluid source during exercise. These beverages are too rich in carbohydrate (which can cause stomach cramps, nausea, and diarrhea).
• Caffeinated beverages (such as tea, coffee, and cola beverages) will dehydrate the body even more.
• Athletes can also replace their body fluids with foods containing a lot of water, such as oranges, watermelon, apples, grapes, and tomatoes, along with water. These foods provide water and carbohydrate, and they are good for replacing lost water and lost energy (glycogen) after exercise.

• The Odds of Getting a Sports Scholarship at Connect with Kids
• Funding for Women in Sport from the Womens Sports Foundation (Thanks Gymnastics Coaching for sharing)
• Check out the Medals from Rio 2007 – Light the Torch has a great photo of the medals from the PanAm Games
• Golf Girl’s Diary has some great photos of Michelle Wie and other cool golf gear

• Drive their daughters to practice – day in, day out
• Endure game after game, rain or shine, smile intact
• Sit in hard bleachers watching routine after routine, cheering for each and everyone
• Wash the uniforms, leotards, swim suits, and skating dresses with care
• Wipe the tears of disappointment and tears of joy with the same level of attention
• Love and support their daughters as individuals first and athletes second

Happy Mother’s Day! We love you all.

Image courtesy of Image Chef.

1. Lisa Leslie
2. Michelle Wie
3. Carly Patterson
4. Gretchen Bleiler
5. Sasha Cohen
6. Natalie Coughlin
7. Maria Sharapova

How many did you get without peeking?

What do you want me to discuss? Leave me a comment and let’s get started.