Cool Things Your Kids Do! - Page 2

Ibby · 05-25-2006, 12:33 AM

Heh, back in Maryland, me and a buncha the neighborhood kids would get together and 'sword'fight all the time... okay, they were just sticks, but they weren't like, little whippy sticks, I'm talkin' sticks like, an inch or two thick... And we would actually like, have contest things, playing by rules - we played to three hits on the torso, usually.

Sun_Sparkz · 05-25-2006, 06:27 AM

that is soo cool that little pete is getting so good. especially when she gets older it will reallly be something that sets her apart. fantastic of you to be so supportive about it uncle griff

Griff · 05-25-2006, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sun_Sparkz

that is soo cool that little pete is getting so good. especially when she gets older it will reallly be something that sets her apart. fantastic of you to be so supportive about it uncle griff

Thanks! I just like hearing Griff 5 So and So 0. Not to mention, it really is entertaining.

Sun_Sparkz · 05-30-2006, 06:52 AM

do they teach them about the discepline and control issues as in other martial arts or is this more of an athletic based sport for the youngn's?

Griff · 05-30-2006, 07:12 AM

There is some ritualistic formality to it. The fencers salute the director and their opponent before and after each match. Our coach is very big on the etiquete. For his athletes, only the foil talks on the strip. It is very cerebral, often called physical chess, the difference between success and failure being so minute. Since these kids won't be carrying their swords around, there is less need for the philosophical training the karate kids get. I'd say it is more individualistic than the Eastern arts. I was impressed with the sportsmanship of the kids and parents at this tournament but I bet that will not always be the case.

Griff · 06-12-2006, 07:35 AM

This weekends tourney didn't go well so we get to see how lil Pete handles adversity. She did well in the round robin seating this time winning 4 and losing 1 in a tie-breaker that she didn't understand. Unfortunately, one of the kids she beat (5-0) dropped out of the tournament. All his statistics dropped out with him. That means instead of being seated with an 80% winning percentage and a high point differential (something like 3rd or 4th) she was 75% with a middling differential (9th ?). Long story short she had to fight the kid she lost to on her own group and lost again.

(she had a couple stop thrusts which the inexperienced director missed but she didn't get mouthy cuz she's a nice kid) She still finished as the highest ranked girl in the brackets but she was not pleased especially since she whipped the bronze medalist (both at this tourney and the earlier one) and a couple other folks who placed ahead of her. Lets see if she buckles down in the run up to the Keystone State Games. That will be a Y-14 girls only tourney so the atmosphere will be different from the last two.

xoxoxoBruce · 06-12-2006, 08:52 AM

You should explain to her the pirates method of keeping a pistol in the off hand.

SteveDallas · 06-13-2006, 10:47 PM

Well, I know Little League is pretty common. But for a kid who never picked up a bat before last year, I'm pretty darned proud of Miss Dallas. She played last year in the local little league and liked it enough to come back for more.

She's not a "natural athlete" and, frankly, she often spends more time in her own little world than on Planet Earth (a trait she shares with, and no doubt inherited from, her father). But she came into her own this year. She spent most of her time in the outfield, and while she never had the opportunity to make a miraculous catch in the air, she almost always got the ball back to the infield quickly to hold the batter to 1 or 2 bases.

And I said "most" of her time--she also made regular appearances as catcher, did some time at third base, and even pitched several innings, including one scoreless one--no mean feat in a league where, with 6-inning games and scoring capped at 6 runs per inning by rule, scores in excess of 20 runs are not unheard of.

On the hitting side, she overcame a tendency to swing three times and strike out quickly and got to the point where she was pretty good at earning walks. But she also found her bat near the end of the season. In the last inning of the second playoff game she hit hard toward first and got out, but moved the runners at first and second ahead, where they both scored on the next hit to take the lead. In the next to last playoff she hit a pop fly and got on base, sending home the run that locked up the win.

Her 5-team league held a double-elimination post-season tournament. Her team dropped the first game 21-19 and then proceeded to dominate the loser's bracket, sending three different teams to their reward. The final game was tonight and they lost 8-5, failing to force the team that survived the winner's bracket to a final deciding game. Of course it was disappointing to fall short, but it was a damned impressive season and it was really good for my daughter in a lot of ways.

Griff · 06-14-2006, 07:45 AM

It is so cool to see kids develop like that SD. I'm still worried about kid 2 and her lack of confidence/interests, but she has her qualities. Congrats to Miss Dallas!

Griff · 06-16-2006, 10:30 AM

It looks like lil' Pete has bounced right back! She watched the video of her matches and got her head in the right place, remembering that the challenge is supposed to be part of the fun and intellectualizing what went wrong. She was on a terrible softball team last summer so I think she can handle the losing but it is more personal when its just you out there.

Griff · 07-15-2006, 07:22 AM

Lil Pete on the local news. Nice guy but he really needed a primer on the sport.

BigV · 07-15-2006, 12:24 PM

video part of linky no worky

xoxoxoBruce · 07-16-2006, 06:08 PM

Worked for me, ok. The trainer isn't politically correct, though. Calling it a weapon instead of a foil will probably bring the mothers against something or other.

It's a shame they've been discontinued because Lil Pete could easily be a Breck Girl.

Griff · 07-16-2006, 06:15 PM

ooooo I hadn't thought of Erin Gray in years. beedy beedy

It still works for me but that is the #3 news outfit here so maybe they've got server issues.

footfootfoot · 07-19-2006, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigV

video part of linky no worky

Open it in internet exploder, rather than firefox.

05-25-2006, 12:33 AM	#1
Ibby erika Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: "the high up north" Posts: 6,127	Heh, back in Maryland, me and a buncha the neighborhood kids would get together and 'sword'fight all the time... okay, they were just sticks, but they weren't like, little whippy sticks, I'm talkin' sticks like, an inch or two thick... And we would actually like, have contest things, playing by rules - we played to three hits on the torso, usually. __________________ not really back, you didn't see me, i was never here shhhhhh

05-25-2006, 06:27 AM	#2
Sun_Sparkz Has Body Temperature Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: I come from a land downunder Posts: 1,105	that is soo cool that little pete is getting so good. especially when she gets older it will reallly be something that sets her apart. fantastic of you to be so supportive about it uncle griff __________________ We'll never be as young as we are right now

05-30-2006, 06:52 AM	#4
Sun_Sparkz Has Body Temperature Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: I come from a land downunder Posts: 1,105	do they teach them about the discepline and control issues as in other martial arts or is this more of an athletic based sport for the youngn's? __________________ We'll never be as young as we are right now

05-30-2006, 07:12 AM	#5
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	There is some ritualistic formality to it. The fencers salute the director and their opponent before and after each match. Our coach is very big on the etiquete. For his athletes, only the foil talks on the strip. It is very cerebral, often called physical chess, the difference between success and failure being so minute. Since these kids won't be carrying their swords around, there is less need for the philosophical training the karate kids get. I'd say it is more individualistic than the Eastern arts. I was impressed with the sportsmanship of the kids and parents at this tournament but I bet that will not always be the case. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

06-12-2006, 07:35 AM	#6
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Adversity This weekends tourney didn't go well so we get to see how lil Pete handles adversity. She did well in the round robin seating this time winning 4 and losing 1 in a tie-breaker that she didn't understand. Unfortunately, one of the kids she beat (5-0) dropped out of the tournament. All his statistics dropped out with him. That means instead of being seated with an 80% winning percentage and a high point differential (something like 3rd or 4th) she was 75% with a middling differential (9th ?). Long story short she had to fight the kid she lost to on her own group and lost again. (she had a couple stop thrusts which the inexperienced director missed but she didn't get mouthy cuz she's a nice kid) She still finished as the highest ranked girl in the brackets but she was not pleased especially since she whipped the bronze medalist (both at this tourney and the earlier one) and a couple other folks who placed ahead of her. Lets see if she buckles down in the run up to the Keystone State Games. That will be a Y-14 girls only tourney so the atmosphere will be different from the last two. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

06-12-2006, 08:52 AM	#7
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	You should explain to her the pirates method of keeping a pistol in the off hand. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

06-13-2006, 10:47 PM	#8
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	Well, I know Little League is pretty common. But for a kid who never picked up a bat before last year, I'm pretty darned proud of Miss Dallas. She played last year in the local little league and liked it enough to come back for more. She's not a "natural athlete" and, frankly, she often spends more time in her own little world than on Planet Earth (a trait she shares with, and no doubt inherited from, her father). But she came into her own this year. She spent most of her time in the outfield, and while she never had the opportunity to make a miraculous catch in the air, she almost always got the ball back to the infield quickly to hold the batter to 1 or 2 bases. And I said "most" of her time--she also made regular appearances as catcher, did some time at third base, and even pitched several innings, including one scoreless one--no mean feat in a league where, with 6-inning games and scoring capped at 6 runs per inning by rule, scores in excess of 20 runs are not unheard of. On the hitting side, she overcame a tendency to swing three times and strike out quickly and got to the point where she was pretty good at earning walks. But she also found her bat near the end of the season. In the last inning of the second playoff game she hit hard toward first and got out, but moved the runners at first and second ahead, where they both scored on the next hit to take the lead. In the next to last playoff she hit a pop fly and got on base, sending home the run that locked up the win. Her 5-team league held a double-elimination post-season tournament. Her team dropped the first game 21-19 and then proceeded to dominate the loser's bracket, sending three different teams to their reward. The final game was tonight and they lost 8-5, failing to force the team that survived the winner's bracket to a final deciding game. Of course it was disappointing to fall short, but it was a damned impressive season and it was really good for my daughter in a lot of ways.

06-14-2006, 07:45 AM	#9
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	It is so cool to see kids develop like that SD. I'm still worried about kid 2 and her lack of confidence/interests, but she has her qualities. Congrats to Miss Dallas! __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

06-16-2006, 10:30 AM	#10
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	It looks like lil' Pete has bounced right back! She watched the video of her matches and got her head in the right place, remembering that the challenge is supposed to be part of the fun and intellectualizing what went wrong. She was on a terrible softball team last summer so I think she can handle the losing but it is more personal when its just you out there. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

07-15-2006, 07:22 AM	#11
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Lil Pete on the local news. Nice guy but he really needed a primer on the sport. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

07-15-2006, 12:24 PM	#12
BigV Goon Squad Leader Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 27,063	video part of linky no worky __________________ Be Just and Fear Not.

07-16-2006, 06:08 PM	#13
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Worked for me, ok. The trainer isn't politically correct, though. Calling it a weapon instead of a foil will probably bring the mothers against something or other. It's a shame they've been discontinued because Lil Pete could easily be a Breck Girl. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

07-16-2006, 06:15 PM	#14
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	ooooo I hadn't thought of Erin Gray in years. beedy beedy It still works for me but that is the #3 news outfit here so maybe they've got server issues. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

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