San Diego Rowing Club Summer Fun

What are you doing this summer?
Want to spend your days on the water, enjoying the fine San Diego weather? If you live in San Diego, that's easy if you get to Mission Beach, and enjoy the San Diego Rowing Club.
We started this in June 2012, with Tina and Katie attending the camp on the first day. Katie had other camps, but would have liked to be rowing more with her sister.
The boys will be rowing this summer, we hope, too.
Find our more about rowing by visiting  http://www.sdrcjrs.com/
www.sandiegorowingclub.org
The girls just came in 4th at the Nationals yesterday. Yes, they were in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. They missed third by .001 of a second. Look for some great stories about that.

Here's what coach Susan Francia had to say in her e-mail today!

 

"The girls had a great regatta this past weekend in Oak Ridge.  It was truly wonderful to see how much progress the quad and the single had made since regionals.  Unfortunately the quad ended up on the wrong side of 1/100th of a second.  Battling it out between second, third, and fourth place, they were bowball to bowball with the other crews and ended in fourth.  I am incredibly proud of their performance and how hard they raced.  Chloe Belle ended up 5th in the B final of a very strong women's 1x field.  And now 4 of them are off to US Jr. National Team selection camp while Christine will be enjoying her graduation from high school vacationing in Europe.

Youth Nationals was a great experience and incredibly eye-opening.  What shocked me most was the equipment that most of the crews had.  Almost all of the boats AND oars were absolutely brand new.  No dings, no spray paint, no patches.  The oars were also brand new Crokers for most of the crews.  If we're going to be competitive on the national level, we will need the best stuff and we will have to take better care of it.  Like most of the top crews, I think we should designate our own equipment that is only used by juniors.

I also saw the world of collegiate recruiting like never before.  College recruiters literally lined the shore with rosters of racers in hand, watching and taking note of the athletes.  I had more than 10 coaches, some from Yale, Brown, Princeton, Oklahoma, Washington, and UVA, ask me specifically about my athletes.  We need more boats at Nationals so the kids can get more exposure!

To the parent volunteers who have been working hard to recruit kids to the program, keep up the good work.  Your efforts to get more kids involved will help get us more athletes and help get us more funds for good boats.

I am in Princeton now playing my other role as athlete.  I had a great first day even though it poured rain (what's that?!?!).  I'm ready to give it my all to make the US quad.  I hope to head to Lucerne, Switzerland in the middle of July for the World Cup and Congju, Korea at the end of August for the World Championships.  My girls will be my inspiration!  

Thanks to all for a great first season with SDRC. "

 

Susan is a two time Gold Medalist in rowing for the USA.

Summer Guest Post from SAY San Diego

Guest Post from: Cesar Brijandez, Youth and Family Counselor of SAY San Diego, in partnership with The County of San Diego. 

Photo: My nephew, Jake McCabe, fishing the Chatahoochee River near Atlanta, this summer.

Thank you to Cesar for the following content for this topic.

"Spending a summer with teenagers can be challenging. One of the greatest challenges comes from   teenagers  thinking  they are adults but are not quite there yet.  Here are some tips on how teenagers think and plan their activities, and how parents can help:

·         Most teenagers lack experience in making decisions and tend to procrastinate.

·          Most teenagers are in “limbo” when making decisions on activities to take on. 

·         As you discuss plans for your summer, the important thing to do is listen to teenagers when they talk about an interest or potential hobby. 

·         Teenagers want to be heard before they are told what to do. 

·         When teenagers talk about an issue or concern it is important to encourage them.   Teenagers need encouragement to make the decisions and embark on a new activity. 

·         Remember to model appropriate behavior to your teenager.  The best way for them to learn is for them to see how patient you are or how to handle yourself in a difficult moment. 

·         Allow for “last minute changes in plans!  Teens may not share all of the information you need at first, or they may  not even have all the information as they start making their plans…. so it helps  if parents can be flexible and adjust to last minute changes …. surprise, surprise:  teens, like everyone else, aren’t perfect !!

SSpecial thanks to Ellen Yaffa ellen@saysandiego.org.

    

July 4th and teenagers

What does July 4th mean for a teenager? While shopping for some teenage items today in a discount store, I heard this: "I really don't think that red, white and blue go together, I would never wear those colors at the same time."
Is that what teens are thinking about the holiday? I hope not, but likely is not the same idea that our grandparents and great grandparents thought about July 4th.
It used to be the beginning of summer vacation, but stores are already putting out their "Back to School" merchandise. It used to be a time for fireworks, but many of those celebrations are cut, eliminated, or postponed due to budgets, environment, or hazardous conditions. Colorado has banned all fireworks and bonfires this week. Of course, they are facing the worst fires in the state's history.
This Independence Day, here are some ideas for you to make a difference with your teen:

• Talk to a teen and tell them what you think about the 4th.
• Share a story from your childhood or from your parents (their grandparents).
• Ask them what being American means to them.

They may not appreciate it today, but it will become meaningful as they grow up and learn to make the most of the land of the free, America. (Pictured below: Karen Winston and the American Flag at a recent WITI event in San Diego)

Learning with the Keys of Excellence

Learning with the Keys of Excellence would be supported, no doubt, by the first president of the United States, George Washington. These 8 Keys of Excellence are the following: Integrity, Speak With Good Purpose, Commitment, Flexibility, Failure Leads to Success, This is It, Ownership and Balance. Quantum Learning is based on this premise. I've experienced what these keys can unlock, firsthand. My two daughters have attended SuperCamp and want to go back. They are in high school, and their leadership skills have truly improved dramatically over the past eight months, since attending camp for 10 days.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/blue-turtle/dmusd/documents/2012/12287.pdf

More on an upcoming Quantum Learning Event is in the link above. If you have questions, please ask.

SAT Score Heaven

How do you find peace of mind when it comes to your child's SAT score? Is there ever a number that you can put aside and say, "That was it!"? These are the teenage years and the SAT scores identify them with a number that will carry them through their high school and early college years. It's a number that most parents worry about, cause teens much apprehension, and colleges rate them among the most important gauges of scholarship.
When I took the SAT test, there were only two indicators, English and Math. My scores, from what I can remember, were in the 600's. Somewhat average, or slightly above. There was never a conversation about re-taking the test. I do remember getting a 27 on my ACT. That was a pretty good score, but not all colleges accepted that. Certainly, these scores did not qualify me for any academic scholarship, and in fact, I was turned down by one of my four choices of schools.
To get more heaven out of your SAT experience, you can enroll in a review course, with a pricetag of about $1000. You can invest in tutors, or send your child to summer school. We got more heaven already, in my opinion, by enrolling our two daughters in SuperCamp last summer.
And we're considering doing it again. In full disclosure, I know the people who run the camp. I've been doing marketing work for them for nearly 15 years, off and on. And, I have considered the caliber of instruction and resources they have during this time. What I see is that slice of heaven where a parent says, "Yes."
The SAT score is improved by the experience, but so is the character. The confidence is improved, and with less angst and drama. Our daughters are blossoming into young women in front of our eyes. They are taking on leadership roles at their high school and church that have never been considered. This weekend they are planning to hold a major regional event with their friends, without help from adults. My daughters are in charge of the fund raising and on many committees in the group. They expect to bring hundreds of kids to their church for an outreach, and are hiring Christian rock bands and speakers with money they have raised themselves through bake sales. They are far surpassing what my husband and I ever did in high school.
If any parent is considering the SuperCamp experience for their child, no matter what the level of achievement, they should follow through and make the connection. The people at SuperCamp are genuine. Mostly they are teachers and educators who have seen that the interactions improve students, making good kids great. And now I have seen it for myself, real. No high schooler or parent is without some weaknesses. My weakness would be that we didn't send them to camp sooner. Their weakness is that they sometimes get cranky without enough sleep. That is temporary.
My kids proudly wear their SuperCamp t-shirts to school and around town. They are comfortable in their own skin, thanks to the interactions made, in part, at SuperCamp last summer. Maybe it's only 10 days, but the lessons learned are valued for a lifetime.
If anyone wants to contact me directly about this experience, I'll be glad to speak to you. My cell phone is 858 488 2867.

Distracted Driving Teenagers and Insuring them

Numerous public opinion surveys show most drivers believe that using cell phones while driving is dangerous. Indeed, talking on cell phones while driving is estimated to increase crash risk fourfold.

Over 50 research studies have shown that using phones while driving is risky. Each year, cell phones are a factor in 1.3 million crashes, hundreds of thousands of injuries, and thousands of deaths.
(Source: www.nsc.org)
About 10 teens a day die in traffic accidents. That's a number who needs a reduction.
Rocky Mountain Insurance Information gives us these facts and some tips for saving money on insuring teenage drivers.

The risk of crash per mile driven is thee times higher for 16-19 year olds than for drivers age 65-69. But, there are some things teenagers and parents can do to save money on insurance rates.

Get on your parents’ policy.
It’s usually cheaper to add a teenager to their parents’ policy, rather than be insured separately. Most companies won’t charge an additional premium until the teen is a licensed driver. Parents need to inform their insurance agent or company that their teenager is being added to the policy. Deliberate concealment could impact coverage.

Good grades pay off.
Most insurers offer a discount, some as high as 25%, for students who maintain a B average.

Driver experience.
Graduated Driver Licensing law requires teens to log 50 hours with an experienced driver, but taking a formal drivers training course will likely save on insurance. Many companies offer up to a 10% discount.

Penalties can land you back in the passenger seat.
Death and injury are the highest price drivers can pay for drinking and driving, but even if you manage to survive, a D.U.I. ticket will cost teenagers big time. As a teen driver, you’ll likely be cancelled and if you can get insurance, expect to pay a much higher rate for the next 3-5 years. Traffic crashes and citations will also impact your premium. Rack up more than three and teens face cancellation or non-renewal.

Drive an "insurance friendly" vehicle.
Cars that are a favorite target for thieves, are expensive to repair, or are considered "high performance" have much higher insurance costs. Before you buy a car, contact your insurer to get a quote on what it will cost to insure.
So there are many things you can do to save money, drive without distractions, and have a safer driving experience.
Safe driving everyone.

Speak with Good Purpose

Now that the summer has turned to fall and almost time for the holidays, I'm eager to find out how the lessons learned will carry over the year end.
Speaking with good purpose is good advice for all ages, not just teenagers.
I learned about the 4 part apology this summer from my daughters. Ask your teen if they have heard of it and try to guess what are the four distinct parts. The answer is below:

http://www.youtube.com/supercampvideos#p/u/42/zUVykLPhAaM

AAMR: All About My Relationship.
It's a communications framework. The video link above can help you find the parts and put it together.
Answer: 1) Acknowledge, 2) Apologise, 3) Make it Right, and 4)Re-Commit

Thank you for reading, sharing, and thinking before you speak. That's what Speaking with Good Purpose is all about.