Day 97, April 7: Coaching Kids

10 Things Youth

Coaches Should

and Shouldn't Do

I've coached youth sports off and on for 30-plus years. I've done boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, YMCA football and youth baseball. Most of this was with my two sons. But for the past four years, I've volunteered to coach Little League baseball, even though my sons are long gone from that age. Here are 10 things I've learned coaching kids 12 and younger.

1. Make it Fun: It's not fun if you yell too much.

It's not fun if you don't laugh enough. 

2. Set rules: My players don't wear their baseball caps on backward and they don't say "this sucks." (They are allowed to change into a "rally cap" at the right time and they can say "this stinks.")

3. Don't make them cry: Many already have a hard time holding back tears; don't get mad enough to cause them to cry.

4. Tease, gently: Almost from the first day of practice, you can figure out which kids to gently tease. It's a form of giving them attention - especially when you smile with them.

5. Praise, praise, praise: Since I set rules, sometimes I have to scold. I make sure to triply praise any kid I've ever had to scold - even if it's for the littlest achievement.

6. Be a kid: Yes, I can be strict and order them to pay attention. But, dang it, I'm still a kid at heart and I'll get down and dirty with those precious children.

7. Shield them from their parents: This is tricky, but if I have an over-zealous parent, I remind the kid that his dad means well and not to get too discouraged by his actions.

8. Scrimmage a lot: If all you do is drill, drill, drill the kids will think it's all work. Besides, you can teach a lot through a controlled scrimmage - like sportsmanship.

9. Don't set a bad example: Don't make winning so important. Most of the kids don't care that much. This is for THEM, not adult egos.

10. MAKE IT FUN! Statistics show that many kids quit organized sports soon after they become teenagers. We've made it too regimented, too serious, too much work - it's NO FUN! You aren't going to develop a professional athlete out of your kid. But you can keep him or her participating by chilling out a little bit.

Day 96, April 6: Super-Size?

My All-Time Favorite

Fast Foods

I'm not going to bad-mouth fast foods. Nobody is making anybody else eat them. Nobody is forcing anybody to super-size them. Eaten occasionally and in moderation, I don't see any harm.

1. KFC: Original, please! The mashed potatoes and cole slaw are almost as good as the chicken. I've gone from the 4-piece when I was in my 20s to just a 2-piece.

2. Burger King: Usually, it's the two cheeseburger meal. Once in awhile, I'll get a Junior Whopper. They have my favorite frieds, too, btw.

3. Pickle Barrel Subs: A Dubuque-owned business, I like the taste of these better than any other subs I've eaten. (I consider this to be "eating healthy" compared to most fast foods as I add no salt, pepper, vinegar, sauces or dressings - seldom cheese)

4. Panda Express: If they had one of these in Dubuque, it would rank higher. I almost always partake of these places in out-of-town malls.

5. A&W: Great burgers and fries, plus a mug of frosty root beer. Not as fast as some places, but worth the wait.

6. Panera's: One of Kris' favorites, it's another nice, healthy alternative to many on this list. But my favorite hot sandwiches often cut the roof of my mouth :-( 

7. McDonald's: The only thing I ever order anymore is the Quarter Pounder Meal, no onions. But I like it a lot.

8. Taco Bell: I don't eat here too often anymore, but when I do, it's usually just some hard-shelled tacos.

9. Subway: Doesn't rank up there with Pickle Barrel, but still a good, healthy option to burgers and fries.

10. Arbys: Another spot I don't take advantage of too often. In Dubuque, it's out of the way to get there.

Day 95, April 5: Fun & Games

My Favorite Games

As an Adult

I listed my favorite games as a kid on Jan. 16. Now it's time to do the adult version - even though kids could and do play all of my adult favorites. But I do remember my late sister, Amy, giving my first wife and I a sex-related game for Christmas once. She said it was a good game for newlyweds. We never did play it.

1. Scrabble: It's really not even close. I've played it with all of my relatives; I've played it alone (many times). I've played it online; I've played it in the park. I'm hoping it will keep me from getting Alzheimer's!

2. Euchre: I don't play 10 different card games, so they'll be included here. I watched my dad play and I've played against my father-in-law. It's huge in the Dubuque area.

3. Balderdash: A game of creativity and bluff, it can turn into a "real" adult game of innuendos if people are drinking. I've laughed until I cried playing this with friends - most notably Roger.

4. Scattergories: One of the favorites of my two sons when they were about 10-14 years old. But it's fun for all ages as you create lists based on letters of the alphabet.

5. Trivial Pursuit: I don't play it anymore, but when it first came out, it was a blast. But boy, was it hard - especially when I played against other newspaper types in Idaho Falls years ago.

6. Family Feud Game: At one time, I was the only unmarried member of my family and when we played this, I got to be Richard Dawson.

7. Spoons: A card game that is similar to musical chairs. Spoons are laid out in the middle of a table and when somebody gets four of a kind, everyone reaches for a spoon. Deadly on the knuckles!

8. Scene It, Movies: Kris and I don't play too many games besides Scrabble. And, when we play this DVD game, I usually get beat as she's an expert on movies.

9. Canasta: Another card game, it was very popular with baby boomer parents. It requires two decks and probably more patience than most people have these days.

10. Monopoly: I didn't get into this game as much as a lot of people - didn't have the patience! But it's still a classic I've played many times over the years.

Day 94, April 4: War is Hell

My All-Time Favorite

War Movies

This list spans 76 years and several wars. My passion is the Civil War, but there haven't been that many good movies made about it.

Still, I managed to find a few.

1. "The Great Escape" (1963): I've seen this war movie more than any other - and I never get tired of it. Amazing group of actors

and lots of suspense and action.

2. "Glory" (1989): Probably the best Civil War movie ever, it also deals with racism. I knew the first time I saw it that Denzel Washington would be an Oscar contender (he won).

3. "The Dirty Dozen" (1967): Another great ensemble cast, this one combines more humor than your usual war film with great action

and a great story.

4. "Gettysburg" (1993): One of the few movies my dad and I ever saw together as adults, the battle scenes were far away better than any Civil War movie I'd ever seen.

5. (tie) "Patton" (1970): Critically acclaimed and an amazing true story of an eccentric general, this had some solid battles and one of the first foul-mouthed movie characters I ever saw.

5. (tie) "Zulu" (1964): Probably the most fakey battle scenes in this list, but still amazing to think this was based on a true story.

6. (tie) "Sergeant York (1941): Another interesting true story about a war hero, it does a great job of showing what World War I was like.

6. (tie) "All Quiet on the Western Front (1930): Does an even better job of showing the horrors of WWI, I haven't seen it enough for it to be rated higher. Could move up.

7. "Saving Private Ryan" (1999): The opening scene stayed with me for days and, unlike many viewers, I wanted to see it again because it was so intent on showing war's horrible realities.

8. "Red Badge of Courage" (1951): A pretty short film, it's a great adaptation of the famous book. I thought all of the smoke during the battles was probably very realistic.

9. "Letters to Iwo Jima" (2006): The second of two Clint Eastwood World War II movies, it was fascinating and eye-opening seeing it from the Japanese point of view.

10. "Apocalypse Now" (1979): This one blew my mind when I saw it at age 22 and some of the scenes still amaze me. Narrowly beats out "Platoon" as my favorite Vietnam movie.

Day 93, April 3: Christian Songs

My All-Time Favorite

Christian Songs

I am Christian from the depths of my soul, but I try not to be in-your-face far right. And, it was only after my first wife, Jane, died that I started to really listen to Christian songs. This bothers me. But, as it is with Christ, it's never too late to convert. My collection of Christian songs still isn't huge, but it's growing. I count a couple of hymns in this list, as well, including my No. 1.

1. "Amazing Grace": It spells out perfectly how true Christianity works. We're all wretches, when it comes down to it. How could we possibly "earn" our way to heaven? It's only by the "amazing" grace.

2. "I Can Only Imagine," by Mercy Me: How will you react when you get to heaven, is what this great song asks. I'm convinced I will crawl in awe of its wonder, and my eyes will be opened for good.

3. "Oh Happy Day," by the Edwin Hawkins Singers: When Jesus comes ... oh what a happy day. And this song is so upbeat and catchy.

4. "Day by Day," from Godspell: Very similar to No. 3 in style and message. Hearing these two back-to-back is very heavenly.

5. "Traveler," by Fernando Ortega: From a CD called "Storm," this spiritual song and CD helped Jane keep her faith as she suffered from breast cancer. It still often brings tears to my eyes.

6. "Finally Home," by Mercy Me: A relatively new Christian song on my Top 10, it's just beautiful. I yearn to finally be home, but try to be the best that I can as I await the call.

7. "Give Me Jesus," by Jeremy Camp: Very emotionally strong song of faith and devotion.

8. "Morning Has Broken," by Cat Stevens: Also a hymn at church, it's a wonderful praiseworthy song to God for his creations.

9. "I Have a Dream," by ABBA: The chorus of "I believe in Angels, something good in everything I see" is a sprititual goal I strive for but usually fall short of attaining.

10. "How Much," by Mandesa: Given to me by TH Religion page columnist Alexandra Armstrong, it's very catchy and comforting to be reminded of how much we are loved by God.

Day 92, April 2: Crazy Jim

The "Real" Craziest

Things I've Ever Done

Fortunately for me, these aren't nearly as crazy as the made-up ones from yesterday. In fact, they'll probably sound boring. But maybe deep down, that's why I did what I did yesterady.

1. Hornet's nest: When I was about 4, my 3-year-old brother and were in a barn and I teased some hornets near their nest. Somehow, my brother ended up getting chased

and stung by the horde.

2. Towering: I actually did climb the Stoughton water tower with three or four other friends. But, while I clutched the railing to the walkway, my brother took the ladder to the very top and peed off it!

3. Party supplies: Some of the same friends and I were accomplices to an IGA stock boy, who stole 2 sacks of snacks and pop out of the store and left them in a backyard for us to pick up.

4. Outdoor theater caper: Those same friends and I tried sneaking another friend into an R-rated outdoor movie by having him run through a field. We got busted and taken to the cop shop.

5. Daytona driver: While on spring break, two friends and I drank a little too much. He met a girl and left us. We went to the car and, in anger, I sped away while he tried to chase us down.

6. Mountain climber: On the way to Idaho from Wyoming, I started up a mountain at night and ran into a blizzard halfway up. I had to maneuver a full u-turn, narrowly going off the edge,

to drive back down.

7. I-Haul, U-Haul: To impress a woman while living in Idaho, a friend and I snatched a lifesize wooden placard of a U-haul driver from the U-Haul lot and put it on her balcony. She wasn't impressed.

8. Air guitar maniac: At a party the first year in Dubuque, things were kind of boring so I grabbed a tennis racket when a good rock song came on, stood on a table and pretended to be a guitarist.

9. NASCAR man: I took my son, Jay, 7, to a NASCAR race in Michigan and after it was over, tried to keep up with other fans on the freeway to the point where we all were speeding 90 or higher.

10. Tornado Chaser: A tornado had been spotted west of Dubuque and I've wanted to see a tornado so bad, I climbed up on our roof to see if I could see it in the distance. I couldn't, and got down.

Day 91, April 1: Quite the Fool

The 10 Craziest

Things I've Ever Done

I wasn't always the calm, collected and classy guy that I am today! In my past, I've done some foolish things.Here are the craziest 10, in reverse order:

10. In junior high, a group of us snuck into the girls bathroom and clogged the toilets with baseball cards.

9. With high school friends, I climbed a water tower on the southside of Madison and tossed eggs at clueless passers-by.

8. On a whim during the height of the short-lived streaking era, I streaked through the backyard during a party my younger sister was having with her girlfriends.

7. While living in Gillette, Wyo., I joined a couple locals in their pickup truck and we chased several antelope out on the prairie.

6. While living in Idaho Falls, I took a trip to Sun Valley Ski Resort and tried skiing on one ski to impress a young lady,

only to crash and injure my shoulder.

5. During a slowpitch softball tournament in Utica, we tipped over a port-a-potty while the girlfriend of an opposing player was inside.

4. On spring break one year, three of us rode the It's a Small World ride at Disneyworld, jumped out of the boat midway through the ride and tipped over several dolls before eventually falling into the canal.

3. During a happy hour with friends my sophomore year in college, three of us mooned people walking along State Street, and impressed some coeds so much, we got invited to a party.

2. With farmer friends, I smuggled a live chicken into an outdoor theater, let it loose and drove away, only to later get caught and hauled into the police station, where we surprisingly

shared in a meal of fried chicken.

1. Earlier tonight, I decided to play an April Fool's joke by listing fictious crazy things I supposedly did. Tomorrow, I will compile my real list of crazy things.