Pigskin Princess #2- When Mom Goes To Football Practice

When I interviewed for my position on the coaching staff for Freshmen Football the biggest point I stressed was how I didn’t want the presence of a woman to change any aspect of the program, most especially for the players. As a mother of sons I felt strongly that boys need male-centered environments where they can act like boys. (In other words, farting out loud is always acceptable.)

I can safely say my gender hasn’t amounted to much in terms of change. There have been a few additions, like the word ma’am, and blinds for the coaches’ office inside the locker room. (Unfortunately the blinds don’t block out the smell.) On the field I am not much different from my male colleagues; I yell, I wear a whistle and I carry the play book.  Like them, I sweat, get tired and lose my voice. I’ve spent the better part of the season believing we were almost the same, except for one key difference- what happens at home.

It’s fair to say that my male colleagues don’t start laundry when they get home from Saturday morning practice. Nor are they responsible for meal planning for the people who remain at home while they’re coaching.  They’re not worrying about buying gifts for assorted relatives, signing school forms (for their own children) and packing school lunches. I doubt they’ll stress over holiday planning (it will be here before you know it) finding time for a mani/pedi or the affect of all that sun and sweat on their complexions.

Sometimes I look at my fellow coaches and I feel a bit envious because I suspect their wives have released them from a myriad of household responsibilities. That may or may not be true. While their responsibilities at home may differ from mine (let’s face it, I don’t do yard work) they, like me, have left a trail of undone, need-to-do and want-to-do tasks in their wake during football.

One area where I know the guys and I suffer equally is in family-life balance. There really is none during football season. We coach five evenings a week and on Saturday mornings. We arrive home exhausted, smelly and sometimes cranky, depending on what went down at practice. For me Game Day is a fourteen hour affair- eight hours of work , followed by the team meal, the production of players getting dressed in game attire, warm-ups, a possible bus ride, more warm-ups, the pre-game pep talk, the game, half time, the mid-game pep talk, the second half, the post-game talk and finally a bus ride back to school. I get home about 9:00 p.m. having left the house at 6:45 a.m.

Two weeks ago The Better Half was out of town on Game Day. I saw Son #2 for a total of ten minutes, five in the morning and five when I arrived home. His dinner was whatever the $8 cash I had in my wallet could buy him that night, since I had neither the time or energy to prepare something. In truth, he was likely thrilled to go grab fast food, he’s sixteen after all, but that’s not the point.

To his credit The Better Half has recalibrated  his expectations during football season. I don’t cook during the week anymore, but I am expected to supply the food needed so others can. I also don’t do dishes at night when I come home from practice. Sometimes The Better Half forgets my schedule and asks me out to dinner on Friday night. There is no going out to dinner on Friday night because after my team’s practice, I head to the varsity game. (Friday Night Lights baby!)

I didn’t become a female football coach to make a statement about gender roles. I did it because I love the game and working with kids.  My male colleagues and I have equally sacrificed to be on the field with our players. They may not be worried about the laundry, but I’ve learned they do worry about what’s suffering in their personal lives while they’re on the field.

Exhaustion, it seems, is an equal opportunity condition.

Is it all worth it? If you need to ask  you haven’t been paying attention.
 
Go Huskies!

Beating the Books Blahs

 Have you ever looked inside your closet and thought you had nothing to wear even though the closet was full of items? You start trying on clothes and putting together outfits but nothing fits, looks right, feels right or makes you appear 10 lbs. lighter? At this point your body temperature begins to rise, signaling an imminent meltdown. Shouting occurs, perhaps a throwing of the offending garments across the room and most certainly the gnashing of teeth. It isn't pretty.

It might surprise you to know that the same thing happens to book lovers. While there's no official name for this malady, I like to call it Transition Trouble.  

Transition Trouble is a dangerous affliction that affects your ability to dive into a new book after recently finishing an engaging one. In my case, I read new novels from my favorite authors all summer and then became stuck in the middle of a second book in a trilogy that seemed to be limping along. I decided to take a break from it (something I rarely do) and discovered two new fiction titles that I had trouble putting down.

It's been about ten days since I finished that last book and now I'm the one limping along. Everything I pick up feels wrong. I even requested two books with Jane Austen themes from the public library, but unfortunately they both centered on Mansfield Park, my least favorite of her work.

I've discussed this problem with other book lovers and found that it happens to everyone at some point. And we all appear to have the same fix- the palette cleanser. This is a favorite book, reread many times, that serves to clear your head and settle anxiety (because now you're worried you'll never find another new book you want to read). My palette cleanser is Pride & Prejudice. I can open it to any page and immediately begin to relax. After two or three days I've calmed down enough to pick up something new.

So last night I grabbed my worn copy of P&P (I own several) and waited for it to work its magic on me.

And I waited.

Nothing.

I'm now in four-alarm crisis mode. I HAVE NO BOOKS!

Yes I realize this is a gross exaggeration considering I work in a library and own at least 1,500 books but believe me, I have no books right now. Nothing is appealing to me and I'm getting worried.

The first thing I did this morning was log into Amazon and look up the titles I'd read recently and loved. Amazon's "Customers Who Bought____ Also Bought ______" feature is a fabulous way to discover new authors.  I searched and searched, then opened a new tab for the Scottsdale Public Library. As I found potential good reads, I requested them from the library or, if they weren't available, added them to my Amazon cart. In the end I requested 8 titles, ordered 3 and will stop by the library on my way home from work today to pick up one book that was on shelf and waiting to go home with an avid reader.

I'd like to think that between 14 books coming my way in the next week, at least one of them can rescue me from this malaise.

Has this ever happened to you? What's your favorite palette cleanser? I might need some suggestions!

Pigskin Princess: On Any Given Wednesday

When I joined the coaching staff of the Freshmen football team last spring (no that's not a typo) my mind immediately set to visions of the multitude of blogs such an experience would produce. I dreamed up a clever moniker (see above) and planned for a great photo of myself with a football and rhinestones for props.

Fast forward to today- Game Day #2 of the season.

I have not-

Blogged one sentence about coaching football.

Taken my fancy Pigskin Princess head shot.

Completely memorized the playbook. (So close!)

Avoided catching the Pigskin Plague- the cold bug that travels through the team in batches of four people.

Figured out how to make my hair last past two practices without needing to be washed again.
Regretted my decision to ask (I asked) to be part of Husky Football.

I have- 

A lot to learn about football.

And coaching. They are separate skills sets.

Wonderful coaching colleagues whose experience and talent amazes me every day.

Fantastic (and aromatic) players.

Fun watching the reaction from people when they learn I'm coaching boys' football.

Sweated through twice a week summer evening practices and now six days-a-week regular season practice without whining (even at home where it's safe to whine).

Learned that my gender is not a handicap at all, but my lack of experience  is.

So why? Why do this crazy, very ungirly, unwriterly, unlibrarian-like activity that takes up about twenty hours a week (without pay!)? Two words-

GAME DAY 

Wednesday is Game Day for Freshmen Football. Game Day is what we live for, work for and sweat for. It's our reward and, as we know, anything can happen on Game Day.

And in my case it already has- I'm part of the team. The players  probably aren't going to learn a lot about football from me this year. What I hope they do learn from me is this- believe in that crazy thing you've always wanted to do and seize the opportunity to become part of it.

Because anything can happen.

Out With the Old & In With the New- Students That Is!

I remember what a let down the first day of my senior year in high school was. Until I walked on campus that morning I hadn't realized how many of my good, dear friends graduated. The campus felt odd without them and I don't think I ever quite recovered; my senior year was my least favorite.

Such is the dilemma at the start of a new school year.  In the first weeks of school many of the grads visit campus to say goodbye before they leave for college, so we almost feel like they haven't left. But now, as the holiday weekend approaches and we're past the beginning of school it hits me that some of my favorite peeps aren't here anymore.

On of the great joys of working in the LMC is that 99% of the students who come in want to be here.  It's rare when we have an issue with a student beyond showing up without a pass or getting caught with an handful of food. Ms. Orest and I get to know the kids quite well and enjoy all the tidbits they share about their lives and activities.

The first few days without some of our regulars can be quite jarring because in their places are these new faces who don't seem to know anything about the LMC (yet). They need help with everything it seems- Where's the printer? How can I use a computer? What do you mean I can't eat my lunch in here-it's lunch!

When I'm just about ready to pull my hair out, one new freshmen will approach the circulation desk and utter the magic words, "Do you have (random book title)?"

And in an instant I'm not seeing a stranger but instead a fellow book lover.  

Our schedule in the LMC is so busy now I don't have time to lament over which students have graduated and left the building. I've memorized the faces and reading habits of many new students thus far. I have a wonderful young man who comes in every morning to check out a new book. I hope we can keep him well supplied during his HHS years!

I believe that those of us drawn to careers in education need the renewal that comes from the start of a school year. It's a new beginning, a fresh opportunity and a wonderful time to get to know some incredible students.

Back in the Saddle Again!

Welcome to the 2012/2013 school year! We're back! With a new circulation desk and some fresh paint. Here I am at my new work station. Notice the ledge? No more backpacks knocking things down on me! Ms. Orest and I are thrilled with our new desk and looking forward to a great school year.

So, how did I spend my summer vacation?

Packing and unpacking- we moved to a new house. 

Reading- but only one of the 30 books I brought home from the LMC. Too many of my favorite authors had new releases out in June and July. I had a few days were I sat and read for hours, which is such a rare treat.

Sweating- at Freshman Football practice.  Yes, you read that correctly. I am a new volunteer coach for the Freshman Football team. I'll be blogging about that under the title Pigskin Princess, so watch for an update next week.

Collecting- goodies for the Library Media Center. My older son Conner and I went to the fun and fabulous San Diego Comic-Con in July. In addition to comic books, movies and TV shows there are TONS of books and authors. SciFi, Fantasy and YA titles are huge right now. I got to speak to Michael Grant, the author of the Gone series, and tell him how much my students love his work. I won books (the new YA series from mega SciFi author Orson Scott Card) for the LMC at the Simon and Schuster panel. In addition to all that fun, I nabbed posters, ARC copies of soon-to-be-released titles, buttons, stickers and a free T-shirt. Look for the Comic-Con display to be up early next week.

Waiting- for some great movies based on books to come out this fall. The last segment of the Twilight series will be out as well as the highly anticipated The Perks of Being a Wallflower and World War Z. And let's not forget the movie event of the century- the first (of three) films for The Hobbit. It will be epic! Best of all, we have all of these titles in the Media Center so you can read the book before you see the movie.

While it's tough to get back into the school routine (early mornings!) I except this school year to be great. Pop in and visit if you get the chance.

Beginnings, Middles & Ends

Graduation was almost two weeks ago, but I'm still thinking about it. I had the privilege of being a line leader that evening and as you can tell by the Cheshire Cat grin on my face, I had a wonderful time.

During the school year our HHS students are quite preoccupied. They don't always know the date, the time or where the big giant printer they sent their document to is (right behind you dear). They talk while they text, text while they listen and listen while looking past your face at something in the background far more interesting. In short, they aren't always present mentally despite being physically present in the same space you're occupying with them. It's a bit frustrating at times, I won't lie.

On graduation night the clueless, disinterested and distracted must have stayed home because every graduate was in his or her moment. How do I best describe that? Joy? Bliss? Glee? Euphoria? All of the above? I've never seen the students so plugged into what was happening around them. And while there were plenty of smart phones about, they were mostly used for taking pictures. The kids were speaking to each other, to staff and sharing stories and excitement.  It was impossible not to become giddy yourself.

In our busy, multitasking age few of us take the time to stop and smell the roses or savor a moment. I felt encouraged that our students did that night.

One of the speakers told her fellow graduates that she hoped high school wasn't the best time of their lives. If ever there was a moment to be present in, I think this was this one. The speaker's point (wise beyond her years this young lady is) was that if you claim a period of time in your past as the best, how open will you be to discovering the other (and typically unexpected) opportunities that await you?

As I sat with my row of graduates, I heard these words and thought about how everyone in Husky Stadium that night was at the beginning, middle or end of something in their life- career, school, stage of family life or marriage. Transitions between the degrees of being are often the most difficult. In my own family life we are nearly at the end of the school years for our sons, in the middle of the teen years and at the beginning of a new life in a new house when we move later this month (don't worry, I'll still be here at HHS next year). This season of change is has definitely made for some sleepless nights, but how sad would it be to think all the best experiences in my life were behind me?

We can't go back in time, only forward. It's important to celebrate and if needed, grieve for days gone by, but never to be stuck in them. Ms. Orest and I will miss many 2012 graduates next year. Thankfully the incoming freshmen will beginning their HHS journey and I hope that for many of them that includes a fair amount of time in the Library Media Center!

Some Light Summer Reading

This is me. This is me with a box. This is me with the box filled with books to read over the summer.

This is me enjoying some light summer reading. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.


A successful librarian is one who can recommend books to patrons. The best way to do that is to know your collection well. I truly wish I had enough time to read every book in the Library Media Center, but the thirty-five I'm taking home with me over break will be a good start.

Our avid readers here at HHS are very much like me. They have favored genres and authors, but are always happy to try something new. Here are a few of the titles I'm looking forward to-

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber- When Perry gets stuck taking a geeky foreign exchange student to prom, her secret spy mission takes the night in a direction he never imagined.

The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli- The story of Elisabetta, the young woman who inspired the Mona Lisa.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer- Part Cinderella, Part Cyborg. What's not to love there?

The Sophomore Switch by Abby McDonald- Two college girls, one at Oxford and one at UC Santa Barbara, switch schools for a semester.

Hero by Perry Moore- When the family business is being a Super Hero, what choice do you have but to be one too?

How I Stole Johnny Depp's Alien Girlfriend by Gary Ghislain- I have no idea what this book is about, I just love the title.

I've also grabbed some Meg Cabot and Sarah Dessen books, a few Dystopian dramas and of course at least one Zombie Apocalypse tale (I can't resist those).

In a way I envy teens. The Young Adult book market  is vastly different than when I was in high school. The choices are amazing, the narratives are smart and sophisticated and the characters are ones kids relate to.  There's never been a better time to have your nose stuck in a book!

Happy Reading this summer!