POD PEOPLE have invaded Maryland

"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it."
-Oprah Winfrey

So, it might just be that daylight savings time has wiped the kids out, or that the hot afternoons are taking their toll. But I am going with the more plausible answer that the reason the girls were so good on Monday was because they were taken over by pod people. Yep, that's right folks, pod people are real.

Monday I came into practice in the music room and the girls were sitting quietly in a circle on the floor stretching. The music teacher had taken it upon herself to get the girls warmed up for me. And the best part-they were almost completely silent. I actually had to just stand there and try to figure out what was going on with them. Usually they are just a ball of energy when I walk in and it takes a few minutes to calm them but instead we got to go right into our lesson and the girls participated! They were positive, up beat and worked hard. Seriously, what do I write about when they did what they were supposed to do. Attitudes were in check, happiness abounded, they were just...seriously, they were pod people. I don't know how else to explain it...daily light savings time just doesn't explain them being so good.

Thursday-I walk into the room and the girls are either in a circle warming up together as a team OR doing their homework. All of them dressed, ready, with water, and had used the bathroom! WHAT THE WHAT!!!! Two days in a row! SEE POD PEOPLE

Wait for it

Wait for it!!!

And we get to talk about negative self talk. And that is when I realize that one of the girls is a bit sullen. Oh no...this is how it starts. It only takes one.

Then another girl proudly exclaims, "I am really great at negative self talk. Better than I am at positive". Oh gee...here we go.

I am almost cautious during this lesson because I know that it can go either way. Armed with my No Nonsense Nancy box to eat their negative comments, we head outside. I give the reins for warm up to my assistant coach. I most definitely threw her to the wolves. Pod people gone...demon spawn return! bwahahahahah...

disclaimer-these kids are really good, honestly, i really don't think they are demon spawn. They just have shining moments where it takes all my patience to try to get them back on track.

Anyways, I walk about 20 yards away because I know I have control issues and I want to let the assistant coach have a chance to try to lead the girls. Its good for me too because I need to see that they accept others in case there is ever an emergency and I can't be there.

I swear, the next thing I saw was bedlam. There was yelling, dancing, running around, everything but listening. Oh, my aching heart, where did my little angels go? I keep taking steps closer to the group knowing I am going to have to intervene in some way. The coach gets it under control but I have a couple of girls who are being particularly difficult and I gently walk next to them, put my hand on their shoulder and tell them to stand with me. One of them got excited and said "Yay".

Here is when you know you have mastered 'the look'. I looked down at her, and said, "You know this isn't a good thing if I am standing next to you right?"

And the two girls that had to have me say that stopped acting up immediately. Its hard as a coach to run a practice. Actually, it was kind of neat getting to watch someone who has never had the chance yet get to do it. Its definitely impressive to see how different people manage things. For instance...

I wasn't aware of this-and let me tell you if I had been things would have been handle my way and there might have been phone calls made to take a girl home.

I have zero tolerance for bullying, pushing, hitting. I didn't see it but the other coach witnessed one of the older girls pushing one of the younger girls out of her way for being to slow or something. The assistant coach handled this calmly. She obviously has a lot of experience with her own kids battling each other. I heard her lecturing the kids about being kind but I didn't know what it was about till after practice. I am also glad that I didn't see it because it was good for the kids to get to learn that she is an authority too with our group.

However, it wont happen again. Its the first and last time I will ever hear of one of my girls being a bully. I will not punish the girls, its past that now. But we are going to start a new program. There is going to be some unique team building activities coming up in the near future. Yay for a background military training!

On that note, the girls after a rough patch did redeem themselves before leaving. They ended the practice on a high note and tried very hard to work together to impress the coaches. I love when they do that. I also love knowing that I can start handing off part of my lesson to a coach and letting her discover her own ground.

And the joy on their faces at they got to proudly say the statements that really made their day "I am beautiful, I am smart, I am funny, etc...." These were the positive statements girls wrote on the index cards that we handed out to the team randomly. One girl even said she felt like the card was written just for her, and it made her feel so special and happy.

Folks, if that is anything you gather from this blog entry, it would be this. Negative self talk is Nonsense. And if you have a chance, say something positive to someone today. You have no idea the effect you could have on changing their day and how that domino effect will carry on. Because I watched even the most sullen girl crack a smile when she read one of her cards that said "I am beautiful" . Shoot, you should have seen some of the moms when the girls handed their cards to them and they would even smile. It was amazing seeing how they even needed to hear those positive statements.

So make it happen, give someone a little positive happy thought. It might even boost your mood too seeing the smile that you helped to create.