Are we pushing our kids out of jobs?

 I saw an interesting meme today, it said "Not everyone is going to be a doctor or lawyer, teach your children a hands on skill". This article isn't in any way, shape or form to slam parents who want their children to go to college. For years we have been told that is the best way to insure that they will have a successful employment future.

 Let me start by kind of explaining what brought this article to life. I am a Factory Sales Rep for a international abrasive manufacturer. Basically what I do is visit  manufacturing facilities all over Central Illinois, and sell them the multiple types of abrasives used to manufacture anything from furniture to farm equipment. I see all the peaks and valleys that go along with their business. And one of the big valleys that is coming quicker than most realize, is the unqualified workers we have for these fields.

 In the last year 6 months alone Central Illinois has lost 4 (non-Amish) cabinet manufacturers. These were 20+ year shops that quietly closed their doors. And for once it wasn't the states economy that forced them to make this decision. I had the opportunity to speak with 3 of the owners before their closure, and was given quite the shock when they explained their reasoning to close the doors. The 3 owners I spoke with all had the exact same reason behind their closing. They couldn't get good help, and had nobody who had the knowledge to take over the business. This isn't a new problem, and it isn't getting any better as very few schools now offer the industrial arts (woodworking, welding etc). The generational gap that has occurred with the schools removing these classes is astronomical. We literally have a complete generation that didn't have access to these programs.

 I know 4 shops doesn't sound like a lot. But let me give you a better idea of what kind of numbers we are looking at. In my specific area of Central Illinois there are 125 "wood" shops. Out of those 125, 72 are Amish shops. That leaves 53 total "English" wood shops in pretty much all of downstate Illinois. Now I have heard quite a few people state that "we can't compete with the Amish". Have you ever priced Amish Cabinets? Trust me, they are far from the most cost effective option. And in all honesty, most are doing everything the exact same way as the Englishman. It's all reputation and the knowledge that no matter what, they will always be there making cabinets, furniture etc. The rest of society, well we can't say that.

 If we don't do something soon we are going to see a lot more shops closing their doors because they truly don't have the manpower to do the work here. The cabinets and furniture you buy will either be Amish made or some mass produced piece of junk that you buy at a box store.

 By instilling in our children that no matter what, college is the only way for you to make a good living, we have insured ourselves a very large void in the manufacturing industry. Now we are sitting here screaming that all of our jobs are being outsourced. Well this is where I take the manufacturers side of the argument. What do we do? You send us people straight out of college with a psychology degree and want them to safely weld seams or build cabinets? Doesn't work that way. The current generations, truly, don't have a clue what it's like to work with their hands. Let alone create a real, animate object from their blood, sweat and tears.

 We have the opportunity here to save a bunch of industry. And no, I'm not saying to tell your kids not to go to college.  What I am saying is try and get them interested in some other areas. Take them into the garage and let them tinker with wood. By doing so, you and your child may find they have a talent and love for something that can take them far in life. And maybe, just maybe, make them just as happy as any college degree could.

Saving innocence

I know most will read the title to this and be really confused on what my topic for this evening will be. I have been thinking about writing this article for quite awhile, but have wanted to make sure I had a completely clear head when I did it, due to the sensitivity of what I'm about to discuss. I decided to call this piece saving innocence because I truly believe we can save the next generation from allowing a lot of what is going on in today's society to continue.

Our children are born innocent. They know no sin. They don't know right from wrong, good from bad, black from white. This is the most beautiful thing about a baby. All they know is when they are hungry, when they are tired, what makes them happy, and most importantly love. Everything else involved with a babies development is taught by us, the parents. It's us that teach them what our beliefs are. They see how we react to those that are different from us, and that's what they learn. This is what we imprint on them. Our children aren't born to be racist or to be a bigot. We teach them that. If you think about it, we could learn from our children. All they see is a person they enjoy playing with and spending time with. They don't notice the color of the other child until the parent or another adult tells them it's wrong.

 The racial and cultural divide that is happening now has to be stopped. And it can be. But we as a people need to stand together and put aside all the things that are just defining features of our bodies. We are all made the same, we all breathe oxygen, we all bleed red. It's our time to stand together and save the innocence of the next generation. The ones who don't see the color or nationality of the child they are playing with.

Our society today is dealing with a level of hate and bigotry that hasn't been seen since the Civil Rights Movement. Only this time it isn't just one color trying to stifle the progress, rights and freedom of another. Now it seems to becoming a "every man for himself" movement. And this is what our little children are growing up with. We are currently walking a very fine line to what can only be described as a dangerous precursor towards another civil war. This is beyond color, we are being divided as a nation. There are many opinions as to who is to blame. Is it the whites, blacks, Hispanics, police or government? In all reality it's all of the above plus the media. Yes the media, including social media. With the development of social media we are being fed non stop "news feed coverage" of all the racial indiscretions of the world. Even though most of it  is agenda driven, non complete or flat out false stories. It's still there, all day and night filling up our pages. It's human nature for one reason or another to believe what we see. Even though there are avenues for us to fact check items, we just don't do it. We see it, we believe it.

These same items that fill our news feeds are also filling our children's pages. Do you think that they are fact checking anything? Yeah, didn't think so. All they are seeing are articles about this black man shot this white guy, or this white guy shot this black guy. As a parent, older sibling or someone who just cares. It is our job as a parental generation to make sure our children are properly educated on the dangers of what can only be called "trap media". We are currently allowing media, celebrities and free speech media to influence what our children are seeing and believing to be true. Hate speech is one of the largest issues on social media today. From cyber bullying, to the call for police officers to be killed. We have the power to stop this.  We have the power to Save Innocence. I'm not saying to hide history from our children. Learning from our past mistakes is the only way our children can be better than us. But we have to start taking responsibility and control of what they are seeing, reading and believing. We need to make sure that there is an open line of communication between our children and us. And I'm talking about more than the birds and bees talk. I'm talking about making sure they have access to the complete truths about what is going on in the world. Let them ask the tough questions about racism, inequality, bigotry. Just do yourself and the next generation the favor of giving them unbiased and properly informed answers.

There are multiple movements happening in America today. From #Black Lives Matter to #White Lives Matter to #Police Lives Matter. This could be one of the most divisive, ridiculous things that I have experienced in my life. And yes it's cost me disagreements with those I consider friends. However to me there should only be one movement, at all times, in order to save the innocence. And that is #ALL LIVES MATTER. Violence is violence, it doesn't have a color. It has the offender(s) and victim(s). That's all that matters and even that is too much. So as you read this I just ask that you do so with an open mind and heart. Put your own personal feelings aside and try and think as a child would. Maybe, just maybe then you can do your part to make their lives and yours better and Save the Innocence.

Life as a Cerebral Palsy Dad

When I made the decision to start writing again, I decided I was going to go beyond just sports this time. After all, sports is just a game and there are so many more important things in life. One subject that touches me deeply and that I typically only discuss with those close to me is my son.

On January 29th 2009 me and my fiance welcomed into the world our first child together. A beautiful, healthy (or so we thought), happy, baby boy. Everything during the delivery went normal. She did beautifully for a first time mother, and neither of us could have been happier to have this wonderful miracle join our family. The first day Colton nursed perfectly, he fed well and all was great. The second night however is where Katie (my fiance) believes is when she noticed the first issue. For on the second night Colton just wouldn't latch. No matter the position he wouldn't latch on. The nurses and doctors said "It sometimes happens here's a bottle pay no mind". So we didn't think much of it. Now looking back we wish we would have pushed for more answers. 

As Colton continued to get older through out the months we noticed that he just didn't seem to do the things other babies did. When we brought what we thought should have been milestones that he was missing up to his primary care doctor he just said "he's stubborn, give him time". Well once again we did as the doctor asked, we gave him time. Now keep in mind when I say that we noticed him doing or not doing things, it was like when he would hold a bottle. He would literally hold with his left hand but brace the bottle with his feet. When he would start to crawl, Colton wouldn't get on all fours to crawl. He would literally army crawl. This was pretty much the last straw for us as Colton was approaching his 1st birthday and was in our opinion, way behind others his age. 

Let's just say, Katies maternal instincts were completely correct. Even after bringing up the little things we noticed about his development, his primary care doctor continued to say "you can't judge your child by what others are doing". Wow, he couldn't have been more wrong. A family member told us about a clinic in our local area that was free and specialized in child orthopedics. So Katie called, made the appointment and took Colton to see a new doctor, with a fresh perspective (and also at a different hospital association than his primary). This is a day I will never in a million years, forget. See I wasn't able to be at this appointment as I was at a job where you just didn't take time off for things like that. So Katie being the wonderfully strong woman she is, took Colton up. Only to get what could possibly be some of the most heart wrenching news any parent can get. This particular doctor as I said was a Orthopedic Specialist. However after seeing Colton for literally 2 minutes told Katie "Ma'am, I can't say it with a 100% certainty. But I believe your son has Cerebral Palsy. You need to take him to a neurologist". Yeah, I'm still not sure how she didn't totally flip her lid on that one. But I remember her calling me and telling me she was going to come by my job and that we needed to talk. I could tell as soon as I saw her she had been crying and that the news wasn't going to be good. When she told me the news I could feel the tears swelling and the typical, "why him, why us"? questions beginning to form. 

The doctor helped us with a referral and we made the appointment for a pediatric neurologist in our area and of course, this time I wasn't going to miss the appointment. I needed answers! I wanted an explanation and I wanted it now! The neurologist of course scheduled the MRI and we received the confirmation that we so badly wanted to deny. "Yes, Colton has Cerebral Palsy. The MRI shows that the left side of the brain suffered a stroke either shortly before or right after birth". They told us this part with a certainty since his brain was fully developed. But this is also when we found out that this little "stubborn" boy, truly was a miracle. See the MRI also showed what caused the stroke. A blood clot developed in the main artery on the left side of his brain. And by what can only be described as a miracle, stopped just before it reached the center of his brain which in most cases would have been fatal. So with us finally having an answer, we had many more questions. Such as what is our next step to give our child a normal life. This is when the neurologist literally ripped our hearts out. She informed us that with the damage to the left side of his brain, and it being "dead". That we shouldn't hold our hopes up. "With this type of damage don't expect him to walk, talk, feed himself etc". Talk about leaving a parent absolutely speechless. But once again this is where Katies strength amazed me. She demanded to know what we could do to try and help him. The neurologist suggested that we could try occupational, speech and physical therapies but that she couldn't see them making a whole lot of difference. This is where I can say, Doctors definitely don't know everything. 

Immediately Katie went to work to find him the therapies that the neurologist suggested we could try. At this point Colton is right around 16 months old. And this is where I learned the true strength of not only Katie and Colton, but also myself and our family. The therapy sessions weren't easy in any way shape or form for any of us. Two parents who were both working while trying everything they could to make sure he made it his two therapy sessions twice a week and 30 miles away. But there was no way any of us was about to give up. And that included Colton. This little boy who army crawled everywhere, and couldn't walk or talk surprised us all. It was Memorial Day weekend at a campground when out of the blue, Colton took his first steps. I'm not even going to lie, there were tears everywhere and from everyone. Not only was this kid who according to the experts, wouldn't walk..walking. But he was walking on some of the most uneven ground possible. And he was doing it over and over. Bam!! 1 goal down. We continued Coltons therapies for a very long time going twice a week. They started working on his speech and flexibility. It wasn't long before he started talking. Bam! another goal down. Now the tough stuff, getting him to understand that even though he was most likely born right handed, he would have to learn to do 98% of things with his left. This of course we are still working on 7 years later. 

In the last 7 years I honestly believe I have learned more from my son than he has from me. He has shown me a strength beyond anything I could have believed any human can have. He goes to school everyday, he plays soccer with his friends. His smile as goofy as it is, lights up a room. Don't get me wrong we still have our bad days. He does tire easily, he does have to take medications to help control the grand mal seizures that are common with his type of Cerebral Palsy. But he lives. He lives life to the absolute fullest that a 7 year old can. And love? My god, this kid doesn't have a hate bone in his body. It's amazing to see someone that young who has been through so much not be bitter or spiteful. When people ask if I have a hero, I quickly respond that I do, and it's my 7 year old son. Because he's shown me that whatever I'm going through and how bad it gets. That there is always a way to get through it and be happy, and to love. As far his mother, all I can say is "thank you god". I couldn't imagine any other woman being as strong as she has through all this. Her maternal instincts have been spot on with him every single time. I couldn't have asked for a better mother to my children or partner through life for me. 

And for those that read this and that know us but can't figure out why after 8 years together, 7 of them being engaged. Why we aren't married, well it's not because we don't want to. See with Coltons condition, health insurance (even with Obamacare) is almost impossible to receive. Because as far as insurance companies are concerned he's just as bad as a child with cancer to insure, Katie was literaly told the lifetime care is just too much, sorry. So yes he is currently covered by the State of Illinois ALL KIDS plan as it's the only sure fire insurance he can receive that will cover his full medical needs. If we were to get married at this point in time he would lose his insurance due to my income. It's just one of those sacrifices we have had to make for the betterment of his medical needs. Trust me I'm not a fan. But it is a situation that until the state and the insurance companies realize they are screwing families that want to be truly complete, can't change. At this point we see it as nothing but a piece of paper. And with everything we have gone through as a family our love for one another has done nothing but grow. And in our eyes we are married, and happy as a family with our Cerebral Palsy hero.

Roger Goodells Newest Smoke Screen

Ray Rice (Domestic Abuse)
Johnny Manziel (Domestic Abuse allegation)
Greg Hardy (Domestic Abuse allegation, Gun charges. Both mysteriously disappeared)
Bruce Miller (Domestic Abuse that somehow became misdemeanor vandalism)
Rodney Austin (Domestic Abuse)
Ray McDonald (Domestic Abuse, child endangerment)

The sport of football is a high testosterone fueled, violent sport. The problem is players aren't leaving the violence on the field. The above list is just a very small sample of the players that just since the 2015 Superbowl, have been accused and or arrested and charged with Domestic battery of some sort. This doesn't include at all the multitude of arrests for drugs, alcohol, gun violations, animal abuse etc. These are just a couple of the guys who, for one reason or another decided to physically put their hands on a female.

I take personal issue with "men" like this. I watched for years as my mother was a victim of abuse. There is nothing that brings a fire out in me quicker (besides someone messing with my kids), than to hear, see or read about a woman being abused by someone that she should feel safe around. I do everything in my power to make sure my boys are being raised to respect and love women. And to know when they are angry to walk away from the situation. However like most boys, mine LOVE sports. And they look up to these players. So then of course I get to answer the questions about why aren't they playing, why did they get arrested? I'm not saying these players should be held at a higher standard than any other man out there. However I believe they do need to be taken out of the limelight and punished beyond just a few games suspension.

So what is the NFL's "answer" to the problem? As of today February 9th, 2016. The NFL has decided that should a NFL prospect have a conviction for Domestic Abuse or Gun Charges, they will not be allowed to attend the NFL combine or the NFL draft. No offense Goodell, but nice smoke screen! These players will still have their pro days, they will still have the media talking about them (in the football sense, not the criminal one). So what have your really accomplished Goodell? OH WAIT! I know what this is. If they aren't at the combine or the NFL draft then YOU don't have to talk about them on YOUR t.v. programs. Like I said, nice smokescreen. Why not take the responsible step Roger? Plain and simple, if you are convicted of a violent offense, domestic abuse, gun charge or a felony drug charge then you simply can't be drafted. How do you think this slap on the wrist is really hurting these guys, they will still get drafted in the high rounds if they are talented and still make millions. You really want to prove a point? No draft eligibility, plain and simple. Walk on, league minimum salary for the first 2 years. Stay out of trouble, then your eligible for the bigger money.

As far as the guys already in the league? Make it a no grey area. If your convicted of a violent offense or felony, your out. No questions asked. Contract Void. Adios. Goodbye. These players, college and pro have got to start being held accountable for all their actions. On and off the field. If they aren't, nothing will ever change. And the violence will continue. More videos of a full grown man clocking their wife will make it to the press. And god forbid, an obituary. We fans spend millions a year in merchandise, tickets, pay to watch etc. And we should have every right to hold these men to the same standards that we are held to.

Once again this is my opinion, any questions, comments, thoughts or opinions of your own are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Concussions-The attack on Youth Football and how the NFL can help

con·cus·sion

kənˈkəSHən/

noun

1. 1.

   temporary unconsciousness caused by a blow to the head. The term is also used loosely of the aftereffects such as confusion or temporary incapacity.

   
   

 Please keep in mind as I discuss this topic that I am not only looking at it from a parents point of view. But also as someone who loves the game of football. I have played, coached, and loved this game for many, many years. I don't believe that because of this "new" attack on the sport that parents are being given all the information that is truly needed to make an educated decision on allowing their children to play the game that has molded so many peoples lives. 

 Player participation in youth football is drastically dropping with parents talking their sons into playing sports such as soccer and baseball. What doesn't come out is the fact that soccer is actually the leading sport for youth concussions in the United States. Is this attributed to the fact that the rise in participation in the sport has risen exponentially in the last 10 years? Or is it the fact that these children still aren't being taught the proper methods to play the game safely at their age levels? Most youth sports programs are paid for, governed, and taught at a small local level. Most of the coaches for these sports are parents that may or may not have even played the sports that they are coaching. Much less have any sort of training on teaching the kids at their respected age levels the proper and safe methods of playing the game. I think this is where a big problem is in youth sports. I'm not questioning the intentions of these coaches, hell I was one of them myself. What I do question is what can be done to make sure that these kids are being taught the sport safely, and as age appropriate as possible.

  Per the Pop Warner league website, the average youth football player will have 240 head collisions in a season. This isn't saying full on head to head hard collisions. This is saying that 240 times they will hit their head. At a youth level the brain isn't fully developed and that means it's very susceptible to injury. Hell even for an adult, if you hit your head even lightly 240 times in a short period of time you will feel some sort of effect. I believe that concussions and CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is a very big problem. But I also believe that we can still do more to make the game safer. In the upcoming 2016 season the NFL is bringing in new, safer helmets. And yes, this is a start. But what about the younger programs? The programs that don't have access to even 1% of the NFL's stockpile of cash? This is where we need to concentrate our energy and mental prowess on. Most youth programs in the United States are locally ran, they don't fall under the Pop Warner governing body. They are local, small towns where a group of parents run the show. And it's highly appreciated and endearing to have these parents step up and want to help these youth gain the experience and love of the game that so many of us have. Still this is where we need to make the changes, to start good habits and safer game play.

  Flag football is gaining popularity throughout the nation, but is still not being offered enough for the younger kids programs. Most small towns in our area have youth football for kids starting in 3rd grade, which is awesome. However, a lot of these programs start these kids playing tackle football immediately. This is an issue, this can be and should be changed. There is absolutely no reason to have children this small playing tackle football. So let's change it. Let's use the first 2 years of these children's football experience to teach them the basics. I'm talking blocking, route running, pursuit routes etc. Let them develop the basic knowledge of the game before moving into the more physical aspect. I know a lot of you are saying "Ok, well how does this make the game safer?". By them having a more basic understanding of the basics you can work more solidly on the safer and more proper way of tackling when they reach the next level.

  But this is where the importance of "coach education" comes in. As I said previously, most of these coaches are fathers who may have played ball 15-20 years ago in high school. They are volunteers who don't get paid, they do it hoping to maybe make a difference in some young mans life. But this is also where we are slipping, I still see these coaches running "bull in the ring" and other "old school" drills with these kids. These drills aren't even ran at the professional level anymore because of the knowledge that people are easily injured in these drills. We need to change our style, and thinking of the sport and how these kids are taught. These kids today are bigger, faster and stronger than kids were when we played. And of course this increases the chances of injuries. We need education as coaches. And this is where the NFL could and should start helping. They are so worried about the future of the sport, then start where it begins. Youth Football.

  The NFL has a great program known as the "Heads Up" program. This program is intended to teach coaches and players proper tackling techniques to help eliminate the dangerous head to head collisions and spearing tackles that we have seen hurt so many players over the years. If the NFL wants to help save this sport that brings in billions of dollars a year to the league and owners, then they need to help educate the youth coaches. This could and should be done. If the NFL would team up with the local universities throughout the United States and hold clinics for these coaches to attend at little or no cost to them (keep in mind, most are volunteers). Not only would they be teaching the college players coming through the ranks, but also teaching the coaches of our young children the proper way that they should be handling our kids. Everything to educate the youth coaches and players can be done reasonably easily by the NFL. These kids are the future of the sport and the proper education and techniques should be available to them; just as they are available to the 2% that get to play the game professionally.

  This is my opinion, view and reasonable idea on how to help save the game that so many love. I hope that parents realize that when properly taught, these children can enjoy the sport as much as so many millions have for many years. Injuries will happen, but we can change the severity of some of them with proper techniques.