Teaching kids to write is
equivalent to teaching
kids to think; giving kids
the tools to write is giving
them the resources
to be successful in life.
Combining all of this
with soccer is like putting
peanut butter with chocolate.
I am surprised every public
school hasn’t adopted a
SCORES program.”
- Best Selling Author, Stephen King
Picture this: A smooth wall-pass to the Center Midfielder, who passes it up the line to the Right Winger, who boots a magnificent cross to the Striker, who heads the ball like a laser beam, into the upper right corner of the net, just inches from the Keeper’s reach and…Ta Da! Goal! That’s The Beautiful Game, also known as, Soccer.
Who thought of combining The Beautiful Game with poetry? America SCORES, that’s who. SCORES is an after-school program for urban public schools, bringing kids a weekly dose of soccer and poetry. As a SCORES Poetry Coach last fall, I had the pleasure of working with students at the Oakland school, Think College Now (TCN). They played soccer twice a week and then they joined me in “playing” with poetry the other two days a week.
My team consisted of a dozen or so high-energy 3rd through 5th grade girls. They were mainly there for soccer, but since poetry is a requirement under SCORES, they had to take my class, too. I knew I had a big task ahead of me.
Week-by-week, we explored the basics of poetry, experimenting with various forms. I tried to keep it fun–mixing activities between music, word games, stories and journal-writing. But these girls loved to talk and tease each other. Plus, they had cliques. I’ll spare you the details. Rather, I’ll just say some of them had a flair for drama.
When I started to doubt their progress, their journals and experimental poetry turned up gems. I watched them come out of their shells, embracing poetry as a vehicle for expression. They wrote about friendship, family, love, hate and crushes. They surprised me by their eagerness to read their poems out loud. Could it get any better than that?
Our final project was to perform a group poem at the annual East Bay SCORES Poetry Slam! at Dunsmuir Estate. The girls took pride in composing their own lines. I also let them choreograph some movements. However, the rainy day weather affected our practice sessions. I found myself managing their behavior more than coaching. I strived to keep the girls focused and busy. I also crossed my fingers a lot.
Performance night brought us together with hundreds of other SCORES kids. We were second on the program. I tried to shrug off the girls’ collective “deer-in-the-headlights” expressions–however, I grew concerned. A few of the girls had stage-fright. I hoped it wouldn’t spread.
My team sat, stiff with fear, as the first group performed their poem. I held my breath as the MC called us up. Thankfully, all my girls stood up and followed me to the front of the auditorium. I watched them file on stage, just as we had practiced.
I remained close by to cue and cheer them on. But once they got going, they were fine. Every girl remembered her line. If someone forgot to recite the group lines then other girls filled in, projecting their voices and filling in gaps. They wowed us with their performance of “All the Colors of the World.”
The poetry slam reminded me of a good soccer match. As a veteran soccer coach, I recalled the planning, scrimmages and drills, mess, mud and grime of the field, ebb and flow of the game, perfect passes, interceptions and hard-earned goals. A coach organizes practices, but the game, itself, is in the players’ hands (and feet).
The judging panel awarded my team: “Most Visionary” and “Rhythm & Rhyme.” Perhaps they, too, were reminded of The Beautiful Game?
Nope, I didn’t spell “word” wrong. The new spelling hails from a brand-spanking new site dedicated to coining creative new words…er, I mean werds.
I found out about Addictionary through the SCBWI discussion forum. Their recent holiday contest garnered some hilarious results. Here they are, compliments of SCBWI poster, WriterKat. Fun stuff!
“The Addictionary wrapped its Holidaze 2007 Lingo Contest. The winner got an Apple iPhone. Pretty good deal for a bit of werd-smithing! What’s your werd?
There were a bunch (see them all here); but the top 10 Addictionary.org Holidaze 2007 werds are:
10. Jinglebills (n) – The large credit card bills that come in right after the Christmas shopping season
9. Santa cause (n) – A Christmas gift in which a donation to a charitable cause is given in the recipient’s name
8. eggsnog (n) – A person who has had too much eggnog and wants to kiss anyone and everyone
7. wrapalanche (n) – The mountain of discarded wrapping paper and ribbons on Christmas morning
6. mistleshmoe (n) – The office drone who lurks in the doorway at holiday parties looking to get lucky
5. sprawlidays (n) – The festive occasion when the male members of a family become one with the living room couch
4. Clicksmas (n) – The act of doing all holiday planning, shopping and/or socializing online
3. Excessmas (n) – 1) The act of striving to achieve that “special holiday feeling” through excessive holiday spending 3) Too much holiday decoration. 4) Too much holiday celebration with food and/or adult beverages
2. tannenbomb (n) – The explosion of lights and ornaments hitting the floor after the cat attempts to climb the Christmas tree
And the winner of The Addictionary Holidaze’07 Lingo contest, submitted by New Yorker, Walter Quinn:
1. Auld Lanxiety (n) – The angst one feels every December 31 upon the realization that one didn’t keep any of last year’s resolutions.
If a better or funnier alternative definition occurs to you, you can go to the werd and submit it. “
Far away from Hundred Acre Woods, amidst all the revel and holiday parties, there was a little gathering. This surprise performance stands out as a highlight for us. Kai, my very shy daughter, came out of her shell just long enough to sing a cute holiday song.
DJ Ronnie of Kings & Queens Entertainment rewarded her with a Winnie-the-Pooh bear. Bay Area peeps, take note. Ronnie’s new dj and karaoke service is top notch!
These blurry, highly-pixalated images are movie stills snagged off a homespun DVD (I bumped up their size in photoshop)–so please pardon the quality. You can actually see and hear the action online through quicktime. Check out the fun here. Happy holidays!
Love things that sparkle? I know I’m not the only one who does. The holidays bring out the sparkle bug in all of us. Think of all the people who flock to view those overly-decorated blinking homes on display during the holidays. On a recent trip to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, we (my family and I) saw a gigantic whirligig sculpture from a distance–a landmark for The American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM).
Trekking toward the whirligig, we came upon a mirrored tree marvel (top photo). It was comprised of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of mosaic mirrors with colored plastic and glass embellishments along its trunk, base and “branches.” Hanging delicately off the tree branches were dangly mirrors of assorted shapes and sizes which caught the afternoon sun at the perfect angle, setting off a mini light show that bounced and danced off the sidewalk, the street and us!
We entered the museum, turbo-charged for more delightful discoveries. (AVAM is incredible. A must-see next time you’re in the Baltimore-Washington DC area.)
Check out the cool up-close, lovely details. The name of the sculptor TBA (as soon as I find out).
Here’s to home-grown shiny and festive. Promise not to send PETA after my father-in-law? Paul grew up hunting the wilds of Chesapeake Bay (pre-suburbia) and this deer head, a gift from his brother, hangs in the family room. Paul’s decorating-diva spirit definitely got the best of the deer–the lights, beer cans and a blinking doodad on its nose–so not Martha Stewart!
Paul strung up even more colored lights along with his hand-crafted contraption of pine cones and beer cans placed on a retro beer-tab chain hung along the walls and ceilings of the room. Can you imagine him on reality TV: Straight Former Hunter-Chemist with a “Queer Eye?” Not! Well, at least, he can express bright, shiny and festive!
Thanksgiving ‘07.
I brought my daughter’s copy of THE GIVER by Lois Lowry on our annual Thanksgiving trip to the east coast. Kai lauds THE GIVER as her favorite book “of all time.” Not a surprise. It sported the worn and tattered look of a well-loved book.
To my delight, THE GIVER was an excellent holiday read. You see, I’ve grown weary of all the holiday hullabaloo pressuring us into a spending frenzy. Don’t get me wrong. One of my favorite things about the season is gift-giving. However, what is the true meaning of gift and giving, especially in today’s culture? These words have been stripped of their true lustre thanks to the bombardment of holiday advertising, spend-now-pay-later deals and other commercial trappings. THE GIVER pulls us in, neck deep, into rushing waters forcing us to tread on the genuine meaning of giving and receiving.
A riveting tale set in a pristine, ideal community, THE GIVER suggests that a smooth ride in life is not without bumpy, disjointed truths, or dangerous consequences, even if things are perfect. I love Lowry’s voice—her expert build-up of tension, clarity of storytelling and poetic description satisfied me to the bone. Although it took me away from my NanoWriMo writing, the story was a welcome distraction. I was inspired and rejuvenated by Lowry’s words, secretly wishing that her gift of language would rub off on me. (Okay, it’s not a secret anymore.) THE GIVER earned the prestigious Newbery Medal in 1994.
