Grandparenting 101

Early this week, someone said they hadn't heard much about my grandchildren in a while.  Then just yesterday a friend told me I should write a book about grandparenting.  I don't think I'm there yet.

Years ago I did start a book about parenting but it's stored somewhere in my laptop, untouched for a long, long time.  It was to be called Every Mistake in the Book, because...well...I made every mistake in the book.  But I learned from those mistakes so I hope I become a better grandparent than I was parent.

We did have our 6th Annual Camp Blackberry this summer.  We get them for a week and have all sorts of planned activities, trips, and meals.

This year all six grandchildren attended and we had a blast, visiting the Knoxville Zoo, The Lost Sea, and the Chattanooga Aquarium.  I think it wasn't until the third day this year that I had my first nervous breakdown.

It was a great week and those same grandkids are already making plans for next year.  Oh, the name?  We raise blackberries and our name is Black so it just seemed logical.  Sam Beall told me it was OK.

So let me bring you up to date a bit on those grandkids.

GK1 (grandkid #1, the oldest) is doing great, thank you for asking.  Smart, gorgeous, and athletic, she's on the Cross Country team at her school and loving it.

GK2 is definitely the artist in the family.  With a smile that can light up a room, she loves basketball and volleyball.   (So maybe this is a little about sports.)

GK3 is handsome and witty and hugely inquisitive.  He's searching for "his" sport but I have no doubt that he'll find it one day, since his parents are giving him lots of options. I may get him a tennis racket.

GK4 is a firecracker and about the cutest thing you'll ever see.  I predict that he will be an outside linebacker and a wrestler.

GK5 is into everything.  One of my favorite photos is of her leaving ballet with her in an oh-so-perfect ballerina bun with her karate gi on, ready for practice. 

GK6 is the live wire, running around trying everything and taking great joy in movement.  He's into karate too (which has been great for him) but he's going to be a chunk so it seems likely he'll follow his dad into football.

So, what does it take these days to produce smart, athletic, well-rounded kids?

Opportunities.  Kids need opportunities to explore and engage in different things, especially sports.  Travel teams, private coaches, specializing at an early age?  Bad ideas.  They need to move and do lots of different things.

Kids need experiences.  They need to get to know people that aren't like them.  They need to see places well beyond their backyard.

They need to be exposed to art and music and literature.  Only available to the rich?  Oh heck no.  Our schools do a great job and we have an awesome library.

Live life with them.  Do things with them.  Play, hike, swim, bike.  Fly a kite.  Together.

Sports Nutrition 201

Jenna Waters is a Functional Nutritionist with the UT Internal Medicine Group.  She also maintains a private practice in sports nutrition.  Among her clients are the Nashville Predators and other professional teams and athletes.  She had previously served the athletic department at UT.

I sat down with Jenna at football practice at MHS this week.  Her husband is Assistant Football Coach and Head Strength Coach there.   We had talked many times before so I knew that Jenna was a vast reservoir of information about sports nutrition.

And believe me, there is a whole lot of misinformation about sports nutrition out there.  So I had a few questions for Jenna.

What's the biggest mistake in sports nutrition?  "Feeling like they only have to think about nutrition on game day.  It's an every day thing.  And believing the myth that more protein is better.  Oh, and not thinking about where their food is coming from."

We don't stop to think about additives and how our food was grown (does that pesticide really just wash off?).   Or what the long term impact might be from genetically modified food.

Sports drink or water?  "Sports drinks across the board are too sugar laden.  Check the ingredients.  Is it made with High Fructose Corn Syrup (mostly bad) or cane sugar (mostly good)?  Sports drinks are worthy during competition but not so good throughout the week.  We do need the electrolytes all week though so water is not completely adequate either."

What are the biggest differences between the nutritional demands of the athlete versus everyone else?  "The athlete that's really intentional about their nutrition will be focusing what they're eating, where it comes from, and how much.  Food for the athlete is fuel and the quality of that fuel can determine their performance."

Do different sports have different nutritional needs?  "Absolutely.  Baseline nutrition is very similar but from a competition perspective, it can be very different.  For example, the endurance athlete will prepare differently and often has to eat along the way."

What's the perfect pregame meal?  "For the average young athlete lean protein and carbs that come from a vegetable source.  A good sample meal might be grilled chicken, roasted veggies, and a side salad."

What about timing of that meal?  When should the pregame meal be consumed?  "Three to four hours before game time is ideal.  Additional snacks may be necessary closer to time and then during halftime but that depends on the athlete and the sport."

What is the latest trend in sports nutrition?  "The ketogenic diet."

(FYI, the ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high fat diet.  It relies on a shift in the body's metabolism in which the body shifts away from carbs and toward fats.)

"The idea of a fat-adapted performance athlete is valid.  It's important to have a sports nutritionist guiding the transition to this type of diet.  Use high quality fat, moderate amounts of protein, and low carbohydrates."

As a personal disclaimer, I've been on a ketogenic diet for about three years now.  I have cured my hypoglycemia and am no longer constantly hungry.  (JB)

Thanks for everything Jenna.

Rough Week

This has been a rough week.  I always try and be positive about things, uplifting even.  But this might be a week I want to forget.

On Monday, we learned of the tragic death of Brittany Johnson.  We knew Brittany well at our office.  She was often injured yet her smile and sunny disposition always came through.  We loved her. 

I remember once when we had to deliver the bad news about her latest injury, half the office cried along with her.  We all cry for her now.

I've got friends in Houston.  Oh, they are all OK but not everyone is.  And in the long run, the cost to lives, property, and the community will be beyond comprehension. 

But in that disaster comes human stories that affirm our belief in the goodness of man.  Unlike events of the previous week, people of all colors, backgrounds, and cultures worked together, helping each other make the best of a bad situation. 

I saw a video of a line of pickup trucks all pulling boats headed for Houston.  I doubt any of those good ol' boys checked ethnicity or gender before offering a helping hand. 

Then on Wednesday, the news of the death of Lucas Jones was released.  Lucas had been courageously battling Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a particularly vicious and deadly form of childhood cancer. 

Last year, the local bicycling community came together and did a benefit ride for Lucas.  The turnout was awesome and the money donated exceeded our wildest expectations.  People that didn't know Lucas came out and gave freely of their time and money.  I know for a fact that the motorcycle community does that sort of thing all the time.

Still, so much has to be done.  Most of the money supporting pediatric cancer research comes from the government and the government is currently considering yet another cut in the money they allot for pediatric cancer research. 

That's a tragedy that approaches the heartbreak of Lucas' life, too soon snuffed out.  Is that what we send people to Washington to do?

Yet, life goes on.  It must.  I know in every part of my heart that we are put here to love others, to serve others.  So we must pick ourselves up, shake ourselves off, and get back on that path.

 At times like this, we need as much normalcy in our lives as we can get.  Our games can be an important part of that.  We need to be able to enjoy our sports, whether as participants or as spectators. 

When Bill Crisp died, I needed to get back on my bike.  For me.  For Bill.  I needed to ride to begin the healing process that started when Bill was injured in a bicycle wreck.

This week, Major League Baseball teams reached out to the Houston Astros, offering them their stadiums for play.  Offering schedule swaps to help them get through the season.

And JJ Watts of the Texans at last word had raised $5 million for relief efforts.  By himself.  And then was seen wading through the streets of Houston carrying children to safety. 

I don't mean to be all dark and dreary.  It is necessary to look to the light, to survive, to live on.   So I'm going to focus on Brittany's smile, on people coming together to help those flood victims, on the hope in the search for a cure for pediatric cancer. 

And knowing that the sun will come up tomorrow, I choose to live on.

I Love My Job

I love my life.  I love my wife.  I love my family.  I love my friends.

I love Benton's bacon, long bike rides, and hikes with my wife.  I love to cook, travel, and lots of different kinds of music.  I love working in my yard but can't find room in my heart for loving that dadgum weedeater.

I love to be a part of the solution to problems.  I love seeing others succeed, enabling them to reach their dreams.

I love my job.  I actually look forward to getting to work in the mornings.  I also look forward to getting home in the evenings (maybe that's the life/work balance thing).

In my clinic, people come see me to get better, to get healthy again.  What a privilege!  People trust me with their health.  How awesome is that!

I love high school football.  I've been involved with the game of football in one fashion or another since I was in the 4th grade.  I was 9 and most of the player on the team were 12 or 13.  Didn't matter.  I loved it.

My first game on the sidelines here was 1982 at Maryville High School.  Since then I've been on everybody's sideline at one time or another.  I love all our schools.

In the afternoons this time of year, I leave work early and head to Maryville High School where I am the Athletic Trainer for the football and baseball teams.  Jennifer Stanley covers all the other MHS sports.  We have eight  other athletic trainers that do the exact same thing. 

Peggy Bratt at Alcoa, David Ivens at Greenback, Amanda Cagle at Heritage, Beth Emeterio at Maryville Christian School, Cindy Ellis at Sequoyah, Shawn Davies at Sweetwater, and Sarah Tate and Tracy Martin at William Blount. Grant Davis helps out wherever he is needed.

I think I can speak for all of them when I tell you that we love what we do.  We couldn't tolerate the long hours if we didn't.

Think about it.  We get to be a part of a team.  We get to experience the excitement of competition.  We make lifelong friendships with coaches, parents, and kids.  And we get the opportunity to be a positive influence in the lives of those same kids.

Then there's Friday night.  Oh how I love Friday night football games.  By game time, we have all spent a lot of time together.  Tough time.  Maybe dealt with some injuries.  Battled through the blood, sweat, and tears.

I love all my kids but I must admit, I do love some of them more.  I love the ones that have further to go and get there.  Who discover through hard work that they can achieve their goals.  The ones that maybe somebody else gave up on yet they didn't give up on themselves.  I hope I'm the one there to pat them on the back and encourage them along the way.  I might have been that kid long ago.

I love to watch coaches coach.  They put so much of themselves in that process.  Their one common goal is to help every player on their team be the best that they can be.  The best coaches don't yell as much as teach. 

I get to walk the sidelines, listen in on the coaching and the strategies, and watch these young people that I've grown close to finally get to play a game they obviously love.  And maybe have some small part in the team's success.

What set me off down this path?  Charlottesville, Virginia.  I believe in the power of love.  I don't want another day go by without showing love to others.  What about you?

Be A Parent!

Keep in mind that I've been around football most of my life.  I started playing in the 4th grade on a team that was mostly 7th and 8th graders.  In some form, I've been around the game since then.

I've actually even coached some, first in the Midgets program in my hometown while still in college and more recently in our Parks & Rec's youth football program.  I've been on more sidelines and in more coach's offices than just about anybody. 

And I've coached a lot of different things.  Soccer.  Basketball.  Softball.  Baseball.  I think I know a bit about sports and movement and coaching.

So here's the picture:  My son is a sophomore in high school, playing football.  As that school's athletic trainer, I had been at all of his practices and games.  I did it long before he got there and I'm still doing it. 

He was sitting in my recliner in our den and I'm trying to coach him up on what to do on the football field.  This was probably routine for us.  He had listened patiently and then finally spoke up.  What he said remains with me to this day.  I can still hear it.

"Dad, I've got one dad and 10 coaches."

That was all it took.  I don't think I ever tried to tell him anything about football since that day.  I did my best just to be his dad.  

Oh, I'm sure I've tried to tell him about life and a lot of other things.    Maybe he listened and maybe he didn't.  Maybe my advice was heeded or maybe it was ignored but either way, he's turned out to be a really great adult. 

I had the opportunity to speak to a group of football parents this year just before practice started and I told them that story.  Behind me sat our really incredible group of coaches. 

I pointed to those guys and told those parents "these are really great coaches.  They know what they're doing.  What you need to do is to be a parent to your kid.  Be a mom to them.  Be a dad.  But leave the coaching to these guys."

That may be the single best bit of advice I've ever given.  I've lived it. 

When your son or daughter comes home from practice or a game and is complaining about the coach...that the coach doesn't know this or that, don't agree with them.  Carefully guide the conversation elsewhere, into some positive arena.  

If your son or daughter is not starting and is frustrated about that, instead of blaming inept coaches, help them understand what they can do to get better, to put themselves into a better position.  Teach them how important it is to be a good teammate regardless of their playing status.

Allow  them learn the lessons that come from sports participation, from being on a team, from being coachable.

Remember, they've only got one mom and one dad. 

Not Every Headache is a Concussion

This is going to be a frank discussion today.  About a difficult topic.   I'm going to talk about concussions today. 

I've definitely talked a lot about concussions.  So has everyone else.  Concussions are all over the media.  Almost too much.  Almost.  Every time somebody gets hit in the head, the concussion question comes up. 

There was a recent report about a study of the brains of former NFL players.  110 out of 111 brains examined (they were dead, of course), showed significant evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), presumed to be the result of concussions.  Maybe one...maybe many. 

We know that repeated concussive events can lead to CTE.  It is beyond discussion. 

The symptoms for CTE resemble progressive dementia.  In the early stages, it manifests itself as memory loss, headaches, visual disturbances, and dizziness.  Next comes erratic behavior, personality changes, and social instability.  Late stages find the victim unable to perform many daily tasks.  Hygiene suffers.  Headaches might be intolerable.

The rate of suicide among those with CTE is alarmingly high.  The 2012 suicide of Junior Seau of the San Diego  Chargers was attributed to CTE.  There have been others.  Too many, really.

And here's the problem.  WE are to blame.  Health care professionals.  Athletic Trainers.  Physical Therapists.  Doctors.  Coaches.

In my career, which is admittedly long, if you "got your bell rung" but recovered to where you could answer a few simple questions, you could go back in the game.  In long ago days, even if you lost consciousness briefly, you might be allowed to play. 

Multiply that out from high school to college to the pro's and it adds up.  Then throw in the mentality that we should "get tough" and play through our injuries that was so prevalent when I was growing up and you can see how we have gotten to where we are now.

My how things have changed.  They've changed because we know oh so much more. Today, if you get a blow to the head, regardless of the circumstances, regardless of the activity, and have any symptoms, we treat it like it is a concussion.   Period.

Those symptoms might include headache, dizziness, blurred vision, difficulty concentrating, or sensitivity to light.  We treat it like it is a concussion until proven differently.

We have standardized cognitive tests that we administer to determine how well the brain is working.  We work diligently to do those studies on every high school athlete in our service area so that we have a baseline to compare to.  We test balance and coordination and a bunch of other things.  Just to be sure. 

But here's the dilemma:  Not every blow to the head that results in a headache is a concussion.  Yet hardly a day goes by that I'm not asked to examine an athlete that has been hit in the head and might have a headache.  Or might have had a headache for a few minutes but they're fine now.

How do we make that distinction then?  How do we know that it isn't a concussion?  We don't.  We treat them all like a concussion. 

Does it take expensive testing like CT Scans and multiple medical examinations to prove that it isn't a concussion?  Not always.  Sometimes it is a matter of professional judgment.  Judgment that comes from education,  experience, study, and knowing our players.

But when we're in doubt, that player is out. 

Doing What It Takes

I've been hiking quite a bit lately.  For those of you that have watched me run onto the football field, you're probably thinking that must be some kind of a joke.

Remember Chester from the old Gunsmoke days?  That's pretty much me when I'm "sprinting" across the field to take care of an injury.

They measure my 40 time with a calendar instead of a stopwatch.  when I stand up from sitting, my right knee sounds like the sound track from an Orville Redenbacher commercial.

Multiple knee surgeries and a lifetime of knee abuse will do that to you.  My X-Rays look like the "before" version of a successful knee replacement surgery.

But I love to hike--always have.  My teen years were filled with Boy Scout trips, at first with a canvas pack and a hand-made wooden pack frame.  College days and into my 20's found me backpacking all over the Smokies, now with the latest equipment and my treasured Svea stove.

My kids grew up hiking and backpacking.  Their first overnight trip was to the Little Bottoms area on Abrams Creek.  I think they were 3 and 5.  My daughter has kept that up with her own family, already seasoned backpackers.  My son, eh, not so much.  Not his thing.

Jump forward a bunch of years and my wife (of now 41+ years) has found that she loves hiking too.  And she can walk the legs off of most people I know.

So we hike.  Together.  As often as we can.  Our favorite local hike is up Bald River, above the falls.  Most people walk out onto the bridge, take a photo, and never venture far.  Those that do, usually stop at the top of the falls.  They don't realize that the real treasure is to be found mere steps on up the trail.

And Indian Flats Falls above Tremont.  Oh, my.   If you find it, you'll think you've discovered this secret gem hidden behind dense undergrowth.

But how do I do it?  How do I run I'm on my last leg but hike at a pace that puts many a younger man to shame?

Part of it is impact force.  Hiking (unlike running) minimizes that for me.  I wear orthotics and good boots and always use trekking poles. 

I do strength training regularly, keeping my legs strong with lifts like squats and deadlifts that I used to think had no value for a man my age.

Oh, my weight is a factor.  I weigh less now than I did in the 8th grade.  Don't understand the impact (literally) of that?  Carry a 20 pound weight around all day and then tell me what you think.

But the biggest reason is probably my core strength.  It's pretty decent.  I work hard at it.  All the time I spend on a bike helps my core tremendously.

So there you have a formula for staying active and not giving in to a sedentary lifestyle.   Even if your knees have long since betrayed you.