Ah...the all knowing

WOW....two posts in one day?!?!?!? Kind of considering the earlier one was really early in the morning or just late at night depending on your perspective.

I was watching the movie Elizabethtown last night when I wrote that other post, which is what made me think of that topic.

This post is something that I have been marinating on for a couple days now.

This is a message to all parents and to all future parents.

If your child is playing a sport, DO NOT coach from the sideline.

It is fine and very much appreciated to CHEER from the sideline (appropriately of course). But there is no reason to give coaching advice.

Unless of course you are the coach!

So many times I hear parents who think they know what they are talking about telling their child what to do.

What if the coach specifically said not to do what you just told them to do?

My daughter plays under 8 soccer so right now the girls are all learning how to listen to a coach and learning the nuances of soccer.

The other day her team had a game and one of the girls was on defense. But the parent of this girl told her that she can’t help the team by standing back there on defense. She should run up and join the offense so that she can score.

WHAT??

Isn’t defense just as important? And if the coach wanted the girl to go play offense then he would put her on offense or tell her himself.

But this parent decided that his daughter was too good to play defense because she WASN’T helping the team.

No, she WAS helping her team by being in position to keep the ball out of the net if it came back there.

But the parent was unable to see past themselves to realize this.

All I am saying is that the coaches typically know what they are doing.

How do you expect these kids to listen to a coach if you are telling them different things?

The coach tells them one thing and you tell them another….?

That is not going to work and you need to STOP!

Unless of course you don’t want your child to learn the proper way to play. And I think you do.

So just let the COACHES coach and you the parent can offer words of ENCOURAGEMENT from the sidelines.

But PLEASE don't COACH unless you ARE the coach!

My first favorite's list

So last night I was talking to the wife and I was pretty much having a two sided conversation with myself. And it reminded me of the scene in Ocean’s Eleven where Clooney and Pitt are sitting at a bar/restaurant and Clooney basically has a conversation with Pitt without Pitt saying anything.

So it got me thinking about the movie which then turned into what are my favorite movies. So I thought about it today and this is what I have come up with.

Top 5 Favorite Movies of All Time:

1. Good Will Hunting - this was the easiest one to come up with and place on my list. Easily my favorite movie of all time. My favorite scene is the bar scene when Will makes fun of the smart Harvard guy. And then the apples line is classic!
2. Ocean's Eleven - I laugh at this movie and enjoy watching it no matter when I see it. If it is on tv I have to at least watch for a while. Two favorite scenes are the one previously mentioned and one before that when they are waiting to get on the elevator and Clooney gives Pitt a speech about why to do it. Great movie. The sequels were good but there is noway to live up to that movie.
3. Shawshank Redemption - Another movie that I have to watch when it is on. It is actually one of the few movies that I won't leave during a commercial. My favorite scene is probably when the warden discovers that Robbins is gone.
4. Finding Forrester - Being an aspiring writer myself I really enjoy this movie. Not so much for the issues touched on in it but just the movie. My favorite scene is probably when he answers Claire's questions on the porch at the party in front of her dad, the dean. He showed that he is not just a basketball player and that he does know something.
5. Lucky Number Slevin - I have never in my life liked a movie right after I saw it as much as this one. I actually applauded, and I was at home watching it. I will admit that the first hour is a little slow but the second hour is incredible. Totally original and incredibly well done. A favorite scene would probably be when Hartnett is killing the Rabbi's son. He warns him that someone is trying to kill him and then when asked who he says Me and shoots him. Awesome movie.

If you haven't seen these movies I suggest you drop whatever you are doing and go rent them. If you have seen them I suggest you drop whatever you are doing and go watch them now. I would and probably will watch them all soon.

Some other movies that almost made my list were Crash, Apollo 13, and Beverly Hills Cop (the first one). But they couldn't quite convince me to drop another movie off the list.

I will continue to do some other favorite's lists in the future but this was my first and it will probably (much like movies) be my best one.