From the Sidelines

My Son Can Tie Himself to the Goal Post. What Can Yours Do?

Well, summer’s over.  Labor Day came and went, school’s started, and the rush of fall activities has begun.  Between music, dance, and sports, my kids seem to have somewhere to be every day.  I enjoy sitting with the other parents at the games watching the young kids on the field.  It is always a treat to see them learning the rules and having fun at the same time. One of the highlights of the time spent at practices and games is watching some of the crazier things that kids do! 

One of the team dads told me this story.  His son was 5 or 6 and playing goalie for his soccer team.  His team had been at the other end of the field for a while, so, apparently, he got a little bored.  He had been leaning against the goal post playing with the net when the other team kicked the ball toward his goal.  Unfortunately, instead of watching for the ball, he managed to get his shirt tangled up in the net.  With the goalie securely attached to the goal post, the other team had had a wide-open shot to the goal.  Luckily, the half ended before they could score and the goalie was quickly freed.  For the rest of the game, he watched the game a little closer and stayed clear of the octopus-like net.

If you have stories about your kids tying themselves to the goalpost, eating grass on the field, or watching a helicopter as the other team dribbles past, please let us know.  I’m sure you have some funny stories of your own!

We would love to hear from you.

What, there’s more than the CWS in Omaha?

I seem to recall that there was something going on in college sports this weekend…Reshuffling conferences and divisions? No that already happened. The World Cup…yes it’s soccer…true not many watch it in the U.S.  Oh yeah, the College World Series. If you or your kids follow college baseball or are from Omaha, this is one of the biggest events of the year.

Thousands and thousands of fans will descend upon Rosenblatt for its last year of the CWS to see their team play in this historical series.  As I mentioned in the last post, it is the last year the CWS is held at Rosenblatt.  Next year, it moves to its new venue to start new traditions and memories.  If you are a fan trekking to Omaha to watch the series, there are a few other activities, many kid friendly, to do away from the stadium.

It may come as a surprise to many, but Omaha offers a lot on a regular basis.  From museums to shopping, to arts, music, and movies, there are many local places to take your kids. Just next to the stadium is another huge Omaha attraction, the Henry Doorly Zoo.  One of the best in the country, your family can spend several days at the Henry Doorly seeing all the exhibits they have to offer including the Wildlife Safari. If your child has never been on a safari drive like this, it is a great opportunity to see their reactions to a buffalo licking your window.  My kids’ experiences are sure to bring up some embarrassment when we re-live them in front of their friends.

Without animals and slobbering, you can find quite a few other things. Make sure you hit one of the many Farmer’s Markets in the area.  Last count we have six across the Omaha area on varying days of the week.  You can, also, always escape the heat by taking in a movie.  Visit the iMax at the zoo, the Film Streams for their Forever Young series, or the Marcus Midtown Crossing Theater where you can have a full dinner and adult beverage during the show.

Take a walk in Omaha’s Old Market, Heartland Park, Lewis and Clark Landing, and the new pedestrian bridge if you want to just get outside for a while.  Or you might try and grab a pizza from one of several local pizzerias such as Mama’s or Zio’s.  Regardless of what you do away from the stadium, while you are there, make sure you stop by the Fan Fest Area and leave your fondest memories of Rosenblatt and don’t forget to stop by Zesto’s for a cone.  And, as always, if you are looking for the coolest sports gear Red21Boys is online and available wherever you are.

You can find all of these activities and more at http://www.visitomaha.com/. If there’s a memory of the CWS you’d like to share or something to do that I missed, fell free to post it here.

 

What's Your Game?

One playoff over, one under way, and two ready to begin! No matter what your favorite game is, there is a lot going on in sports this week.  You can choose from baseball, soccer, football, or hockey - it’s all happening right now.

If NHL hockey is your sports de jour, then you’ve been on the edge of your seat for the last few weeks. The battle for the Stanley Cup between the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers has been worth the watch.  The 49 year drought for the Blackhawks finally ended last night with their 4-3 victory in game 6. 

If basketball is more to your taste, the NBA is in the middle of the Finals as well. The three  games so far have been a back and forth fight.  However, at the moment, the Lakers seem to have advantage over the Celtics.  But with teams lead by Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett it’s anybody’s game.  I watch the NBA more often, but I think I ruined my son’s basketball opinion by watching the Harlem Globetrotters.  Now he always asks why a Celtic player isn’t running into the audience to throw a bucket of water on his teammate.

Although it’s not the number one pastime in the U.S., soccer/football kicks off the World Cup this weekend in South Africa.  Plagued (or blessed depending on your view) with some the most fanatical followers, FIFA soccer is a must watch, especially if you have a child playing soccer like I do.  We’ve watched a few high school games this season, but over the next few weeks, he and I will be able to see professionals from around the world.  It’s interesting that he can sit and watch an hour and a half soccer game, but can’t wait five minutes for dinner because he’s “hungry and can’t take it anymore!”

Last, but not least, the NCAA Men’s College World Series starts next week and is a huge event in for baseball fans everywhere.  During the CWS you get to see the best college teams play for the CWS trophy.  This year is going to be particularly memorable, since it will be the last year the CWS is held at Johnny Rosenblatt stadium.  The series has been played at Rosenblatt for 61 years and all the teams and coaches will arrive with past memories and undoubtedly create more this year. So take some time to watch this historical event and take in a game either from the comfort of your own home or in Omaha if you are nearby.

So much to watch and so little time, especially if your kids like to play more than one sport.  I guess it is their way of keeping us busy.

Cinco de Mayo, Baseball and Big Bargains!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  But what IS Cinco de Mayo?  It actually celebrates the 1862 Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla and, according to many people, is more of a U.S. holiday than a Mexican one. It's not the Mexican independence day like many people think.  

At my house, we think of it as a celebration of 5. My guys play baseball, so of course we try to think of all of the fun "five" facts that can relate to baseball, but you can do any sport you like.  Look at what we found!

 The most commonly retired number in baseball (other than Jackie Robinson's No. 42 that is retired MLB-wide) is 5. Think George Brett, Brooks Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, Johnny Bench and Jackie Robinson- all wore #5!!

 Ty Cobb, Carl Crawford, Roger Cedeno, Cesar Cedeno and Roberto Alomar, to name five, each stole 55 bases in a season.

 On the other hand, Don Drysdale led the NL in hitting batters a record five times. Drysdale said: "If one of our guys went down, I just doubled it. No confusion there. It didn't require a Rhodes scholar." Mickey Mantle was quoted as saying, "I hated to bat against Drysdale. After he hit you he'd come around, look at the bruise on your arm and say, 'Do you want me to sign it?'"  Boys love this one!

Baseball stars are regarded as "five-tool players." The five tools are: 1) hitting for average, 2) hitting for power, 3) running speed, 4) arm strength and 5) fielding ability.

We found these at the MLB site http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100504&content_id=9787858&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

Well, you get the idea!  If 5 isn't your favorite number, what about 9?  I have the inside scoop that our favorite on-line store for boys- red21of course- has a new sale under wraps.  It is so cool - you are going to love it!  Every day will be a new sale...seriously... 9 different styles on sale every day!!  The trick is that the sales only last one day, so you have to be on your toes.  The discounts are huge and the styles totally rock, as always!!   So if you have been waiting for your favorite shorts, t-shirts, or swim trunks to go on sale, this is your big chance!  Maybe they'll even put the super cool 3D shirts on sale!! I can't wait!

Every 24 hours there is a new chance to get exactly what you want at a price you are going to love!  Meet you there!

If you could choose what goes on sale, what would it be? Comment back and who knows, maybe the sale fairy will read our post and make your wish come true!

A Busy Weekend

This weekend is sure to offer a flurry of events, assuming the flurries on the upper east coast aren’t keeping you in.  On Friday, the 2010 Winter Olympics opens in Vancouver.  While quite a bit smaller that its summer brethren, the winter games still has quite a few events that are exciting and a great time for your family to watch.  If your children love the slopes, the Olympics offer alpine and freestyle skiing and snowboarding.  If they prefer the ice rink, make sure you catch hockey and the various figure skating competitions. Us here in the western hemisphere we are fortunate this year because, with games being held in Vancouver BC, so we don’t have to watch re-runs or DVR many of the events and can watch them live from the pacific standard time zone.

            The Olympics however are not the only goings on this weekend.  Valentine’s Day is Sunday and it seems that everyone is gearing up for it.   This holiday has come a long way from its blurry origins and letter writing with an overwhelming number of gift options.  While the standard roses and candy are still available and are perfect for a significant other, I always like to get my children into the celebration and my boys are thankful for something beside roses.  There many local pizza chains offering a heart shape pizza.  My family has a tradition that we pick up a cheese topped heart shaped pie and eat in front of a good movie.

            Finally, here in the U.S., Monday is President’s Day.  While the Federal and local governments are closed for the celebration of Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays, the retailers are going mad with sales over the weekend.  You can find great savings in stores both on the web and in your area.  Red21Boys is no different in this case.  So make sure that you check your e-mail tomorrow or, if you are not on the mailing list, sign up so you can get in on the great savings this weekend.

Hockey days are here

I’m glad that the saying “I was watching hockey and a game broke out” isn’t true for kids leagues.  My boys follow the sports calendars and last week was the beginning of the NHL season.  So, instead of watching a movie on the weekends, they have ESPN on and are glued to a hockey game.  I will have to say, collisions aside, there is something elegant about the professional players skating on the ice. Of course, with several of their friends playing on teams, this is not the only fill of hockey that they get.

In a few weeks, my son’s friends will have games of their own at the area rinks.  In years past, we have gone to catch a couple games every season.  Although not quite as graceful (or rough for that matter), there is something enjoyable about leaving the cool autumn air for colder temperatures to sit on metal bleachers in order to watch a bunch of 12-year olds chasing a puck around.  Fortunately, the only fights I have to worry about my children seeing are the ones between coaches and parents.

It is also fortunate that Red 21 Boys has hockey and lacrosse clothing on sale and I’ll be sure to pick out a few long sleeve tees and fleece pants for the boys.  The Hockey League raglan and Stars and Stripes Athletic Pants from Wes and Willy are always a good combo.  This way I know that they will be warm even in the frigid temperatures of the hockey rink. The great thing with the Wes and Willy brand is that I know I’m getting durable comfortable clothes that even after the hockey season, my boys will want to wear again and again and the shirts and pants you can get at Red 21 won’t fall apart in the first washing.  Like I’ve said before, Red21Boys.com makes it easy for parents to shop for their boys and Wes and Willy is a long lasting product.  Besides, if your boys are as interested in sports as mine, you’ll want to save every penny on boys’ clothes for all the sports equipment that you’ll have to buy!

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Big League Courage

  (photo curtesy of Trinity)

Wow! A coworker sent me this amazing video clip of this boy, Adam Bender. He's 8 year's old and plays catcher in a boys' southeastern rookie league in Kentucky.

Catcher is one of the toughest positions for a kid to play! Think about it! First off, you've got a pitcher lobbing baseballs at you right and left, along with a kid swinging a bat right by you, AND runner's sliding into you all the time! Jeez loueez!

What makes this boy so tough is that not only does he do all this. . . he plays this difficult position on one leg. Adam had his leg amputated when he was jut one year old, due to cancer. He doesn't use any prosthetics, and only uses crutches when he reaches base for his team, the Astros.

That's some big-league courage!

What a cool kid. And he plays very well too! You should check out this video to see Adam hitting, running to base, and playing the catcher's position too. This is one hard core little league player!

What an inspiring little guy. . .

Does your boy love baseball? Little league is definitely a fun summer activity. But I personally think that kids also need plenty of UN-structured play time in the summer! Baseball is just as fun when you scrap the uniforms in favor of comfy, casual summer boys clothing, like the stuff you can find at Red 21 Boys clothing.

They've got boys clothes that'll stand up to a rough and tumble game of sand lot baseball. Boys T-shirts, some with really fun graphics on them. .. oh and a whole bunch of sporty boys shorts and comfy boys sweats. Don't forget to check out the light weight spring boys hoodies at Red 21 Boys. Some summer nights can get chilly, and it's important  that jr. has boys clothes that are not only cozy, but provide a little protection from those evening buzzzzing bugs!

Welp I've gotta run! Check out these cool baseball-themed boys clothes, here's a link to a cool summer baseball section at Red 21 Boys Clothing. And don't forget to swing by this page for the full news article about brave Adam Bender, and his super cool baseball skills!

Have a great day, and don't forget. . .

Have Fun. Play Hard!

Surfing USA

(photo curtesy of Red 21 Boys Clothing)

Duuuuuuuude. Okay yeah, I just said "Dude" with about a bajillion "u"s. . . But it was totally necessary in honor of International Surfing Day. Which by the way was on Saturday this past weekend, if you missed it.

Whether or not you are lucky enough to live by a beach, International Surfing Day sounds pretty darned fun to me! Even if you can't go surfing all the time, let's take a day to chill out and adopt the easy going surfer-dude mindset. Even if it's just for a day. At the very least, it's a great excuse to check out boys clothing with beach themes, and new boys swim wear. . . and to save on shopping while you're at it! C'mon people, us Americans are too on the go go go all the time!

With so much emphasis on extreme sports these days, it's no wonder that boys want to embody the cool dude attitude of their heros. Red 21 Boys Clothing has a bunch of cool items in right now are packed with big guy style but come in all smaller boys clothing sizes. Mom's and boys can agree on this stuff.

International Surfing Day may be over, but hey it's not too late to jump into the surfer attitude. Check out cool boys t-shirts with fun surf themes, like this boys Rock Pile Beach Tee:

(Photo curtesy of Red 21 Boys Clothing)

I was cruising the site today because a little birdy told me that there were new boys swim wear styles. It was true! 7 brand new picks for beachy boys clothing, fun patterns and colors for boys trunks! The best part is I found out they're all on sale. Some sort of summer boys swim wear blow-out or something. Check it out, and then hit the beach!

Well Bettys and Dudes, I gotta check out for now. But hey, if you wanna to learn more about International Surfing Day, check out this cool page at SurfingTheMag.

Oh yeah. . .and to practice your own surfing lingo check out the online surf dictionary, appropriately dubbed the "Riptionary". Suhweeeeet.

Kbye!

Have Fun. Play Hard!

Baseball and Boys Clothing. . .

(Photo Curtesy of Red 21 Boys Clothing)

UPDATE!

Hey yesterday I was yammering on about baseball (the BEST sport ever by the way) and I forgot to post this helpful pic for you guys. If you're looking for boys clothing and you've got a boy who digs baseball, you should definitely drop by Red 21 Boys Clothing. They've got all sorts of hip boys t-shirts, jerseys, boys baseball raglan shirts, and ringers along that theme.

The pic above is actually a copy of the most recent email send-out from Red 21 Boys Clothing. Hey, actually if you're not a member of the mailing list for Red 21 Boys you should sign up! It's completely painless I assure you. Just sign up at Red 21 Boys Clothing and you get a weekly email filled with the latest scoop on what boys clothing sales are going on and on the latest trends in boys clothes. Some times you can even get coupons and deals that are exclusive to people on the mailing list. And it's FREE! That's a win win situation my friend.  :-)

Oh, which reminds me... there should be another email coming out soon. Sign up before it goes out, so you can get the exclusive scoop on the latest boys clothing items.

Well I gotta run. Have a great day folks!

Have Fun. Play Hard!

Peanuts, Hot Dogs, and BASEBALL!

(Photo Curtesy of BMS-Lou)

The College World Series Kicked off last Saturday, June 14th in Omaha Nebraska at Rosenblatt Stadium! Is your boy excited about the baseball action? Jeez loueez. . . my cousin's boy spent the weekend alternately shouting "bayball" and running around the yard with a glove. Then again, he's also only 4 years old.

At any rate, I thought I'd pass along this link. Click HERE to jump straight to a handy 2008 College World Series Bracket. Then you and your boy can track your team's progress together! Who are you rooting for? :-)

And for you Moms out there who're raising baseball fanatics, there are some great deals on baseball-themed boys clothing from Red 21 Boys right now. Haha. Proving there are ways to show off his love of baseball short of gearing up in full uniform. Someone should tell that to David. . . who is probably geared up and yelling "bayball" this very second. . .

When it comes to boys clothing, especially boys t-shirts, baseball is a natural pick for a theme. Don't you think? C'mon think about it. Boys and baseball have been like peanut butter and jelly for as long as I can remember. I guess that's why they call it America's Favorite Past Time. :-)

Growing up in the fifties, my dad was a baseball nut. Of course boys athletic gear and- boys clothing in general for that matter - has come a long way since then!

I suggest checking out the selection of boys t-shirts and sportsgear from Red 21 Boys Clothing. For a limited time there's an entire section of baseball-themed athletic boys clothes! My favorite is the boys Elkhorn Baseball Tee by Wes and Willy. I love the colors in this boys t-shirt, and the fun printing. The distressing gives it that vintage feel.

(Photo Curesy of Red 21 Boys Clothes)

Welp I gotta run, there are baseball tickets to look into! I'm even considering making the trek to Rosenblatt Stadium sometime in the next week. It sounds way fun! It'll be a bit of a trip though. What do you think, worth the gas money?

See ya later!

Have Fun. Play Hard.