DON'T MISS OUT! (Don't delay!)

People make the same mistakes all the time.  They think they can wait for children to become "of age" before developing them (with no clear definition of what this really means).  Men make the excuse, "Oh, I need him to get a little older before I start throwing the ball around" (meanwhile the child just turned nine years old)!  Women say, "I need to get back into the thick of things - I'll get around to the lessons - let me just get into my job -- anyway the father is not doing anything, why should I?"  Both of these responses are just excuses!  While you are waiting for the perfect time, thousands of other children are perfecting their sport or craft.  Thousands of hours are being logged by other children, beginning as young as three (the age when my youngest was put on skis and started swinging a tennis racket).  Some will call this "overkill"  - say you are pushing the kids too fast.  Those of us who know better say that you are giving your child additional "enablers of success!"  Find examples when raising your child and follow the inner voice you hear. Start developing your child early - age eighteen will be here faster than you know,  Begin early - you'll be pleasantly surprised at the accomplishments along the way!

EDUCATION REALLY IS A LIFELONG PROCESS (be sure to include a social media strategy)!

As you lay the foundation for developing your children, don't forget to constantly work on increasing your own knowledge at the same time.  Today, we have advanced from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age.  Today, you get paid for what you know and how you are able to implement that knowledge. If you are not constantly evolving, you are only just existing! In short, you MUST have a social media strategy!

Thanks to Nicole Newman and Net Tuesday for the workshop last night on social media strategy.  The meetup was great last night.  Only sorry that I had to miss one of my sons' championship games in order to stay.  I sent them a text and they completely understood! And what do you know! Leon had a huge photo in the August 3 edition of the Delaware County Daily Times.  The caption read, "Aston Valley center fielder Leon Stimpson makes a running catch of a line drive off the bat of a Collingdale hitter during Game 1 of the Delco League finals Monday night."  Great story, fantastic picture, wonderful Meetup -- all of it -- priceless!

WE ARE STRATEGIC .... WE ARE WOMEN! HEAR US ROAR!

When people think about moms' participation in sports, they usually think about working the concession stands, keeping lists of players and money owed, providing transportation, preparing lunches for away games, etc. This blog is a testament to the fact that women are stepping it up and getting much more done. True, we fall along a continuum when it comes to developing youth in sports (some definitions are in order – later). However, those of us at the far end have done a magnificent job "running through the obstacle courses" placed in front of us. We are at the forefront of decisions that continue to be made regarding finding, deciding and financing schools; finding, deciding and financing training and coaching opportunities; and just generally laying the foundation for the end result – and for the deals to be clinched along the way! We are in direct discussions with athletic directors, coaches and scouts who respect us for our knowledge - once we enter into conversation. We have sacrificed friendships, relationships, and otherwise “couldn’t miss events” to hold it down when there was no help on the horizon! We have fallen, but could not stay down for long because there was more work to be done. Many of us have withstood negativity, insults and offenses – “those folk” never really understood us and we ALWAYS rejected their “groupthink!”


For our children, we are the managers, the publicists, the photographers -- the psychologists, the investors, the nurses, the cheerleaders, the nurturers, the advisors, the career developers and the business owners. We connect up the dots and - when it comes to our children - we will stand up to opposition, ignore naysayers, jump barriers and Move Mountains! Many of us run our own households make tremendous sacrifices (let me be real clear - that's emotionally/mentally, physically, and FINANCIALLY - ALL of the above - for ALL of the consecutive years of development) and stay five steps ahead at all times! We just look at the “Johnny-come-lately” who thinks she/he knows what’s going on with us. Just when you think you have figured us out, we come at you from another direction – with another angle, another “out-of-the-box” solution! There are some who want to insert themselves for selfish agendas. To them we ask one question – “and just who is raising your children and what exactly have they done?”(Things that make you say, “hmmmm”).

Just know that NOBODY gets to psychologically damage our children, NOBODY gets to impede their progress, NOBODY gets to create unnecessary chaos and NOBODY gets to diminish them as people! On the other hand, we welcome the positive participation of EVERYBODY who has advice, words of encouragement and yes, even resources to offer! We stay in prayer – constantly – and because of our faith, we are guided by an inner voice and receive clear direction! We are STRATEGIC - strategic planners, building strategic alliances, during strategic times, for the strategic success of our children! We are women! Hear us ROAR!

"If You Bungle Raising Your Children ..." (Failure is not an option!)

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis said it best with her quote, "If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much." I decided long ago that I would not bungle this important God-given task!

Of course, this blog will reference what I’ve done with my sons (you can also see them in pictures and posts on Facebook and Twitter – connect to PhillySportsMom). It is also a tribute to values and lessons taught to me by my parents (Ulysses and Bessie Mobley), a love of baseball passed down by my father (Ulys/Uly/Preacher – take your choice) and the messages given me while still young – “to be independent, that I could become whatever I chose to become, that I could accomplish whatever I pursued, not to depend on man, and that all things are possible ….!” I can still see myself riding in the car with my father and frequently having him say to me, “Baby, if you don’t help yourself, you can’t help anybody else.” I saw my mother in action daily – she was a “teacher’s teacher” and redirected many a child in Philadelphia’s School District. I will never forget watching the faces of the children who spoke at her funeral, letting everybody know about the impact Mrs.Mobley had on their still young lives. Since “nailing” those early lessons in life, I’ve developed expertise in making lemonade out of lemons! Today, I share this with all of you - others may fall off, place barriers in your way, lie to you, not stand by you or assist you, instead choosing the attitude “it’s all about me” and partying life away (until the light bulb goes on)! Somehow, people see raising children as a "chore" not as the "gift" it's meant to be! Know that if you are successful, people will fall in line years later, surrounding your child/ren – everybody wants to be identified with a winner! If you fail, you will be blamed forever by lots of folk! In fact, it will seem like people are waiting in the wings to watch you fail. Make them wait forever! Failure is NOT an option!