Welcome to the Balance

Dear New Readers,
Hi there, my name is Monica and I am a former gymnast/dancer/cheerleader turned coach (oh the world of injuries).  Growing up I never felt like my schedule was that strenuous...  I started in dance and gymnastics, then my parents had me branch out.  I swam competitively each summer, I tried tennis, I played five years of soccer, I figure skated, and I finally just decided that dance and competitive cheerleading was the best for me.  My four-a-week practice schedule never seemed all that bad to me.  My mom probably didn't like driving me all around the county from home to school, to practice, back to home, then rinse and repeat.  But I had found my passion.  When I was old enough to start babysitting, I distinctly remember going over to my first sitting job.  It was a sunny summer afternoon on Balboa Island in Southern California (So Cal girl born and raised right here!) After the parents had left, I asked the two little girls if they wanted to walk down to the park and play on the jungle gym and the swings.  Both of them looked at me like I had just asked them if they wanted to donate a kidney.  There horror of playing outside!! I was told that they would much prefer to watch a movie and play computer games.  After talking to them further that evening I found out that they didn't play any sports,  didn't go to the park very often, and really only played on the computer and read books after school.  Reading is important; I haven't mentioned yet, but I am an English Education major, so I love to read, but being active and living a balanced life is important to.  I think this is where my passion for adolescent health and adolescent fitness started.

Fast-forward to today:  I love working with my athletes and the students I teach and I always stress to them about living a balanced life style.  It doesn't mean just eating healthy, or going outside once a week.  It is doing it all in a good balance.  It means sticking with it.  Adolescent health is important because that is where is all begins.  If adolescents can understand a balanced lifestyle, then they will be more inclined to follow it in the future.

Bye for now!
Stay balanced :)