Gym Momentum

Strength Training and The Growing Athlete – Part Two

Tony Retrosi — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:30:31 +0000

View PART ONE of Vern Gambeta’s thoughts on Strength Training and the Growing Athlete. You may also want to view Vern’s Website FUNCTIONAL PATH TRAINING

Strength Training and the Growing Athlete

The fact is that strength is a basic motor skill, which is an important precursor to other motor skills. To ignore strength development will only serve to limit the development of other key motor qualities such as speed, coordination and flexibility. Everything, regardless of the level of athlete, is related to a broad fitness and activity base. Someone completely sedentary will be more likely to not make good progress and get hurt than someone who has been very active. It is generally acknowledged that youth today are not as active and fit as previous generations. They also tend to specialize in specific sports earlier; this has the effect of narrowing their range of motor skills as well as limiting their ultimate development in their chosen sport. The key is to do what is natural and playful first. If you watch children play in their natural environment they perform amazing feats of strength relative to their bodyweight. They push, pull, jump and throw with ease. If the object is too heavy they leave it alone. Nobody has to tell them it’s too heavy! No one has to instruct on technique, they put their body into positions that are natural to achieve the desired outcome.

We must really rethink how we look at strength, how we characterize it. There is no doubt that the growing and developing athlete should strength train. Over the years the benefits that have I have seen far outweigh any possible negatives. As I consider the various pros and cons I am increasingly aware that it is more a controversy regarding methodology and methods than whether or not the growing athlete should strength train. The most common questions are: When should they begin? How should they begin? How much should they do? How should they progress? These are all legitimate questions that I will answer in the course of this article.

Some of the controversy results from unclear definition and confusion of terms. Strength training and weight training are not synonymous. Weight training is part of strength training (resistance training). Strength training is an umbrella term that encompasses a spectrum of resistance modes from bodyweight gravitational loading on through to traditional weight training and Olympic weight lifting. All the modes are appropriate if utilized properly and are carefully taught as part of a progression over the course of the growing athletes development. The key to all of this is to start where you can succeed with bodyweight gravitational loading and then to progressively add resistance as the growing athlete adapts to the stimulus of the current mode of strength training.

There are definite gender differences in regard to the need, response and adaptation to strength training. The growing female athlete is physically more mature than the male athlete at the same chronological age. A good rule of thumb is to consider the female two years advanced in physical development over her male counterpoint at the same age. The percentage of muscle mass is lower in women than in men 30 –35% for the female to 42 – 47% for the male. Generally 11 –13 for girls and 13 – 15 for boys are considered the optimum ages to begin formal training. This usually coincides with puberty where the production of anabolic hormones is considerably increased. The female must strength train earlier and keep the strength train threaded throughout the training year because of the differences in muscle mass and testosterone levels.

It is also important to consider motivation, emotional maturity, and cognitive development. These are essential qualities in taking instruction and following directions and the ability to follow a set prescribed program.

Beware of one-sided training biased toward heavy lifting. This can have a negative effect as it takes the strength component out of context. The growing athlete can lift heavy after puberty. I tend toward to side of conservatism regarding heavy lifting before puberty. I know that the Bulgarian lifters are cited as example of this approach, but what we now know of their drug biases in their programs. We must take this information with a huge grain of salt. The growing athlete can begin to Olympic lifting as their chosen sport, but I still think a sound base of fitness and physical activity will allow the young athlete to reach a higher level of performance in their later peak athletic years.

Develop strength relative to the demands of the sport, the position or event in the sport and the qualities of the individual athlete. The goal is to think long term. Progressively develop a base of general strength progressing to maximal strength development in sports where overcoming external resistance is necessary

Strength Training and The Growing Athlete – Part One

Tony Retrosi — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:38:25 +0000

Lately I have been reading a lot of Vern Gambetta. Vern is currently is the Director of Gambetta Sports Training Systems. He has been the a conditioning coach for several teams in Major League Soccer as well as the conditioning consultant to the US Men’s World Cup Soccer team. Vern is the former Director of Conditioning for the Chicago White Sox and Director of Athletic Development for the New York Mets. Vern is recognized internationally as an expert in training and conditioning for sport having worked with world class athletes and teams in a wide variety of sports. He is a popular speaker and writer on conditioning topics having lectured and conducted clinics in Canada, Japan, Australia and Europe. Vern’s coaching experience spans 39 years at all levels of competition. He has some great stuff at his web site FUNCTIONAL PATH TRAINING

The common myths about strength training the growing athlete are:

Before puberty the young athlete cannot put on muscle mass or make significant strength gains because of the lack of androgenic hormones
It stunts growth because of stress on the growth plates
It will limit flexibility and hinder skill development as well

Over the years these myths have grown without any basis in fact. Anecdotal evidence gathered over the years by coaches who work with young growing athletes completely refute each of these myths. In fact in each case the opposite is true. The growing athlete who undertakes a comprehensive progressive resistance program will incur fewer injuries than their counterparts who do not strength train. The myths are usually propagated because the popular press goes to so-called experts for advice, usually doctors, who have no actual experience working with growing athletes. Typically the parent is referred to the family physician that has no background in exercise or training. This was certainly not part of their medical training.

Growing children and developing athletes are not miniature adults. Sometimes we are fooled by appearance. After puberty when the athlete’s linear growth is greatest they look like adults, but they are still growing, therefore copying programs from mature athletes can eventually lead to problems with injury and overuse. The principles governing strength training are the same for the growing athlete or the mature athlete.

Train movements not muscles -The brain does not recognize individual muscles, it recognizes patterns of movements Therefore for optimum return in terms of strength gain and actual transfer to coordination we want to train movements. We do not want to isolate out specific muscles because that creates neural confusion and we want to create an awareness of the whole body and how the parts work together to produce efficient movement. A popular of expression is to train the go muscles not the show muscles.

Train Core before extremity strength – The core – the hips, abdomen and the low back – is the relay center of the body. Without a strong and stable core to as a transmission to transfer force produced off the ground or from above by the upper extremities it is virtually impossible to produce efficient movement there forte functional core training in standing positions that put the body perpendicular to gravity are the foundation of the growing athletes strength development program. Core training is part of every session.

Train Body weight before external resistance – We must start with the ability to handle bodyweight, overcome gravity and effectively interact with the ground. The basic principle then is bodyweight before external resistance. The growing athlete must be able to effectively handle bodyweight in a variety of movements and specific exercises before even thinking about any significant external loading. How do you do this? The basic bodyweight exercises are pull-ups, pushups, dips, rope climb, crawling, body weight squats, lunges and step-ups. Use your creativity and imagination to design exercises and routines that incorporate the following fundamental movements: swinging, pulling, pushing, reaching, extending, bending, jumping, hopping and bounding. Work against gravity with the bodyweight as resistance will strengthen the bones, tendons, and ligaments and muscles in preparation for further external loading work to follow. Think of it as a small upfront investment for a large backend return. Every exercise regardless of the age of the developing athlete should incorporate multi-joint and multi-plane exercises. Starting with bodyweight only serves to reinforce the concept of total chain training that essentially means that the body is a kinetic chain with all the links connected to produce efficient motion. Starting with bodyweight serves to allow the growing athlete to gain awareness of their body. It serves to improve coordination and recruitment. I feel that it increases self-confidence and self-image. There is no doubt that strength gains will be reflected in better skill acquisition and development. As the athlete grows strength as measured by the ability to handle body weight should increase commensurate with growth.

Train Strength before strength endurance – Initial strength gains are neural; essentially the initial strength gains come from learning the movements. There is plenty of time to incorporate strength endurance once a good foundation of strength has been established. The primary means of developing strength endurance is through circuit training.

Over the years I have learned to beware of artificial limitations imposed by so called experts who probably have never worked day to day with the growing athlete. The growing athlete is highly adaptable provided the stress is carefully applied in a progressive manner after a sound fitness base has been established. Once again the level of expectation determines the level of achievement. Often times you get what you look for. If a proper sensible criteria based progression is followed then strength training is a very appropriate activity for the growing and developing athlete.

Crash of The Week.

Tony Retrosi — Sun, 20 May 2012 07:30:07 +0000

A pretty spectacular Peel of High By Tim Leibiger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9xr9sGti5U

Here he is making it through his routine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0qAHz7tKw8

Ring Strength Part 2

Tony Retrosi — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:30:37 +0000

World Champion Jordan Jovtchev takes us through the second part of his conditioning workout for rings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFBIPZkRidE

View PART 1 of his ring strength here

Share your videos and ideas at Gym Momentum. Keep the Momentum going!

Strength and Conditioning.

Tony Retrosi — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:30:13 +0000

As you can tell this week has been devoted to ways to spice up your conditioning program. There are countless EXPERTS on gymnastics strength. I am NOT one of them.

Most coaches must be a jack of all trades, but a master on none. We are responsible for not only skill training, routine composition, safety, education, and mental health of their gymnasts, but also their conditioning. I get frustrated when I feel our conditioning has gotten into a rut or when I feel that our lack of strength is preventing us from accomplishing our skill goals.

There are Four basic principles that will help coaches to evaluate strength training. Each conditioning program should be:

-Consistent, special strength training is necessary for maximum performance in gymnastics;
-Training to increase muscle size and strength is important, but maximum strength from minimum size is the most important training goal;
-Rest and recuperation are important aspects of strength training, also in gymnastics;
-Strength training must be integrated with the skill training in gymnastics.

What are the exercises?
Gymnastics conditioning can be distilled to a group of only seven fundamental movements. Coaches should be aware that gymnasts train movements – not muscles. Bodybuilders train muscles and muscle groups. Patients recovering from surgery or immobilization train muscles and muscle groups. Gymnasts and virtually all other athletes train movements. While this may seem to be a trivial distinction, the difference is absolutely fundamental to athlete conditioning. With only a few exceptions, most gymnastics movements are multi-joint, multi-planar, and multi-directional. Simple uniplanar movements rarely mimic sport movements and result in a somewhat misplaced priority for training and conditioning.

Training for gymnastics conditioning consists of the following fundamental movements:

Shoulder flexion – casting, press handstands, planche
Shoulder extension – kipping, uprise, downswing phases of in-bar work
Upper extremity pushing – handstand, handstand push up, rebounding during hand contact phases
Upper extremity pulling – pull up, pullover, withstand the bottom of swinging skills
Jumping and landing – tumbling, vaulting, mounts, dismounts, dance movements
Torso and hip flexion – piking, tucking, leg lifts, forward somersault take offs, hollow body positions
Torso and hip extension – arching, back bends, walkovers, flic flacs, most backward take offs

Any complete conditioning program for gymnastics should include these movements. Therefore, a circuit program should have at least seven stations. While more exercises are certainly possible, and in some cases desirable, these seven movements are the “core” exercises.

I view conditioning in stages. Looking at what I want at the END. If my goal is for an athlete to do sets of cast handstands by nationals next year. Once you strengthen a shape and have a basic action you move through the shape. Then do gymnastics skills in sequence.

Just a very basic Example-
Step 1- Hold Hollow and Rope climb
2. Hollow hold to V up Slow
3. Hollow hold to V up Fast
4. Kip Pull with Bungee
5. Cast pull with bungee
6. Mean 18 with medium weight
7. mean 18 with heavier weight. By this point they should be doing rope climb with No legs and good form
8. Spotted Cast handstands in a row (for Body shape)
9. Spotted hanging uprises
10. Planche leans/ Bounce handstands
11. Cast Handstands alone in a row
12. Spotted Kip Cast handstands in a row
13. Sets of 5 Kip cast handstands in a row.

Share your ideas on conditioning and strength here! Keep the Momentum going.

Mary Lee Tracy, Core Conditioning at Beam 2

Mary Lee Tracy — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:30:46 +0000

Mary Lee Tracy Shares another set of great exercises for Core strength at Beam. Check out her youtube page to get even more great drills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_C5GZ8gLxg

View Part of of Mary Lee’s Beam Core Strength here

Share your drills and ideas at Gym Momentum. Keep the Momentum going!

Ring Strength Part 1

Tony Retrosi — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:30:51 +0000

World Champion Jordan Jovtchev Shares some great Conditioning Ideas and Exercises on Rings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl78ZYwjg30

Share Your drills and Ideas with Gym Momentum! Keep The momentum going!

Mary Lee Tracy. Core Conditioning at Beam

Mary Lee Tracy — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:30:15 +0000

Mary Lee Tracy shares some great exercises for core conditioning at Beam. Check out her youtube page to get some other great drills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GH5mAjdlzo

Share your drills and exercises at Gym Momentum.

Coach and PT Connection

Tony Retrosi — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:00:13 +0000

As a coach and club owner, having a good relationship with a physical therapist is not just good for the health of the gymnasts, it is good for the health of my business.

Why is this important to the coach?

Healthy athletes = more reps in the gym.
I have always felt that the key to high level gymnastics is getting enough reps in of skills. A gymnast who is missing reps because of injury will not be as successful as the gymnast who is getting in more reps.

Healthy athletes = better competitor
A healthy athlete who is NOT worried about landings or take offs that hurt will be a better competitor because it allows them to focus on other things like straight legs, straight arms etc.

Healthy athletes = consistent workouts
When you look at workouts it is not really what happened on Monday, what matters is what happens in a month of Mondays.

Healthy athletes = easier motivation in the gym
Let’s face it, the kids with injuries in the gym is not going to be all that motivated to take a lot of turns (that hurt).

Why is this important to the club owner

Healthy athletes = Less lost revenue
You hardly make any money on team anyway. If kids are then working out less hours because they are hurt and then pay less in tuition you are losing money.

Healthy athletes = make team more marketable
If you have a healthy looking team at competitions and practices, kids will want to be part of that and parents will want their kids to be part of it.

Healthy athletes = Outside growth
I have had many parents from other gyms call me and want their daughter to try out because they were tired of her being hurt at her current gym.

Healthy athletes = Bragging rights over other sports
I love it when coaches from other sports encourage their athletes to do gymnastics in the off season to keep them strong AND healthy.

Healthy athletes = Less problem parents

How it works in my gym

PT comes in two or three times per week (only because they are a parent of an athlete). One time per week is what we were doing before.

On the days when I know they will be there I leave a list of gymnasts to see/ evaluate.

The PT consults with conditioning and rehab exercises by GROUP. Our PT noticed that our Level 5s had a lot of asymmetrical core strength. So we were able to change some of the conditioning exercises to deal with it. They also consult with conditioning and rehab exercises for individuals.

Triage- Every once and a while there is a gymnasts who crashes while the PT is in the gym. You never want that to happen but it is always good to have a more qualified person there to handle it.

Nuts and bolts

Each event has specific exercises related to that event.

On Vault we have exercises for ankle, knees and wrists.

On Bars we have exercises for wrists, elbows and shoulder.

On Beam we have exercises flexibility and ankles.

On Floor we have exercises for core strength and back.

Exercises are posted and changed about every 3-4 weeks. ATTITUDE towards the exercises is as important as the exercises themselves. We explain WHY and the WHAT of each exercise.

These stations are part of their warm up or part of a circuit. This gives them something to do instead of hanging out talking!

Drinking, Stealing and Swearing. Things my Mom Taught Me! Happy Mothers Day

Tony Retrosi — Sun, 13 May 2012 07:30:01 +0000

Drinking, Stealing and Swearing. Lessons My Mom Taught Me.

Some of you may even know My Mom. I see you post stuff on her Face Book Page! I largely am who I am today because of the lesson my Mom taught me. She was a single mom for most of my youth. We didn’t have a lot, but we never went with out. Now I want to share them with you. By the Way- If you haven’t called your mom today, you should.

To DRINK from the Fountain of youth: I really believe that getting OLD is a mind set. I learned that you are as young as you want to be.

To SWEAR to do my best at what ever I set out to do. She always told my brother and I, “If you have a job flipping burgers, be the best damn burger flipper. It’s the only way you will move up.”

To STEAL time away to be with friends and family. Mom was always busy, but she always made time for friends.

Read on:

Be generous with others. Anyone who knows my mom knows she’s one of the most generous people in the world. She’s always happy to lend a hand or help someone out if she can. It’s from her that I’ve learned to be (or tried to be) a giving person.
Live in the moment. Throughout my life, my mom has always shown me how to embrace the present moment. She never seems to dwell on the past or stress overly about the future. She is one of the few people I know who really knows how to live in the now.
Strive to be patient. Between dealing with me, my brothers, and my step-dad, my mom has developed an amazing ability to be patient. This is something I truly admire since I’m not the most patient person in the world. I hope someday I can be as patient as my mom is.
Open yourself to new ideas. I’ve gone through some pretty wacky phases in my life, but through them all, my mom has always been open-minded and willing to embrace whatever I happen to be into at the moment, which is a very inspiring quality!
Support those you love. Through ups and downs, good and bad, my mom has always remained supportive of her loved ones. I’m sure at times it was hard to be supportive of my choices, but she has always been my #1 encourager.
Look for the positive. Honestly, my mom is the most positive person I know (it makes me sick). I strive to be positive, but she is positive. No matter what the situation is, she always looks for the good in it and, more often than not, helps me see the good too.
Show interest in others’ lives. My mom really takes interest in others’ lives. Whether it’s her best friend or the woman ringing up her groceries at the store, my mom is deeply interested in the lives of others. This is something I really admire and need to explore more in my own life. Perhaps it is because my mom may be a little lonely and crazy.
Spend time with your friends. Not only is my mom interested in the lives of others, but she really makes an effort to spend time with them. She has tons of friends and devotes lots of time to them, making her life rich with friendship and love.
See the good in people. No matter what kind of terrible side I’ve shown my mom, she always remembers the good parts of me. Maybe it’s because I’m her eldest son, but I really believe that she seeks to see the good in people, which makes her world much more positive.
Don’t take things personally. My mom knows when to let things go and she recognizes when something I’ve said or done really isn’t about her, but instead is about something going on with me. Not taking things personally is one of the best ways to live a happy life.
Give more than you get. As I said in point #1, my mom is extremely generous. She’s always willing to help out her friends in times of need. Even though she doesn’t always get the same thing in return, she’s always willing to give and give and give.
Take a break once and awhile. My mom’s a hard worker (and player!), but she knows when it’s time for a break. She schedules time for herself and makes sure to take frequent trips to get away for a little while. Life is hard and a break is something we all need every once and awhile!
Don’t overreact. I have a tendency to overreact, but my mom is not that way. She usually has a very calm demeanor and, when presented with a situation that could result in panic, she takes a step back and reminds everyone to calm down.
Enjoy your moments. It can be really hard to enjoy the moment, especially if a moment is mundane, but my mom always manages to make the most of her moments. Even if she’s doing something that’s not so fun, she finds a way to make it enjoyable.
Remember what’s important. My mom has a lot going on in her life (who doesn’t?!), but she always manages to prioritize what’s important to her. Her friends and family really matter to her and she makes time for them and puts them first.
Celebrate beauty. My mom is a beautiful person — inside and out — and she is one of the people in my life who has taught me to celebrate and appreciate beauty. She notices the beauty in things and, in turn, I’ve learned to do that as well.
Notice the little things. In general, moms are good at this. They notice when something isn’t quite right and they strive to make it better. Or, they pick up on something small but wonderful and make note of it. My mom’s great at paying attention and noticing life’s details.
Make the most of mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes in life, but my mom has taught me to make the most of them. I can remember a time when I was coloring and I make a mistake. Instead of starting over, she suggested we turn my little error into a heart. Brilliant!
Know who you are (and who you want to be). My mom has always been supportive of my personal development and she’s always encouraged me to think about who I am and who I want to be in the future. She’s inspired me to work on becoming the best me I can possibly be. She made sure I studied something other than JUST GYMNASTICS in college.
Never give up. One of the greatest things about my mom is her persistence. If she wants to get something done, she will find a way — no matter what. As she always says, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” I wouldn’t believe this if I hadn’t seen it come to life in her so many times.
Do everything with enthusiasm. Being upbeat and positive can be hard, but my mom never fails to greet each day with an enthusiastic attitude. No matter what’s going on in her life, she does her best to accomplish her daily goals with enthusiasm.
Stay true to your beliefs. My mom knows what she believes in and she stays true to those beliefs. It’s important to recognize what’s important to you and what matters most to you, and my mom has manage to do that — and to stay loyal to those things that matter most.
Give yourself choices. Looking for options is definitely one of my mom’s strengths. Whenever I find myself in a tough spot, I know my mom will be able to figure out another alternative. She’s able to look at life and see choices where others see obstacles.
Be yourself. Staying true to herself is another one of my mom’s great qualities. She knows who she is and she is herself in any situation. It’s not easy to be consistent in this way, but my mom is always who she wants to be, no matter what.
Trust your intuition. As with so many mothers, my mom has an amazing intuition. She knows when something is up. She knows when something has gone down. And, most importantly, she listens to these instincts. My mom has made me see just how important intuition is.
Speak your mind. Much like me, my mom is no wallflower. If she has an option about something, she’ll tell you about it. I love her ability to say what’s on her mind and I find it inspiring to watch her speak up for what she believes in.
Surround yourself with what you love. Like so many people, my mom has made the choice to surround herself with people and things that she loves. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized just how important it is to make the things around you the thing s you love most.
Practice kindness daily. My mom is, by far, one of the kindest people I know. She’s one of those people who does all of the little things to make others’ days better, and for that I really admire her. I must remind myself daily to be kind and I hope someday I can be just like my mom.
Adapt when faced with change. Life is full of changes and unexpected circumstances, but my mom is one of the best adapters. When faced with change, she does what she can to make the most of it. As someone who doesn’t love change, I find this quality immensely important.
Pursue your dreams. No matter what I’ve been doing, my mom has always, always encouraged me to do what I love. She has always believed in me and she’s always helped me to believe in myself. It is because of her that I am writing right now — because she believed in my ability.
Accept what you cannot change. One of the reasons I think my mom is so great at adapting to change is because she recognizes when she cannot change a situation and she accepts that. As I said before, she will do her best to get what she wants, but she also knows how to accept what is.
Give energy to get energy. “Energetic” and “full of life” are two things I would definitely use to describe my mom. She is always full of energy and, for that reason, she gets a lot of energy coming back at her. I’ve noticed when I give out energy, I always get it back (just like my mom!).
Do what you can with what you have. My mom knows how to make the most of whatever she’s working with. Whether it’s supplies for a school project or life in general, my mom knows how to take the things she’s given and make them work for her. She is the QUEEN OF DUCT TAPE.
Be a good listener. My mom is an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G listener (maybe this is why she has so many friends!), and I think it’s such a wonderful quality to have. It can be really hard to listen to people sometimes, but my mom has turned listening into an art. (So much so that even random strangers will confess their life stories to her!)
Don’t dwell on negative emotions. With all of our lives comes the good and the bad. My mom is open to experiencing both the positive and the negative, but she doesn’t dwell on the negative. As someone who used to dwell so much in negativity, I can really appreciate people who focus on the positive.
Share your experiences. I think part of the reason my mom is such a great listener is because she’s also a great talker. She’s open to sharing her experiences with others, which is great. So many people (myself included!) hold back so much, and it’s wonderful to see people like my mom sharing themselves with others.
Say “Yes!” to new things. My mom’s a “Yes!” woman. She is open to experiencing new things and trying new things and I love that about her. Many people as they get older become settled in their ways, but not my mom. She’s always ready to try something new!
See the humor in life. Life can be really, really funny — but only if you’re paying attention. My mom is one of those people who, when faced with hard times, knows how to look for the humor in it. And I can remember quite a few times when I was so down and only she could make me laugh.
Don’t be afraid to be silly. My mom is a silly lady, and she’s not afraid of her silliness. There are so many aspects of life that require the utmost seriousness, so why not take some time to be silly every now and then? My mom knows how to embrace her silly side — and helps me embrace mine too! It is also what makes her an amazing grandmother to my children.
Work hard for what you want. Nothing good comes without a lot of hard work, and no one knows this better than my mom. If you really want something, you have to go after it. You have to make it happen. My mom is so inspiring in this way because she has taught me to really go after what I want in life.
Be adventurous. I’ll admit it: my mom is much more adventurous than I’ll probably ever be. There were so many times we would just jump in the car and go explore.
Love with all of your heart. Loving can be scary. It can be risky. But my mom has taught me that it can be so rewarding if you put your whole heart into it. My mom is a hopeless romantic and she really does believe in the beauty of love, which, lucky for me, is a belief she’s passed onto me.
Create memories and traditions. Because of my mom, I’m a huge holiday person. I love to get into the act of making memories and creating traditions — and I owe that part of me completely to my mom. Because of her, I cannot imagine a life without wonderful memories to look back on.
Encourage others to be their best. Throughout my life, my mom has always been encouraging me to be the best I could be, and often her ideas of what I could be were so much better than my own. It’s because of her that I believe in myself and believe that I have the ability to be the best possible me.
Know which battles are worth fighting. My mom knows how to pick her battles. She knows which things are worth fighting for (or about) and which are worth letting go. I’m still learning this myself, but I’m lucky to have a role model to look up to so that I know that not everything is worth a battle.
Laugh at yourself. My mom sees the humor in life, but she also sees the humor in herself too. She knows when it’s okay to just look at yourself and laugh. Some people have a really hard time seeing themselves as funny, but I really believe it’s important not to take yourself too seriously.
Go the extra mile. Going the extra mile is something my mom is an expert at. She knows how to go above and beyond in almost every situation. It’s inspiring to see someone who really does the best she can when it comes to other people, when it can be so tempting to just do the bare minimum.
Think highly of yourself. Because of my mom, I’ve learned that it’s okay to think you’re pretty great. My mom isn’t cocky or over-the-top in love with herself, but she is confident. She knows she’s pretty awesome and she’s taught me that it’s okay — no, great — to think highly of yourself.
Choose your friends wisely. This seems like simple advice, but it’s actually very important. Who you surround yourself with says a lot about you, and I’ve learned from my mom that it’s so important to choose friends carefully. Because of her choosiness, she has a great group of friends (Although some are pretty loud)!
Know when it’s time to let go. It can be really hard to let go, but I’ve seen my mom let go of even the hardest things with grace. I’ve seen her send me off to college; I’ve seen her deal with death. Letting go is very, very hard, but my mom has provided a great example of someone who knows when it’s time to let go.
Forgive others’ mistakes. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but my mom is always the first to forgive me. I’ve seen her forgive others too, and it’s truly amazing to watch her forgiveness in action. Forgiving can be a very hard thing, but my mom has taught me its value.
Highlight strengths, not weaknesses. Many people aren’t even aware of their strengths or weaknesses, but my mom is one of the few that knows what her strengths are and makes the most of them. She knows what she’s good at and she highlights those points. (She also does that for other people as well!)
Treat others the way they want to be treated. It’s tempting to treat others how you want to be treated, but my mom’s selflessness has taught me that it’s even better to treat others how they want to be treated. I’ve learned from her to pay attention and to treat others in a way that makes them feel great.

As you can see, my mom is a pretty amazing person. She has inspired me in so many ways and she is constantly teaching me new things. She’s taught me all of the lessons listed here and so many more and, for that, I will always, always be thankful. Not many people are lucky enough to come in contact with people as great as my mom, let alone have her for a mother so, though I’m trying my best to resist bragging, I must say that I am extremely lucky to have her in my life. Mom, I hope you have the best MOTHERS DAY you have ever had and I hope that every year to come is even greater — and filled with even more wonderful lessons — than the last. You know this already, but I’ll tell you again: you are always in my heart. I love you to the sky and back.