In the past week I have been reminded of this statement many times. From the banner that hangs on the wall at the gym we competed at last weekend:

Medals do not make champions, HARD work does.

to my daughter’s performance at her competition last weekend. I was so happy to see her competing new skills – for the first time in one year – that any scores or awards she received were just icing on the cake.

Then there was my youngest daughter’s major accomplishment last night at swim practice – she had the maturity to make it through practice with a different coach who pushed her a little harder than she expected (because he knows she can) and rather than giving up, she swam hard – probably one of her best practices yet.

And at one of my favorite daily reads, Gymnastics Coaching, there were three separate articles this week that highlight the process, not the medals:

• Why we coach kids
• What’s important aside Olympic medals – and you have to read Sport At Its Best – Clara Hughes interview
• And I absolutely love – What are we teaching our kids at competitions

Remember, it is the journey rather than the destination that is the true reward in sports (and life).

Have a great weekend!

I am giving the Beautiful Blogger Award to:

• Jenn at Jeneric Stories for sharing the Dad’s Get Involved PSA video – Let’s Go D-A-D-S
• Lorraine at TrackMom for posting a great collection of inspirational quotes as their outdoor track season gets started in So. Cal.
• Sherry at Ladies on the Tee for making me super jealous that she has been able to get out on the golf course in 2010 already and I haven’t! I wish all this snow would melt and the temps would warm up so I could go try out my new G wedge and other goodies I got for Christmas.
• ChicRunner for her awesome LA Marathon course preview photos. While I am not training for a marathon, I have started running with a bunch of the moms from swim team while the kids practice.
• And while we are on the topic of running – I think Jess and her pink shoes need this award too.

Ladies, you are not under any obligation to pass this award on, but it is a fun way to share your favorite reads with your audience and to let another blogger know they are doing a great job. Have a fabulous weekend.

Here is footage of her full double full – which I think is her first jump for finals tonight:

I remember watching Ashley compete as a gymnast during her years at Apex – and can only imagine how proud all her coaches from gymnastics are of her tonight (the rest of the coaches and gymnasts in the state are proud of you too, Ashley)!  I am sure all those basics, twisting and flipping drills, trampoline time, conditioning and lessons she learned from her days in the gym contributed to her quick rise to the top in US Freestyle skiing.

GO ASHLEY!  Another example of the great things gymnastics can prepare you for.

From the Ad Council:

More than 79% of Americans feel “the most significant family or social problem facing America is the physical absence of the father from the home.” Research shows that the lack of a father in the home correlates closely with crime, educational and emotional problems, teenage pregnancy, and drug and alcohol abuse.

In an effort to show dads the critical role they play in their children’s lives, the Ad Council has partnered with the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse and volunteer ad agency Campbell-Ewald to create a new PSA campaign that communicates to fathers that their presence is essential to their children’s well-being. The campaign provides fathers with the information they need to become better dads.

Now if this doesn’t give you something to cheer about today, I don’t know what will.

Seen here at the ESPY awards, Nastia and Evan have been dating since last summer, but word is that its now official. They do make a very striking couple!

I frequently use a variety of techniques for keeping my gymnasts motivated and having fun – like creating a “lemonade lounge” for a reward zone during conditioning, rewarding them with jumps on trampoline for performing a routine successfully, or occasionally letting them take turns being “coach” during conditioning. And sometimes we get out a bag of Skittles, smarties, or other little treat and use those as incentives to master a correction a little quicker.

My daughter’s swim coaches use Skittles in a different way. They use them as a code for what stroke the kids practice next. Each swimmer gets a skittle and then checks the white board for the color coded key. The coaches mix it up each time they play the game – sometimes one color is a dramatically more difficult task than another, but the kids still love it. They quickly eat their skittle, then jump in the water to perform the task assigned to the skittle they just ate. As soon as the task is accomplished, they are back for another one. It is definitely one of my daughter’s favorite training games.

While I have outlined how the swim coaches play the Skittle game, you can certainly adapt this game for ANY sport (or even kids chores around the house for that matter) and make it a fun addition to your athletes’ training.

It truly speaks to the core of my soul as a Mom and a coach. Even though so many of the athletes I coached through the years are all grown up, the memories I have of them as little kids are so precious!

Now where is that box of tissues when I need them?

Weplay is getting noticed, too- especially with the involvement of pros like Peyton Manning, Summer Sanders, Derek Jeter, LeBron James, Jennie Finch and more. We’re also funded by Major League Baseball, Creative Artists Agency and partnered with Pop Warner, ASA Softball, the Positive Coaching Alliance and more.

So how does Weplay work?

Go to the Weplay website and create a free account. You can add your photo, your own sports interest and add your athletes. You can create a group for your sports team and use it as a means of communicating announcements, celebrating successes and staying connected.

You can play games, read articles and get the latest news from Weplay’s growing list of pro athlete contributors – like Summer Sanders who will be live in Vancouver covering the Winter Olympics. You can ask sports related questions and get answers from any number of Weplay’s thousands of users. Check out the ParentHood section of the site to get sound sports parenting advice, tips and connect with other parents in your child’s sport.

As you begin to build your own circle of friends on Weplay you can give each other props – fun, virtual pats on the back, for everything from great effort, leadership, and other positive qualities.

Weplay is a really cool and unique social site for those of us who spend so much of our time involved in youth sports from every angle – athlete, parent, coach and fan. Go check it out and while you are there, friend me!

Destira has a special Valentine’s sale going on right now. Use the coupon code HEART15 to get 15% off your Destira leotard online purchase. The coupon is not good in stores that carry Destira and it is not good for the mystery leotard deal. Hurry – the coupon expires February 14, 2010.

” Despite the stunning advances made in the 38 years since Title IX was enacted, high school girls still receive 1.3 million fewer participation opportunities than do boys, and evidence suggests that the money spent on girls’ sports programs lags significantly behind the money spent on boys’ programs.”

Take time today to celebrate your sport, help increase awareness in your community and get active! Stop by the Women Talk Sports site for complete coverage of National Girls and Women in Sports Day and find out how it is being celebrated by individuals and organizations across the country. You can also enjoy the slideshow compiled by Women Talk Sports from their contributors: