Coaching Dad: Two Practices Down, a Billion to Go

Shit just got real. I have a whistle.

So as you may remember, I started coaching youth football last week.

We had a couple of false starts due to enough rain to make the field too much of a mess to practice on, but we finally got practices in on Friday and Saturday.

It’s a big group of kids and we don’t know where everyone will go right now—different abilities, age ranges and weights aren’t set into their various categories. And more kids will show up over the next week.

Right now I’m not sure exactly what they need me to do—in part because I don’t know where Alpha Tween will be and I will be coaching his team.

We don’t put on pads until we have 10 hours of conditioning at minimum, so until at least the middle of this week, we’re just running, doing agility drills and throwing footballs.

I’ve been—I was going to say “utility infielder” but that’s the wrong sport, H-Back fits better for football—helping out everywhere.

Basically I do whatever they need me to. Friday it was try to direct little flag football kids to run where they were supposed to run, while Saturday (in the rain) was passing the football on short routes to the older kids (which angered the flag kids

streeeeeeetches

who weren’t getting the ball).

It’s been a lot of fun so far and Alpha has been OK when I coach him. He’s been a lineman to this point, so I’ve been working with him and the other kids to get their stances down.

He can be a little silly—not paying attention or goofing around. But it’s the first week so I’m not worried.

Once they put on the pads, he’s always more focused.

It’s been fun so far.

Even if Saturday saw me icing my shoulder for the first time in a decade.

I’m off to practice #3, so we’ll see what I’m icing tonight.

Hey, are you following Dad Moon Rising on Twitter or Facebook? Why the hell not?

ow ow ow ow ow

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The Battle of the Bulge

If Cookie Monster can do it, can’t I?

Just to be up front about this, the title in no way refers to the actual Battle in the Adrennes, the famous Battle of the Bulge from World War 2.

It has no relation to the German’s desperate gamble to turn the European theater around, the Bloody Bastards of Bastogne or any episodes of the fantastic mini-series Band of Brothers.

No, this title refers to the bulge around my waist.

One of the greatest challenges I have in being a stay/work-at-home dad is staying in any sort of shape. Keeping myself moving and keeping myself from eating…..well, everything in the house….is a major issue for me. I know that last time I had it checked, my cholesterol was a bit high and that was a concern.

So slowly, but surely (but slowly), I have been trying to exercise more and eat less crap.

It’s been an up and down battle.

The two biggest issues I have are snacking and soda intake. I’ve really cut down on the soda for the most part, which was a huge step.

I rarely drink regular soda (well, in my case cherry soda) anymore, having switched to an all-natural soda. So I’m not getting the same super-refined sugar I was inhaling before and also avoiding all the chemicals which get put in that – which seems to strip the paint off cars.

Which has also completely wiped out my need for caffeine. Soda for me is about taste (hence the cherry) but in many ways that’s just a ridiculous lie. It’s about sugar and caffeine and the fact that for 20 years I trained my body to require both.

I’ve largely weened myself off the caffeine, and am working on the super-refined sugar.

Of course, the other issue is snacking. Chips, oh how I love you.

That’s probably going to be my single biggest challenge because – and here’s a dirty secret – I don’t like fruits or vegetables. I’m not sure why it happened that way, but it did.

So on top of cutting back on grabbing anything with a high carb or sugar count for snack, I also have to train myself to eat things I really don’t like.

Thank God my kids don’t eat anything like me.

Oh Guinness…. I’m going to miss you over the next few weeks….

So for the next few weeks, the Wife and I are doing a variation of the South Beach Diet, which worked really well for us a few years ago. The reason it worked so well for us was in part because it’s not a diet in the classic sense, so much as a sudden and radical readjustment in your eating habits.

Getting portions in control, cutting down on really processed foods and sugar and generally eating better. There’s no “cheating” – if in a few weeks I want a cookie, I can have one. I just have to know that my body is likely to say “OH GOODY CARBS” and crave more.

Adding this to my current light regimen of exercise and dog walking (more exercise) will help out a lot in dropping the weight and getting my body back into a healthier mode.

Again, though, the biggest issue for me is being at home and having way too much food at my disposal. I don’t have anyone to remind me to eat a carrot instead of a bowl (bag) of chips, so it’s up to me and my occasionally craptastic willpower.

I want to eat better and feel better. I want to drop weight and be healthier.

I want to stop feeling out of breath coming up the stairs and I’d like my knees to hurt less.

I’d like to be able to run around with my kids and not feel like I’m going to throw up from the effort.

Dropping that middle tire will go a long way towards doing that.

I’ll feel better about myself and be healthier.

All I have to do is stop myself from walking down the street to the Quick Mart and grabbing a cookie, chips or ice cream.

Hopefully I’m not totally screwed.