Hamilton boys varsity golfers to play 100 holes in one day
BY ALISON STANTON
In the dog days of summer, playing 18 holes would be enough for many golfers.
On Thursday, July 9, members of the Hamilton High School boys varsity golf team and their coach, Steve Kanner, will each play 100 holes at Springfield Golf Club in Chandler.
As Kanner explained, the team is using the 100-hole golf marathon as a way to raise money to travel to Florida this October to play in the Honda High School Golf Classic.
“We are asking for people to donate a small sum of money per hole to help us defray the costs of the trip,” he said. The team hopes to raise at least $6,000.
“The Honda High School Golf Classic attracts some of the best teams from Florida and it’s also put on in conjunction with the Honda Classic, so our team will get to play on the same course as the PGA players,” Kanner said. He and the members of the golf team will meet at Springfield Golf Club at 6 a.m.
“We figure it will take around eight hours to play, and we’ll probably play about four hours and then have lunch and then play four more hours,” he said. Kanner, who said he appreciates Springfield Golf Club’s help, is always looking for tournaments that offer a good, competitive course.
“We have traveled before to Texas and Tennessee and our kids also travel and play as individuals, but to do something collectively as a team is special. It’s nice to help expand their horizons.”
When he suggested the 100-hole marathon to his team, Kanner said everyone was pretty excited.
“They have probably never done anything like this before, but they do play all of the time and are used to playing in the summer,” he said.
Nic Beno, 17, has been on the Hamilton High School golf team since his sophomore year. The incoming senior says he is looking forward to participating in the 100-hole fundraiser.
July 9, the
raise at least $6,000. Submitted photo play in the tournament in Florida.
“I have never played that many holes in one day, so I am definitely looking forward to it despite the heat,” said Nic, who played 45 holes in one day previously.
To prepare for the long day of golf, Nic said he will make sure he is well rested and fully hydrated the night before. He will drink as much water as possible while on the course.
Although it might be challenging to finish 100 holes in one day, Nic said it will be worth it to have the chance to
New Vistas
“We will most likely have a qualifier for the starting lineup and I feel that with the tournament I’ve played this spring and summer, I am ready to be in that starting lineup,” Nic said.
“I have never traveled with the team before outside the Valley, so Florida would definitely be a very exciting opportunity.”
For more information about the boys varsity golf team, visit
www.hamiltongolf.org. To make a donation, visit www.gofundme.com/ hhsgolfmarathon. Donations may also be dropped off at Hamilton High School, 3700 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler.
Alison Stanton is a freelance writer who lives in the East Valley. She can be reached at alison@santansun.com.
Chandler Unified School District News
On
Hamilton High School boys varsity golf team will participate in the first 100-hole golf marathon to raise money for a trip to Florida this fall. Coach Steve Kanner said the team hopes to
Youth
Teen life coach helps Chandler youth, families
BY TIM J. RANDALL
With the opening of Family Success in Chandler, Kathryn Jones is realizing a dream that she had since her college graduation—to help youth and their families through life coaching.
“As parents, we want to give all the resources we can to our children before they become adults,” Jones said. “Why not give them training on goal management and empower them to work through personal obstacles such as fears or stresses?”
Family Success offers directed “teen life coaching” to kids ranging from ages 10 to 19, with specific focus on teens.
“This is one-on-one coaching of teens with the goal of instilling them with messages of self-worth, accomplishment, achievement and success,” she said. Life coaches have grown in popularity with adults, according to International Coach Federation, which estimates in its
2012 study, there are 15,800 life coaches in North America and 47,500 worldwide. Youth life coaches are just now beginning to gain traction.
As a certified professional life coach, the mother of five is passionate about bringing life coach awareness and offerings to Chandler families.
“Top executives and corporations pay thousands a month for life coaching services,” she said. “Family Success is dedicated to helping teens and their families at low costs.”
Of particular interest to Jones is the alarming increase in anxiety and stress among teens.
“A February 2014 study by the American Psychological Association (APA) concluded that during the school year, teens say their stress level is higher than levels reported by adults,” she said. “These are crucial development times for
Boredom is secret ingredient to success
BY CAROL ELIAS DIRECTOR OF NEW VISTAS CENTER FOR EDUCATION
How many times have you heard your son or daughter—no matter their age—say “I’m so bored” or “There’s nothing to do?”
Did you find yourself put on the spot, wanting to solve your child’s dilemma “right now?” Does your son or daughter deal with boredom by automatically sitting down in front of a computer screen, TV screen or iPad when they run out of things to
do? Not only is boredom a part of everyday life but neuroscientists have determined that it is necessary for children to experience to give them the opportunity to draw on their own interior resources. In doing so, they engage the parts of their brain that promote creativity and imagination— the secret ingredients of invention and achievement.
In days gone by, parents dealt with boredom in very practical ways: “Rinse the dishes,” “Sweep the garage” or “Clean your room.”
kids; we need to point them in the right direction.”
In her message to kids and parents, Jones said she believes in the power of change to move forward and foster personal growth.
“A life coach focuses on an individual’s now and their personal goals for the future,” she said. “We differ from therapists as they discuss past experiences, which may take extensive time.
Jones is beginning her outreach to the community at schools, churches and organizations with special workshops and seminars on goal management and time management, at a 40-percent discount until Aug. 31.
“I want to make a difference for kids and their families,” she said.
Family Success is located at 920 W.
at news@santansun.com.
Parent educator and author, Nancy Blakely, said the more a parent interferes with their child’s boredom, the more they stymie creativity.
“If a thing cannot be imagined first—a cake, a relationship, a cure for AIDS—it cannot be,” she said. “Life is bound by what we can envision. I cannot plant imagination into my children. I can, however, provide an environment where their creativity is not just another mess to clean up but welcome evidence of grappling successfully with boredom. It is see BOREDOM page 33
Chandler Blvd., No. 1, Chandler. For more information, visit www.teen-coach.com.
Tim J. Randall is a freelancer for the SanTan Sun News. He can be reached
Kathryn Jones helps youth and teens through her business Family Success in Chandler. Submitted photo
Place the responsibility for solving boredom squarely on your child’s shoulders. Submitted photo
Perry grad experiences MLB draft
BY ISRAEL GONZALEZ
On the final day of the MLB draft, Perry High School baseball player Tyler Watson bet his family and friends on who would be drafted and when. Convinced he wasn’t going to be one of them, he fell asleep on the couch. He woke up to what he thought was a dream—his mom telling him “You just got drafted.”
Tyler, who turned 18 in May, was drafted No. 1,034 in round 34 by the Washington Nationals. He played four years at Perry High School setting single season pitching records for wins (six), 68 strikeouts (68), strikeouts per game (8.7), opponent batting average (.190), complete game shutouts (two) and WHIP (1.10).
was 4. His father, Ron Watson, played AAA for the then-named California Angels. Tyler, who was coached by his father, grew to love the game beyond the admiration of his dad.
“In the beginning (when) I was 8 or 9 years old I wanted to play baseball because my father did,” Tyler said. “After that I just wanted to play the game because I grew a certain love for it.”
He declined the Nationals’ offer; instead choosing to play for Loyola Marymount University at Los Angeles. The draft experience gave him a glimpse into MLB and he knows his dreams are within reach. The Nationals will continue to keep an eye on him throughout his college career, he said. Modest player
Even with his numerous accomplishments, Watson is low key.
“I just love the game and playing with my friends,” Watson said. “Ever since I’ve been able to hang out with friends they have been baseball friends.”
Tyler has been playing baseball since he
Tyler wasn’t sure if he was going to be drafted, but he knew he was a leader since the eighth grade.
“I was with this elite team and found it hard to be a leader on the team,” he said. “I was having a bad game and a teammate told me
‘Tyler, you need to step up. You’re the leader here.’
“I never been the guy to try and tell someone what to do. I just did it, I just lead by example.”
Tyler admitted he was ecstatic after the draft, but he had already committed to Loyola Marymount.
“I just thought, ‘Oh my goodness, is this really happening,’” he said. “The feeling was unbelievable. It lasted all day. I just want to continue playing baseball. I want to play the highest level of the game that my talent will allow me.”
Israel Gonzalez is an intern with the SanTan Sun News. He can be reached at israel@santansun.com.
Free SAT, ACT practice test at Tutor House
High school juniors and seniors are invited to take a free SAT or ACT practice test on Saturday, July 18, at Tutor House Tutoring Services.
Testing is from 9:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a welcome and registration from 9 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. Students should bring a calculator to the session.
Taking the practice test is a way for students to find strengths and weaknesses in a low-pressure environment. Participants will become familiar with the test format, question types, timing, and content tested on these college entrance exams. Test results and analysis are given by email. Separately scheduled conferences are available.
This free practice test is offered in addition to Tutor House’s regular SAT and ACT prep programs. Tutor House is a family-owned and -operated learning
center helping students reach their full potential by providing an individualized approach to education. The tutoring process begins with a skills assessment that will identify students’ academic strengths and weaknesses; test results are then reviewed with parents, and a program is designed to address the student’s individual needs.
A wide range of one-on-one and small group tutoring for students in grades K-12 is available, including tutoring in reading, math, writing, study skills, algebra, geometry, calculus, chemistry, physics, biology, SAT/ACT prep and more. Sign up at www.TutorHouseAZ.com on the homepage to reserve a seat. For more information, call (480) 857-1222 or email Tutoring@TutorHouseAZ.com. Tutor House is located at 1256 W. Chandler Blvd., Suite F, Chandler.
From Dr. Chamberlain’s Desktop
love this quote because I believe in striving for excellence in all things. I wanted to take this opportunity to briefly discuss three changes that are occurring at Chamberlain Orthodontics. I believe that to become the best one needs to embrace change. Change can be difficult and treacherous. It is disruptive. Perhaps that is why so many resist it. It is much easier to go with the status quo. In the profession of Orthodontics there have been some recent changes that will shape the future of how “moving teeth” is accomplished.
To begin, let me announce the first change in our office. We are expanding our operations in the Ocotillo area by increasing our office space to accommodate more patients in the community. We will be increasing the size of our office space by 1500 square feet. Over the next three months you will see new back office space, a new reception area, a new exam room and new clinic area. The added space
Thomas Chamberlain
will lead to increased efficiency and a more uptodate and comfortable environment. During the time of our construction, we will be seeing all of our patients in our Ray road office (Ray and McClintock). It will be a fairly quick construction time and we appreciate your patience in this effort.
The next two changes in our office are a reflection of our commitment to embrace the latest in technology. First, our office is becoming “impressionless.” That hopefully will leave a better “impression” on many of our patients! ha ha! (pun intended). We have added the new technology of a digital scanner in place of more uncomfortable, less accurate traditional impressions. This new digital scanner will be the FIRST in the East Valley. If you have ever had to take a mold or impression of your teeth and didn’t enjoy the gag reflex that often occurs with it, you will appreciate the new scanner. Because of its accuracy, your scan will be sent to labs across the country for faster response time in making appliances. It also integrates with software that predicts tooth changes so you can see what your teeth will look like after movement. All of these benefits come from a simple, painfree 3 minute scan of your teeth. We think it’s worth it!
Lastly, we are providing you with the latest technology in 3D. We are incorporating the iCAT digital CT scanner. It uses less radiation than a typical 2D x-ray but will give you much more information and better views of the mouth and jaws. With the current findings that link sleep wellness and breathing with Type 2 Diabetes, ADD, ADHD, autism, hypertension, stroke and even cardiovascular disease, we will now be able to routinely look at airways to insure that you, and all your family members, are breathing and sleeping well. This is just one of many advantages we will be able to have with the 3D digital CT scanner. Less radiation, better viewing and better diagnosis will lead to more efficient, more comfortable and more accurate treatment. This brings us back to the beginning quote by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. I believe Chamberlain Orthodontics is embracing the best that is available for you in the Chandler community. We are always looking to provide you with the best ideas, surroundings and technology that is available. This is how we can change both your future and the future of Chamberlain Orthodontics for the better!
Dr. Thomas Chamberlain
Tyler Watson. STSN photo by Tim Sealy
‘The Tiniest Tumbleweed’ inspires big thinking
Everyone feels small or inadequate at some point in their lives. “The Tiniest Tumbleweed,” a children’s book by first-time author Kathy Peach, is a story strategically constructed to help kids think big thoughts about what they can do to become their best selves, in spite of their circumstances.
It is the story of two Sonoran Desert characters, a tiny tumbleweed and a baby house sparrow. Both Tiny Tumbleweed and Baby Sparrow enter their worlds with similar challenges—they worry they are too small to accomplish the things bigger tumbleweeds and birds do, like making seeds and flying.
“Will I be as big and strong as my brothers and sisters?” they both ask, expressing their insecurities.
The timeless theme of the story is presented with Mother Tumbleweed’s wise response: “You will be as big and strong as you will be, and that is just fine, just fine indeed.”
With these words, each of the tiny ones decide to take on the difficult tasks of doing the work needed to help them grow. As a result, at just the right time, they provide the perfect help for each other, fulfilling their passionate need to be useful.
Peach said she developed the story to help children believe in themselves.
“Tiny Tumbleweed and Baby Sparrow, like all of us, must learn to work within (their) limitations,” Peach said, “In telling the story, I combined a method of writing fine children’s literature whereby children
can believe in a life that holds limitless possibilities, with learnings on fostering self-efficacy from psychologist Albert Bandura, Ph.D. The intended result is to build the reader’s sense of self-efficacy and possibility.”
At a time of life when most people begin to slow down, Peach decided to follow her lifelong dreams of earning a college degree and writing a children’s book. She moved from her home of middle Tennessee to Arizona, and graduated from ASU in December with a degree in early childhood/early childhood special education. Peach is now a teacher for the Head Start program in Phoenix.
“A tumbleweed may seem an unlikely character, but just as the Southwest has such allure for me as a transplant, it seems to enchant others too,” said Peach.
“After moving here, I saw a tiny bird dive into a tumbleweed near a fence. I almost wrecked my car watching the bird fly inside the tumbleweed but I didn’t see it fly back out. I returned to that place several times to observe tiny birds fly inside tumbleweeds and simply sit.”
It was the synergy between living things and the boundless opportunities that relationship provides that helped inspire the characters and the story.
“This book beautifully demonstrates that each person has a unique gift to offer,” said Linda F. Radke, president and publisher of Five Star Publications Inc. “It not only provides hope, but it also teaches young children how to respect
Edited by award-winning children’s author Conrad J. Storad and charmingly illustrated by Alex Lopez, “The Tiniest Tumbleweed” supports Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards (Common Core) for third grade English Language Arts (ELA). The book includes a curriculum guide with facts about
tumbleweeds and sparrows following the story. Slated for release in the winter, the book will be marked and distributed by Midpoint Trade Books, Ingram, Baker & Taylor and eStarPublish.com.
To learn more about Five Star Publications Inc. and its 30-year history of producing award-winning books for all ages, visit www.FiveStarPublications.com, email publisher@FiveStarPublications. com, or call (480) 940-8182.
each other’s differences. This is such an important message to instill early in the lives of little ones and I am so excited to partner with Kathy to publish this book.”
possible for boredom to deliver us to our best selves, the ones that long for risk and illumination and unspeakable beauty.”
Mark Twain might have never put pen to page if it wasn’t for the vacuum of activity he experience growing in the sleepy rural town of Hannibal, Missouri. It was there that he spawned the beloved adventures of “Huckleberry Finn” and “Tom Sawyer.”
Imagine what might have happened if Twain had had access to our screenoriented technology to give him hours of entertainment instead of plugging in his creative juices in response to his bored moments. Left to their own devices to deal with boredom, the same could be said of our own children. If we leave them with the responsibility of finding creative outlets for their boredom, then we can stand back and enjoy the creativity that results.
Here is some food for thought from Dr. Ian H. Robertson, author of the “Winner Effect:”
Allow boredom. The restlessness and unpleasant feeling that come from boredom signals a search for new goals. The parent that tries to fill the gap instead of letting the child find a solution unplugs the creativity potential.
Limit technology. Allowing a child to engage in “screen technology” to satisfy
boredom will short-circuit creativity. Refuse responsibility. Place the responsibility for solving boredom squarely on your child’s shoulders. Example: “Bummer! What are you going to do about feeling so bored?” or Dr. Charles Fay’s favorite response: “Wow, that’s really sad for you. Hope you can find a way to fix that!”
Steve Jobs of Apple was not a computer genius. He was a visionary who saw the computer through the eyes of everyday people. This would not have happened if he had not explored ideas by way of imagination and creativity. Our role as parents is to provide the environment, provide some basic resources and simply cheer our children on to similar greatness. So, not need to cringe when you hear those words. Embrace them and watch your child’s creativity blossom.
New Vistas Center for Education, named a Top 10 School by Johns Hopkins University CTY and Top Science and Engineering School by Intel, Helios and other high-tech companies. Founded in 1979, New Vistas is a private preschool through sixth grade August through May, and preschool through high school June-August. It is located at 670 N. Arizona Ave., Suite 35, Chandler. New Vistas is celebrating its 35th anniversary. For more information, visit www. newvistasaz.com or www.newvistasblog. com.
STUDENT CHRONICLES
Know a student who’s doing something remarkable? Send items for Student Chronicles to christina@santansun.com.
Loren Marissa Carrier received a BS cum laude in architectural studies from Norwich University.
Michael Anthony Castellano made the Campbellsville University dean’s list for spring 2015. He is a senior.
Andy Chen made the dean’s list for the spring semester at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Stephanie J. Kallahan was named to the St. Michael’s College dean’s list for the spring 2015 semester.
Brandon Moranz graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Wittenberg University.
Nicholas Anders Oleson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business, majoring in interdisciplinary business management at Miami University.
Patric Pray was named to the Hofstra University’s dean’s list for the spring 2015 semester.
Danielle Schulze was named to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln spring semester dean’s list.
Samantha Weiss graduated from Fort Lewis College in May with a bachelor’s degree in sociology/human services, criminology option.
Stephanie Wilkins made the dean’s list at ASU for the spring 2015 semester.
It’s hot outside. With the summer heat comes pool and water activities. Drownings are tragic events that happen all too often around the Valley. We want to remind you to keep your kids safe around the water.
