Softball Rules For Kids News and More

Softball Rules For Kids News

softball rules for kids

After Sheri Russell sold the Mass Mutiny women's professional football club to Ernie Boch, Jr., she missed the experience of being part of a team. So Dr. Russell, who runs the Russell Chiropractic and Sports Medicine Center in Beverly, found just ...

Beverly Panthers 12U traveling softball team a hit - Salem News

Mike Shade said he knew before the softball season started last spring that it would probably be his last year as coach at Southern Fulton. The reason? "I couldn't out-run any of the players anymore," he said. Typical Shade, who's always been quick ...

SOFTBALL Shade resigns as coach at Southern Fulton - Public Opinion

Camping opportunities for boys and girls from 6 to 17 years of age offer a choice of programs that suit a variety of interests. Camping programs will continue through July 22 in the Wisconsin woodlands near East Troy at Camp Army Lake. Camp sessions ...

Salvation Army offers camping for local kids - Fond du Lac Reporter

IT was the week the Martu mob came together to watch footy in its purest form, barefoot in the red dust, with the Great Sandy Desert as a backdrop. They drove more than 10 hours across Western Australia's central and western deserts to see their team ...

Barefoot footy kids impress talent scouts - The Australian

Recreational softball players across the Northwest suburbs will miss the familiar presence of one of their veteran umpires. Vincent Weidner collapsed Friday night during a fastpitch travel softball game for 16-year-old girls in Des Plaines. "He had ...

Popular Mt. Prospect ump dies during game - Arlington Heights Daily Herald

Manuel "Manny" Acevedo spent 53 years as an Arizona Interscholastic Association official. He worked basketball, softball, volleyball and football games during his career before retiring after the 2007-08 school year. Manuel "Manny" Acevedo wasn't ...

Today's all-star games honoring Manny Acevedo - WMI Central

For the first time in several years, two Little League teams — the minors (boys 9 to 10) and juniors (boys 13 to 14) — are hosting All Star games at South Whidbey’s Community Park. “By far, we have the best fields in our district,” said ...

All Star tournament starts Sunday for Little Leaguers - Bainbridge Island Review

Mark Pelgi blasts home runs, has screaming super fans and plays the role of an on-field coach for his teammates. What: Athletes with physical and/or cognitive disabilities. What, how: Both competitive and non-competitive youth and adult softball ...

The Miracle League now has 170 athletes - Post-Bulletin

Derby football coach Brandon Clark goes over hand signals with quarterback Tyler Harrison during practice Wednesday. Fernando Salazar/The Wichita Eagle Collegiate coach Mitch Fiegel inspires his team to fight in an upcoming game with Kapaun during a ...

High school coaches adjust to summer rules - Wichita Eagle

Sports fans will have plenty of action to choose from during the 4th of July weekend. One of the most interesting events will be at the Flemingsburg Industrial Park, where baseball fans can hear the more traditional crack of wood during the Cobra ...

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Resolved Question: Why are coaches????????????????????

ok so i play softball im not perfect at it but im one of the better players on the team. oh all the whole team i love the sport more than anything, i know all our plays,signs and the rules. but the thing is my coaches never let me play. in the last two years i have not said one bad thing about one of my coaches, team or or other teams . even when they put a girl to play one of my postions( even if she does horrible i tell her good job) my coaches even say to my parents shes a awesome kid she never has a bad attitude about anything and shes a good ball player. then the next game or practice i dont get to do anything but sit on the bench. it makes me pissed but i will never show it. even at practice everyone else goes half ass doing everything i do everything to my best of abilities. so why do coaches do this? my old coach last year said i was really good, but this year we got a new coach she was our assisant coach last year and another lady. now i never get to play if that help clearfiy anything up (D) my old coach last year said i was really good, but this year we got a new coach she was our assisant coach last year and another lady. now i never get to play if that help clearfiy anything up (D) im not trash talking my teammates they say i have the most heart on the team (d) more

Resolved Question: How do I explain to my dad/coach that this is a competitive, travel team?!?

I am on a 12U summer travel softball team, and am the starting pitcher. There are about 15-20 people trying out, and originally there was going to be one team with 12 players. My dad, the coach, wants to make two teams if we can get a few more girls to come to the second tryout. I understand that that is the nice way to do it, and understand what it would be like to get cut, but it is still not fair. I understand that the teams would be even, but most of my friends are good at the sport who are trying out. If we do this, half of them wouldn't be on my team! I was just explaining this to him, and he sent me away. I don't mean to be complaining or judgmental or anything, but he has to understand that this is a competitive travel team and the players who don't understand the sport should be cut. I realize this is a bit selfish, but it's true. If everyone who was trying out for the team was good and there were too many, then there could be two teams. Some kids do not understand the rules or how to play on travel teams at all, and I know improvement is possible, but there should not be more than one team if the kids weren't good enough. I fully understand how I would feel if I was cut, but this is a real travel team that is a step higher than rec, and we should want only the best players. How do explain to him that it is not rec and should only be one team? more

Resolved Question: Help with my kids getting along and respect?

Ok I need some good advice. I have three children ranging in ages from 4-12. In general they are good kids and have never been in any real trouble. The problem I am facing is a lack of respect, lack of wanting to help and the "me factor". The lack of respect comes into play with each other and Mom and Dad. They cant spend a day without a knock down fight between each other. Whenever one gets mad they just sit and pick and pick and pick at each other until it escalates to one of them in tears. Then of course there are lies to follow as to who started it and what happened. They have no respect for others possecions and feel it is their right to go take whatever they want from each other and my husband and I. They have no respect of time for what my husband and I do for them. Take me here take me there ooops times changed so you are going to have to take me at this time instead. The older two are getting more independant and fixing themselves food. Then they leave their mess. It ensues into a fight when I ask them to clean up after themselves. Of course it wasnt me she did it after me I cleaned up then she messed it back up. I am at my whits end. In general they are polite with yes sir no sir, yes please no thank you. They are respectful to older people and when they are at others homes. We are on hand parents and really try to enforce rules. I just dont know what to do anymore. I feel taken advatage of that I am supposed to cater to their every whim, give them all the extra curricular they want, take them where they want but never get any help in the house or respect for mommy and daddys time. I understand I am a parent and I truely want my kids to be happy. I want them to do dance and play softball and swim but I also want my home and time respected. And I want them to treat each other nice. I guess what I am asking is do your kids get along and how to you help foster that relationship. Second do your kids respect your time and home and how do you get them to help by just putting things back or not taking what is not theirs without screaming like a shrew? Thanks for any advice. I think I should explain. I have tried taking away friends, tv, computer, toys, put them in their room. Nothing seems to get through to them. It works temporarily but then they go right back to the same old pattern. I think the only thing I give in to to much is taking them places and yes I need to put my foot down there and make them miss an event to two to get the picture. more

Resolved Question: ill give 10 points with best answer please answer this boys and girls math question?

at a youth department sports-fest softball game , 8 boys and 7 girls showed up to play . Each team is only allowed to play with 10 players (5 boys and 5 girls). Following the 5 boys and 5 girls rule, how many possible 10 player teams can be mada out of the kids that showed up to play? more

Resolved Question: I want to die the monday after mothers day..?

what things should I be sure to put in the letter to my husband and kids and parents....basically my parents were divorced when I was 6 I was sexually abused by my step brother who was the child of the man my mother married after.. they do not know he did this to me and my step sister...I have 2 ungrateful daughters who after 17 years and 15 years of supporting them and being there for them for everything from school activities to local theatre group practices and plays to sports and coaching their cheering squads and softball teams and always making every effort to help them achieve their dreams and goals they moved out to go live with their dad because they disagreed with my dating rules and too often told me to get a life and they hate me..this is hours after spending the whole night making homemade fortune cookies for class president .. or a day and night of a house fill of friends for a sleep over...and I fell into a depression...a husband who basically married me for a roof over his head and lied about the fact that he could not have children and I got pregnant ...was supposedly a fricking miracle ha ha ha no he was a fricking liar and ex husband who never did a frciking thing for his 3 kids and now is the most wonderful man in the world....as he lets girls do what ever they want since they move in no rules they can sleep over firends during the week and weekends as he has to drive them 20 minutes to and from school everyday since he lives in a different town... I am done being everyones second thought and never really mattering unless they need a ride, money, or something else...I know this may seem a little extreme to all of you and you might say they are better off without me I am crazy whatever that is your opinion I have spent years being everything everyone ever needed me to be and got nothing not even a morsel or crumb of what I needed back this has gone on since childhood i had a babysitter and a sister 11 years older than me than basically raised me parents who only needed me around when they needed the perfect family image for work and my adult life is not any better...so really all I want is is to know what questions you would want answered if it was your mother who was leaving..forever..no judgements let me add that I am way over tthe abuse part of my life I have dealt with it other than telling my parents I know it does not make me a bad person my children are what are breaking my heart I did everything make vote for _____ for president shirts and fortune cookies baked and chaperoned everything.. spent every summer staying home with them.. to make those special summer memories of tripos to the beach etc.. friends at our pool all summer sleep overs vacations...everything and now I am just an easy memory to erase and that fricking sucks....there father walked out of their lives when they were 3 and 1.5 years old and 6 months old they did not see him for 5 years almost nothing no visits no child support ....then he reappeared after I searched for him. cause they needed their daddy..he saw them every couple of months after that and he lived 7 miles away. sad huh? and he is fricking superman because they can stay out late ..he is superman because he gives in from guilt He is invited to oldest graduation in 30 days and I was told do not bother ....17 yrs for fricking what,,,absolutely fricking nothing thats what more

Resolved Question: can someone tell me a little about house league softball?

the rules, how many games, practices, I am a father and i want my kid to learn softball more

Resolved Question: Principal calls about daughter?

So, my daughter is 16 she goes to a small school around 250 kids grades 9-12. She has always been outgoing and obsessed with her looks, I try to instill somewhat of a less vain look but with mine and her father's divorce I can't seem to keep a steady rule set with her father. The principal called and asked to speak to me about how my daughter seems to be beyond snobby and rude to teachers and students who aren't in her "clique" at school. This breaks my heart, I have always tried to teach her never to be caught up in cliques or popularity. The principal said he could really do nothing much other than give her detention which really doesn't matter much to kids anymore, since it's not after school it's during school hours and the iss instructor is laid back. I just need some input on how I can somehow talk to my daughter not just about being rude and making other people feel down but how to get over herself basically. I'm beyond angry but I know just grounding her straight off isn't going to change her mind on anything. I plan on taking her cobalt away for a while (which her father and I both pay for), and threatening dance team as well as softball. I need to speak to her father about it, but I know he'll disagree. The sports is everything to him and her and his wife will buy her anything she desires if I say no. She will have nothing but hollister, abercrombie, american eagle, etc etc and for me, it's hard making ends meet especially with her wanting $90 pair of jeans and $40 polos. I just want the best for her but she needs to realize she can't act like this anymore. Earth you obviously didn't read it all. I TRY to keep her grounded, I can't when her father gives her everything and more. more

Resolved Question: i suck at umpiring should i quite?

i just started umpiring for softball and ive played the sport my whole life and am not bad. so i thought umpiring would be easier, but i suck!!!! i had 3 games in one day and i did horrible, and i just had one for the littlest kids and still made mistakes, is this common for beginners? i =ve read the rule book done my research. but i have a problem with taking charge, i let the coaches take over and i feel so stupid and just want to cry. i mean i feel like they know more so how do i have control of the situation at all times without sounding to pompous?? the money is great though but the stress is bothering me. thankyou, ill try. thankfully i dont have any more this week!! more

Resolved Question: I like 2 ppl which 1 shud i like?

Nolan- kinda cute nice but has a gf but they don't like each other that much.He goes to my school.He said he likes me but he denied it in front of his friends and he said alot of his friends and older guys said that they wud beat him up if he liked me cuz I did like a guy about a month ago & we broke up cuz my mom said I can't like him so now alot of the guys are mad at me for "dumping" him. Nolan tried to hold my hand so now he says he doesn't like me so wats up with that? Shawn- REALLY cute. He is on my softball team. So I really don't know if he likes me it seems like he does though. I REALLY REALLY think he is cute. No actually he is HOTT!!!He is also in the same grade as me. I go to a Christian School and so we can't date partially cuz I'm in 7th grade. We can't kiss or touch really so thats another reason y I think Nolan likes me he broke the rules and he has nvr held his gf's hand. Shawn I think is a Christian I'm not sure cuz I think almost all the kids on my team are Christains but I'm not sure. Please answer this I need HELP!!! more

Resolved Question: Coaching Softball....?

My parents are kinda making me coach a softball team and I have no clue about any of the rules in baseball, let alone softball. However, the kids are like under 12, so they won't know too much either. I guess what I'm asking is, is it difficult to pick up? from an instructor's perspective? more

Resolved Question: What are the official rules for girls high school fast pitch?

I know there have to be official rules for girls fast pitch softball but whether the school is going by those rules is another question. First of all, is there such a rule that if you are a junior and you lettered as a sophmore can you still play JV or just Varsity? Secondly, if there are enough qualified junior and senior girls to play Varsity is it right to bring up a freshman to knock out an older girl for her position? Of course we all know that there is politics in all high school sports and it is ashame that our kids have to be treated this way. more

Resolved Question: I'm 25 and haven't played sports since high school is it possible to get serious about it as a hobby at least?

I watch baseball/softball and know the fundamental rules of the game. I use to play as a kid but mostly in just pick up games. There's a local baseball/softball club that has trainers and batting cages/pitching areas. The only thing is I feel awkward as a 25 year old man looking to get better at a game that I should probably have really paid MORE attention to growing up. Any advice would be appreciated. I want to at least comfortably play in a local softball or baseball league and actually know how to play properly. Can anyone help on this one? THANKS! more

Resolved Question: Company Softball Team First Practice NEXT WEEK.?

Hello. I used to coach quite a bit, and I'm now running our company softball team's first and only practice before the season begins. How do I get the most out of the practice with my peers, preparing some that have never played (and a few that have) to play a game with only a single one-hour practice? I am used to having a few weeks of steady practices with kids when I used to coach a few years ago. I want to make certain to address all the fundamentals (base-running, rules, general techniques, etc) while also getting a good feel for different player's abilities and where they should be positioned. Here's the big catch... Not everyone who is going to play in the games will be at the practice! Our practice is next week, and I have a few ideas for general batting practice, fielding drills, and I'll probably to an intro base-running drill with a few of the true newbies. Looking for more ideas and how to make it highly effective and fun for my peers. Thanks! more

Resolved Question: Little league rules???

My daughter is 6 and is playing tee ball for the first time. They have already played several games, but the "rules" seem to keep changing with each team they play. It is also NOT the non-competitive, no score, everyone has fun tee ball that we were expecting. I played softball for 12 years, but never tee ball so I'm learning the rules as we go. Anyway, last nights game was AWFUL! The umps didn't show so they decided 2 of their parents team would do it. No one told our team about the situation or someone would have helped out. Their coach would call "time" anytime the first baseman would drop the ball so that our runner couldn't advance to second. They would not just tag the runner, they would knock them down...HARD...my daughter was pushed to the ground so hard that her head hit and her helmet came off. Their "pitcher" would not tag the runner going home or touch the base, but would SLIDE into the runner at home. Are any of these "legal" in tee ball? These kids are 5-7!!! more

Resolved Question: Satan's Ten Commandments for parents... Enjoy!?

SATAN'S TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR PARENTS Thou shalt not take thy children to a Bible-believing church That's right, the last thing I need is a generation of children who learn to believe and obey God's word! Take your sons and daughters to a big and liberal church where there are scores of fun activities to waste their time and rob them of any chance to really learnthe Bible. Don't take them to an old-fashioned and fundamental church where the King James Bible is believed, preached and taught. Thou shalt not teach thy children to know and serve Jesus Christ I'll never populate Hell if you allow your children to see their lost condition and their need to have their sins washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ! Let them wait until they are older so they can decide for themselves what to believe. By then, I'll have them so brainwashed they'll never be saved. Tell them when to get up, when to take a bath, what to eat, when to be home and when to go to bed, but don't tell them what to believe about God, the Bible, and Jesus Christ. Thou shalt not spank thy children I want to produce a whole generation of self-serving rebels who are not disciplined and who do not respect any moral authority-- including God. When this happens, I will rule the world and damn billions to Hell forever! I need YOUR help! DON'T spank that child! Thou shalt enroll thy children in a day care center Mom, don't even think of staying home to train up your children! Sure, the Bible commands women to be "keepers at home," but who believes the Bible these days? Your family can't make it on a single income. Get yourself a job and let my specially trained day care agents start working on your children. You make the babies and let me handle the rest. Thou shalt enroll thy children in the public school system Don't even think of home schooling or a private school. You just trust me to educate your children the way I think best. The public school system is packed full of my agents. We've already thrown the Bible, the Ten Commandments and prayer out of the schools. Now we're having the time of our life! We'll teach your kids that they have evolved from animals so they'll feel no obligation to honor and obey their true Creator. Then we'll let them dress any way they choose while teaching them all about sex. We'll even have a few dances each year so they can rub their bodies together while listening and dancing to the most ungodly music the world has ever known. With a little luck, your kids will have their own kids before finishing high school, which just means more day care prospects for me! Don't you just love my system?!!!! Thou shalt allow thy children to walk, talk, dress and act like all other children You wouldn't want you child to feel strange or different from other kids, would you? Of course you wouldn't! You want your child to grow up to fit into the world, to feel accepted and normal in society. That's exactly what I want! I want everyone to just fit in with society - to conform to the trends and fashions of the day. I have the majority of the earth's population marching right into Hell without even knowing it. Don't ask questions about your children's conduct, their styles, and their trends. Just accept it as "the latest thing" and let me direct their footsteps. I know just where they need to be and I know just how to get them there! Thou shalt teach thy children to worship sports Ah, yes! Let's not forget that one! Let's keep that child's mind occupied all the time lest they start thinking and asking questions about God, the Bible and Jesus Christ! I want them playing baseball, softball, basketball, football, ballet, swimming, track, gymnastics, and everything else you can find. In addition to this, buy them shoes and clothing endorsed by famous sports figures and take them to every sporting event possible. With a little effort, you can waste at least ten or fifteen hours every week! Hopefully, by the time they're grown they'll be reading the sports page and watching the sports channel every day while neverreading the Bible. Thou shalt provide thy children with unrestricted entertainment Don't deprive your kids of all the things that other kids enjoy, such as Internet access, their choice magazines, video games, television and movies. These are perfect mediums by which I am reaching millions of young people every day. They're listening to my music, looking at my pictures, and applying my self destructive principles in their lives. It's amazing how willing parents are to turn their kids over to me, but they're certainly doing it. So pleasedon't ask questions or investigate the choice entertainment of your sons and daughters. Thou shalt permit thy sons and daughters to start dating by the age of sixteen Preferably before then, like maybe thirteen or fourteen, but certainly no later than sixteen! Other teenagers date, so why shouldn't your teens date? Other teenagers experiment with sex, drugs and alcohol, so why shouldn't your teens do likewise? You think, "Oh, my teen wouldn't do anything like that!" Yeah, right! I'm so glad you foolish parents have such short memories! I'm so glad you've forgotten yourteenage years! One of my greatest assets in ruining your child is your belief that your child is different and wouldn't do any wrong. You make my job so easy - and fun! Thou shalt not receive counsel from any Christian When you encounter a Christian who has exceptionally well behaved children, you will be tempted to seek advice from them on raising your own children. DON'T! These people are religious nuts. They believing in training up children GOD'S WAY, which is the old-fashioned way. This is the twenty-first century, a new age with a new way of life. Away with God and the Bible! Away with Jesus and fundamental churches! Live like you want to live! After all, you only live once, and then you'll be in Hell forever - along with your kids! Just fear me and keep MY commandments, and we'll all be together one day - sooner than you may think! Your's Truly . . . . . Lucifer sorry it's a bit long winded but it's worth it in my opinion! Star if you like! right ok people... i found it on a Christian site trying to put a different slant on why people should go to church so I'm not Bible bashing at all. In fact I am a Christian! I do not have bad spelling, it's copy and pasted straight from the site because i thought some of you may have wanted a bit of a laugh! Wish I hadn't bothered now! Those of you who did appreciate this... Thanks! more

Resolved Question: What is recommended for mosquito repllent for kids?

My daughter has a tournament for softball this weekend. She is playing later in the day and last time we went to this diamond I got eaten alive! I have 2 younger kids (ages 4 & 2) along with the one playing that is 7. There are so many new rules out there, how do you know which is correct? Does anyone know what is recommended now? I know they used to say deet under a certain level, don't use the sunscreen and insect repellent together, put sunscreen on 30 min before the repellent. Are the bracelets any good? Are they recommended for young kids? I know I can burn candles around myself, but the kids usually play away from me and the candle wouldn't work for them. Any suggestions would really be appreciated! more

Resolved Question: Lee Iacocca has a very strong argument about Iraq, Bush, etc. It's an easy read. Agree/Disagree/Comment?::

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Iacocca Subject: Lee Iacocca speaks out Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound Bite: Throw the bums out! You might think I'm getting Senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I Have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize This country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a Pack of lies. Congress responds to record deficits by Passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I Don't need it). The most famous business leaders are Not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While We're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and Nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is Waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of America my parents and yours Traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How About you? I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a Patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm Ready and willing to have. My friends tell me to calm down. They say, "Lee, You're eighty-two years old. Leave the rage to the Young people." I'd love to speak to them as soon as I Can pry them away from their iPods for five seconds And get them to pay attention. I'm going to speak up Because it's my patriotic duty. I think people will Listen to me. They say I have a reputation as a Straight shooter. So I'll tell you how I see it, and it's not pretty, but at least it's real. I'm hoping to Strike a nerve in those young folks who say they don't Vote because they don't trust politicians to represent Their interests. Hey, America, wake up. These guys Work for us. Who Are These Guys, Anyway? Why are we in this mess? How did we end up with this Crowd in Washington? Well, we voted for them, or at Least some of us did. But I'll tell you what we didn't Do. We didn't agree to suspend the Constitution. We Didn't agree to stop asking questions or demanding Answers. Some of us are sick and tired of people who Call free speech treason. Where I come from that's a Dictatorship, not a democracy. And don't tell me it's all the fault of right-wing Republicans or liberal Democrats. That's an Intellectually lazy argument, and it's part of the Reason we're in this stew. We're not just a nation of Factions. We're a people. We share common principles And ideals. And we rise and fall together. Where are the voices of leaders who can inspire us to Action and make us stand taller? What happened to the Strong and resolute party of Lincoln? What happened to The courageous, populist party of FDR and Truman? There was a time in this country when the voices of Great leaders lifted us up and made us want to do Better. Where have all the leaders gone? The Test of a Leader I've never been Commander in Chief, but I've been a CEO. I understand a few things about leadership at the Top. I've figured out nine points, not ten (I don't Want people accusing me of thinking I'm Moses). I call Them the "Nine Cs of Leadership." They're not fancy or Complicated. Just clear, obvious qualities that every True leader should have. We should look at how the Current administration stacks up. Like it or not, this Crew is going to be around until January 2009. Maybe We can learn something before we go to the polls in 2008. Then let's be sure we use the leadership test to Screen the candidates who say they want to run the Country. It's up to us to choose wisely. So, here's my C list: A leader has to show CURIOSITY. He has to listen to People outside of the "Yes, sir" crowd in his inner Circle. He has to read voraciously, because the world Is a big, complicated place. George W. Bush brags About never reading a newspaper. "I just scan the Headlines," he says. Am I hearing this right? He's the President of the United States and he never reads a Newspaper? Thomas Jefferson once said, "Were it left To me to decide whether we should have a government Without newspapers, or newspapers without a Government, I should not hesitate for a moment to Prefer the latter." Bush disagrees. As long as he gets His daily hour in the gym, with Fox News piped through The sound system, he's ready to go. If a leader never steps outside his comfort zone to Hear different ideas, he grows stale. If he doesn't put his beliefs to the test, how does he know he's right? The inability to listen is a form of arrogance. It means either you think you already know it all, or you just don't care. Before the 2006 election, George Bush made a big point of saying he didn't listen to the polls. Yeah, that's what they all say when the polls stink. But maybe he should have listened, because 70 percent of the people were saying he was on the wrong track. It took a "thumping" on election day to wake him up, but even then you got the feeling he wasn't listening so much as he was calculating how to do a better job of convincing everyone he was right. A leader has to be CREATIVE, go out on a limb, be willing to try something different. You know, think outside the box. George Bush prides himself on never changing, even as the world around him is spinning out of control. God forbid someone should accuse him of flip-flopping. There's a disturbingly messianic fervor to his certainty. Senator Joe Biden recalled a conversation he had with Bush a few months after our troops marched into Baghdad. Joe was in the Oval Office outlining his concerns to the President the explosive mix of Shiite and Sunni, the disbanded Iraqi army, the problems securing the oil fields. "The President was serene," Joe recalled. "He told me he was sure that we were on the right course and that all would be well. 'Mr. President,' I finally said, 'how can you be so sure when you don't yet know all the facts?'" Bush then reached over and put a steadying hand on Joe's shoulder. "My instincts," he said. "My instincts." Joe was flabbergasted. He told Bush, "Mr. President, your instincts aren't good enough." Joe Biden sure didn't think the matter was settled. And, as we all know now, it wasn't. Leadership is all about managing change whether you're leading a company or leading a country. Things change, and you get creative. You adapt. Maybe Bush was absent the day they covered that at Harvard Business School. A leader has to COMMUNICATE. I'm not talking about running off at the mouth or spouting sound bites. I'm talking about facing reality and telling the truth. Nobody in the current administration seems to know how to talk straight anymore. Instead, they spend most of their time trying to convince us that things are not really as bad as they seem. I don't know if it's denial or dishonesty, but it can start to drive you crazy after a while. Communication has to start with telling the truth, even when it's painful. The war in Iraq has been, among other things, a grand failure of communication. Bush is like the boy who didn't cry wolf when the wolf was at the door. After years of being told that all is well, even as the casualties and chaos mount, we've stopped listening to him. A leader has to be a person of CHARACTER. That means knowing the difference between right and wrong and having the guts to do the right thing. Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you want to test a man's character, give him power." George Bush has a lot of power. What does it say about his character? Bush has shown a willingness to take bold action on the world stage because he has the power, but he shows little regard for the grievous consequences. He has sent our troops (not to mention hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens) to their deaths, for what? To build our oil reserves? To avenge his daddy because Saddam Hussein once tried to have him killed? To show his daddy he's tougher? The motivations behind the war in Iraq are questionable, and the execution of the war has been a disaster. A man of character does not ask a single soldier to die for a failed policy. A leader must have COURAGE. I'm talking about balls. (That even goes for female leaders.) Swagger isn't courage. Tough talk isn't courage. George Bush comes from a blue-blooded Connecticut family, but he likes to talk like a cowboy. You know, My gun is bigger than your gun. Courage in the twenty-first century doesn't mean posturing and bravado. Courage is a commitment to sit down at the negotiating table and talk. If you're a politician, courage means taking a position even when you know it will cost you votes. Bush can't even make a public appearance unless the audience has been handpicked and sanitized. He did a series of so-called town hall meetings last year, in auditoriums packed with his most devoted fans. The questions were all softballs. To be a leader you've got to have CONVICTION, fire in your belly. You've got to have passion. You've got to really want to get omething done. How do you measure fire in the belly? Bush has set the all-time record for number of vacation days taken by a U.S. President, four hundred and counting. He'd rather clear brush on his ranch than immerse himself in the business of governing. He even told an interviewer that the high point of his presidency so far was catching a seven-and-a-half-pound perch in his hand-stocked lake. It's no better on Capitol Hill. Congress was in session only ninety-seven days in 2006. That's eleven days less than the record set in 1948, when President Harry Truman coined the term do-nothing Congress. Most people would expect to be fired if they worked so little and had nothing to show for it. But Congress managed to find the time to vote itself a raise. Now, that's not leadership. A leader should have CHARISMA. I'm not talking about being flashy. Charisma is the quality that makes people want to follow you. It's the ability to inspire. People follow a leader because they trust him. That's my definition of charisma. Maybe George Bush is a great guy to hang out with at a barbecue or a ball game. But put him at a global summit where the future of our planet is at stake, and he doesn't look very presidential. Those frat-boy pranks and the kidding around he enjoys so much don't go over that well with world leaders. Just ask German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who received an unwelcome shoulder massage from our President at a G-8 Summit. When he came up behind her and started squeezing, I thought she was going to go right through the roof. A leader has to be COMPETENT. That seems obvious, doesn't it? You've got to know what you're doing. More important than that, you've got to surround yourself with people who know what they're doing. Bush brags about being our first MBA President. Does that make him competent? Well, let's see. Thanks to our first MBA President, we've got the largest deficit in history, Social Security is on life support, and we've run up a half-a-trillion-dollar price tag (so far) in Iraq. And that's just for starters. A leader has to be a problem solver, and the biggest problems we face as a nation seem to be on the back burner. You can't be a leader if you don't have COMMON SENSE. I call this Charlie Beacham's rule. When I was a young guy just starting out in the car business, one of my first jobs was as Ford's zone manager in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. My boss was a guy named Charlie Beacham, who was the East Coast regional manager. Charlie was a big Southerner, with a warm drawl, a huge smile, and a core of steel. Charlie used to tell me, "Remember, Lee, the only thing you've got going for you as a human being is your ability to reason and your common sense. If you don't know a dip of horseshit from a dip of vanilla ice cream, you'll never make it." George Bush doesn't have common sense. He just has a lot of sound bites. You know, Mr.they'll-welcome-us-as-liber... e-mission-accomplished Bush. Former President Bill Clinton once said, "I grew up in an alcoholic home. I spent half my childhood trying to get into the reality-based world and I like it here." I think our current President should visit the real world once in a while. The Biggest C is Crisis Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down. On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. Where was George Bush? He was reading a story about a pet goat to kids in Florida when he heard about the attacks. He kept sitting there for twenty minutes with a baffled look on his face. It's all on tape. You can see it for yourself. Then, instead of taking the quickest route back to Washington and immediately going on the air to reassure the panicked people of this country, he decided it wasn't safe to return to the White House. He basically went into hiding for the day and he told Vice President Dick Cheney to stay put in his bunker. We were all frozen in front of our TVs, scared out of our wits, waiting for our leaders to tell us that we were going to be okay, and there was nobody home. It took Bush a couple of days to get his bearings and devise the right photo op at Ground Zero. That was George Bush's moment of truth, and he was paralyzed. And what did he do when he'd regained his composure? He led us down the road to Iraq, a road his own father had considered disastrous when he was President. But Bush didn't listen to Daddy. He listened to a higher father. He prides himself on being faith based, not reality based. If that doesn't scare the crap out of you, I don't know what will. A Hell of a Mess So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership. But when you look around, you've got to ask: "Where have all the leaders gone?" Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, competence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point. Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened. Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time. Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when "the Big Three" referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it? Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry. I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bobblehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change? Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope. I believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises, the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to action for people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the horseshit and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had enough. Excerpted from Where Have All the Leaders Gone?. Copyright © 2007 by Lee Iacocca. All rights reserved. more

Resolved Question: MRI and X ray?

My daughter is 11. She is athletic (plays softball in the fall and spring, field hockey and lacrosse) complained of knee pain last Fall. We took her to her MD who sent us for lab work and an X ray (rule out lyme) and they didn't find anything. She was swollen and we did ice and limped. Finally going back twice. (season ended ) so no sports were played Nov-now. We went to an Orthopedic sports medicine place (for kids) and they felt it was Osgoods Schlotters. We were given Physical Therapy twice a week. We got a knee object, then another rubber knee object and finally a brace and crutches to rest the knee 100% for two weeks. Due to atrophy and swelling an MRI was ordered. We had this yesterday. After they read the film they then sent her right over for X-rays. Well 36 hours later here I am on yahoo asking. Her MD is away, and they have no idea why the radiology department would do this without a written order. The order was for simply an MRI of the left knee. Any thoughts.? I am getting the run around. We had it taken at a outside office in the suburbs (not at the main children's hospital) her Orthopedic MD is away. I can't find a straight answer (I am an RN too)! Thanks - for our reply! When I call down town they are amazed the radiologist sent her on for more x rays but we didn't make a stink in front of her (we didn't want to worry her) it was just an "mri"!! just can't get anyone to call us back or give us a straight honest answer. She is not better with PT (Still pain) still swelling and atrophy of her muscles - labs were normal. She did have low igg levels as an infant until about the time she was 7 - so the Orthopedic MD is semi worried about rheumatoid arthritis. PT helps but on a daily basis she is in pain at about a 6 (on a scale of 1-10) more

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