Love it.

I need to move somewhere to work internationally. I love it. If I get to speak spanish, that's cool, or I'll just go anywhere.

Hint hint...

Bienvenidos a Mexico!!

I am in Mexico this week. Never thought I would want to come to the Yucatan area, especially Playa del Carmen and the Cancun airport, but if I have to do it and get paid $225 for the week with my very nice hotel paid for and food all taken care of, I guess it's not all that bad.

I'll write more later, but don't get too jealous... I've only spent 1 hour in the ocean, 5 minutes near a pool, and way too much time to count getting eaten by bugs and organizing players and volunteers. Fun, yes, but hard work and certainly the closest thing I will get to a paid vacation while doing this internship. Needless to say, I wouldn't be here if I didn't speak Spanish and as the only intern here I can say from the bottom of my heart: Gracias, Senora Leavitt.

More to come, I hope...

Parenting an Athlete: Dos and Don'ts

After 10 weeks on the junior golf road and 10 years as a youth athlete, I think I have a good grasp of what it takes to be a good parent in the world of sports and here's my list of dos and don'ts...

DON'T:

1. Use that high-pitched, fast-paced voice when you ask me to find your son or daughter. That is not my job, they are your offspring and I am just their rules official.

2. Don't expect me to know why they chose the rules option they did or why they have decided to use that club. Again, and see number 1, they are your child and I am just their rules official.

3. Don't offer your kid a drink of Powerade every shot. Chances are you will not only bother the rules official, but you will make them wish they'd been put up for adoption those many years ago.

4. My job is not to get you food, drinks, scorecards, cold towels, or a glove when your son tears his. I work over 80 hours some weeks and that will just make me grumpy.

5. Don't make me explain everything I am doing. My knowledge of the rules is based on someone who got 100% on their rules test. I learned how to set tees from that same person. The coolers are where they are for a reason. It takes a long time to do what we do; see number 4 for more info.

6. Don't try to enter the scoring area or any other official area. Your days as a high school athlete weren't that spectacular anyway and they are long gone. I don't need your input on the rulings that your kids know better than both of us.

7. I have a cart so that when you complain to me about not being there when your daughter needed help with a water hazard ruling I can say that I am doing everything I can to be in 12 places at once.

8. If you and all your fellow parents had a cart out there I would not be able to get to said rulings, and you would complain for days on end about how Johnny's dad was driving around the green while Timmy putted.

9. Having a hip replaced at age 40 does not necessarily entitle you to a golf cart. It just shows you should have been in better shape or persuaded your family doctor to get you a handicapped placard. Without that I can do nothing for you.

10. Sometimes I can't drive you everywhere. When this happens, it is not a reflection on me or our organization. You can walk.

DO:

1. Give interns that work 80+ hours per week for ~$2.00 per hour email addresses and phone numbers of people you know that could get us a job or we could make contact with.

2. Tell me to be quiet while another kid in your son's group putts, not just your own. That shows a classy person.

3. Stay away from your kids while they play. Your mediocre athletic abilities aren't going to rub off by osmosis.

4. Leave grandma at home if you are just using her for her handicapped placard. That's low and you are healthy enough (or could use a walk) to walk 18 holes without a bag like your child is doing.

5. Show interest in the staff's dreams and aspirations.

6. Keep your thoughts about what should be done to yourself. Play in an old-man's league if you have an opinion or become a rules official.

7. Thank the staff and volunteers. It'll just make you look like a better person, even if you were the parent that yelled "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" to your daughter when she chunked her shot into the water hazard.

8. Buy your kids ice cream after they compete. And bring one of the friends they made playing.

9. Remember that it is just youth sports. Yes, they MIGHT save you $200,000 by playing Division I sports, but they also may decide to take the academic route (sorry, Dad!) or be burnt out by the time they graduate high school. Every shot does not matter and the lessons they are learning here are more valuable than whether they score well or not.

10. Smile. It'll just make everyone's day that much better.