Gwenn OKeeffe's blog

Concussions Bench Pros...So Why Not Our Kids?

Submitted by Gwenn OKeeffe on Tue, 06/10/2008 - 15:10. | comments

My husband sent me this article yesterday. Being an athlete and an avid baseball fan, he can rattle off story upon story of MLB players and their injuries, including head injuries causing issues into adult life. It has always amazed him how many players are not benched after mind-numbing head injuries.

Kung Fu Panda: A Great Movie With Surprising Sports Lessons

Submitted by Gwenn OKeeffe on Mon, 06/09/2008 - 21:38. | comments

Kung Fu Panda is one of the best family movies I’ve seen in a long while. It had something for everyone, even us grownups! Don’t let the PG rating scare you – nothing inappropriate for small kids at all, although I suppose this depends on how you define "appropriate". Let's just say, nothing made me think "small kids should'nt be here.

Why do kids need swim lessons? Ask 6 year-old Hayden.

Submitted by Gwenn OKeeffe on Fri, 06/06/2008 - 10:49. | comments

No sooner did I post about a very scary and rare type of drowning, than a more typical type almost occurred.

Rare Form of Drowning Has Teachable Moments for All Our Kids' Safety

Submitted by Gwenn OKeeffe on Thu, 06/05/2008 - 21:47. | comments

The sad headline of the dry drowing of a 10 year old South Carolina boy this week has many parents concerned. With the warm weather here in many parts of our country and summer approaching fast, swimming will be part of many of our kids' lives very, very soon. Before you panic, let me give you some facts and tell you a few things you can do to keep your kids safe.

Disinfecting Wipes and MRSA: What Your Athlete Needs To Know For The Locker Room

Submitted by Gwenn OKeeffe on Wed, 06/04/2008 - 15:46. | comments

We live in a society almost pathologically fearful of bacterial. Disinfecting products like sanitary wipes and hand sanitizers with antibacterial properties are hugely popular. Yet, there has always been a concern among health professionals that these products are creating more of a problem than they solve. Two new studies confirm this suspicion and go a step further to demonstrate that the products people hope are keeping us free of scary bacteria such as MRSA may actually be contributing to its spread.

Two studies released this week reinforce two important take home messages:

We live in a society almost pathologically fearful of bacterial. Disinfecting products like sanitary wipes and hand sanitizers with antibacterial properties are hugely popular. Yet, there has always been a concern among health professionals that these products are creating more of a problem than they solve. Two studies confirm this suspicion and go a step further to demonstrate that the products people hope are keeping us free of scary bacteria such as MRSA may actually be contributing to its spread.

Lessons From The Big Show: Our Kids Need A DL...Just Like The Pros!

Submitted by Gwenn OKeeffe on Tue, 06/03/2008 - 02:44. | comments

At the expense of sounding like a broken record, let me just
say this: if the pros put their guys on the DL for extended periods of time,
why don’t we do this with our kids?

Girls Need To Exercise For Today's Health and Tomorrow's!

Submitted by Gwenn OKeeffe on Thu, 05/15/2008 - 13:55. | comments

Sometimes a Game Is Just That: A Game

Submitted by Gwenn OKeeffe on Thu, 05/08/2008 - 20:11. | comments

My daughter and her friends are typical 7th graders. When they find a new activity they like, they dive in head first leaving all other activities behind in the splash. Doesn't matter if they also are involved with trumpet, violin, piano, biking, rock climbing, drama, cooking, ballet, fencing, or any other activity. Doesn't matter that they have homework and the need for some free time and family time. To this age group, a new activity is like falling in love - it becomes their be all, end all.

Even Olympians Were Once Kids...and Some Were Allowed To Act Like Them!

Submitted by Gwenn OKeeffe on Tue, 05/06/2008 - 21:02. | comments

Reading this story a couple of months ago was music to my ears! Ryan Lochte, an elite, Olympic swimmer did not lift weights as a kid. Was his dad a visionary or just being overly cautious?