Tag: little chute high school

TommyLog TECH – Just Like Being there with Verizon 4G LTE & FaceTime #VZWBuzz #AD

Good morning kids, for today’s TommyLog TECH I want to talk about how technology helped bridge the gap and bring my son and me together.

This weekend it was hard for me to be at Tommy’s cross country meet as I was going out of down to attend the wedding of a friend in Door County, WI. Thanks to the thoughtful gesture by my good tech buddy Cole Reinke it was almost as good as bring there. Cole used Facetime along with his Verizon 4G LTE enabled iPhone to bring me right to the race. I could hear the wind, the crowds yelling and I was even able to cheer on Tommy as he ran by. All live and in real-time! It is just amazing how something so small, can make such a huge difference.

Technology can be more than this OS vs. that OS, megapixels or MHz. Today it was personal. Thanks Cole and THANK YOU Verizon!

Short and sweet, Verizon 4G LTE is totally 100% Tommy Approved!
To learn more about the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network http://www.verizonwireless.com/news/LTE/Overview.html

For more information on how to get your very own 4G LTE capable smartphone from Verizon http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/device/4glte-devices

[DISCLAIMER — I’m one of the cool kids who has been asked to play with and test technology for Verizon. They asked me test and share my thoughts. All my words are original and my own.]

 

TommyLog – Your Personal Best Thanks to #Thrively

Ok kids, today I want to continue my discussion on the power of the website Thrively.com and what it has done to my relationship with my son Tommy.

Last time I focused on our adventure to the archery range and finding that inner proficiency for that sport. Since that time, a good friend saw my video and gave Tommy a compound bow to use at the range. The power of social media at work and Tommy’s new found passion for archery continues!

2014-05-03 12.49.12Tommy has a love of running. Tommy has always loved to run, but not necessarily the competitiveness of the sport. A few weeks ago I had the chance to see a home track meet at Little Chute High School. Their track team has an “A” and “B” team with the better runners on the “A” team. For that meet, one of the “A” team runners in the 1600 got injured and Tommy got the call to move to the “A” team. Tommy knew that he was out of his league being moved up. Before the race, Tommy told me that his goal for the event was not to get lapped. 4 trips around the track is a long race but Tommy had a goal.

The races started and it was clear very early that Tommy’s opponents were much faster than he and he quickly dropped to last in the field of 12 boys. The crowd cheered and cheered as Tommy ran his laps. Always in last place. I didn’t know how to react. “What was going on in his mind,” I thought to myself? The crowd would cheer him on as he crossed in front of the bleachers. “You can do it Tommy”, “Keep Going,” we all yelled and cheered him on. Tommy ran with never ending determination, never stopping or slowing, keeping his own pace.

One by one the boys started crossing the finish line with Tommy dead last on the track. Tommy kept focused and kept kicking. What seemed like an eternity to a parent, actually maybe 20 or 30 seconds behind the pack, Tommy crossed the finish line. Never lapped, Tommy beat his goal. The crowed cheered him on as good sportsmanship does. I was really worried about Tommy and how he would feel finishing last.

He walked around the grass for a moment, catching his breath after his mile run and then walked over to his coach with the stopwatch. I can see his rosy cheeks turn to me with a smile and say, “Dad I got my personal best!” WOW OH WOW! What a poignant moment for me. It wasn’t about the fact he finished last, or the event itself. To Tommy, it was all about getting his personal best!

Seeing Tommy get his personal best and bringing a father and son together…thanks to our friends at Thrively– was nothing short of amazing!

Thank you Thrively for helping me reconnect to my son in a way I never imagined!

If you want the chance to use this amazing resource and help unlock hidden potential in your son/daughter/niece or nephew –and watch them soar like Tommy, please checkout www.thrively.com and sign up for yourself.

NOTE: This post was written through a partnership with Thrively. The joy in my voice and opinions are all my own!

TommyLog – Clara’s Going to Nationals!!

You did it, You did it, YOU DID IT!! What an amazing accomplishment! You did IT!! To think here is little Clara in end of 6th grade, coming to mom and dad asking if she could join the dance team. “The dance team we thought?” You hadn’t taken any dance in your life. You didn’t’ even know any dance moves…at all. But you had a plan. You knew the extra time it would take; you knew you would need to study extra hard and at different times to make room for practice. You knew it would cost money and had a plan to pay for uniforms, costumes and competitions. Your practiced and practiced and practiced and as a member of Chuting Stars you rocked it. You couldn’t even do the splits or kick above your shoulder level, but look at you now? You rocked all the competitions and then JAM… you were the best in the state!

Now high school, you are a superstar inside and out. Your mind is top notch as well as your body. Top match, top GPA, top netflix watcher ☺

You tried out for the Little Chute High School dance team and made it!!! Competition after competition, we watched you get stronger and stronger. Kicks getting higher and higher. We watched you get grow from you little girl to you beautiful young lady.

Each and every time I watch you dance, I get teary. I know I’m a wimp, but the passion you have for dance shows and that’s why YOU ARE SO GREAT! I love being your dad and I love watching you soar!
Congratulations!!! I am so proud of you!

I LOVE YOU, Dad!

TommyLog – State Dance Champions!

This weekend was just so AWESOME! Clara in the Little Chute High School dance team participated in the state dance championship which was held in La Crosse Wisconsin. What an amazing sight to behold to watch one of your children participate in such an event. This is a pretty big deal!

Watching Clara in her element is pure magic. Watching her kick routine and her pom routine brought me so much joy.

Her team finished first in pom and first in kick. WOOT!

The competition was pretty fierce. The sportsmanship that was shown by all the teams was really great.

As they were preparing the results, I was just such a wreck. When they announced the winners I was totally crying. I’m such a softy, but when you see your kids in their element. The pride gets the best of you.

Congratulations Clara and congratulations everyone on the dance team. You worked so hard. Next step, Nationals!!

TommyLog – Coming in Last

I attended Tommy’s cross country track meet last Thursday. Something was just not right. He was in dead last place for the entire race. He wasn’t feeling well, but yet he completed the race. What an inspiration to me and all the kids on his team. Giving it to the end regardless of how he felt. Sure he came in last place, but he finished 1st place in my book.

GREAT JOB Tommy!!