GirlTurf.com

Are you all getting back into the post holiday swing? Have you been
sticking to your resolutions? I sure have. My goal is to get rid of the
one dimple on my thigh that appeared over the past couple of months. It
showed up sometime between Thanksgiving and New Years. Hmmm… interesting.

But, I’ve always heard that women have to live with cellulite… that
there’s nothing we can do about it. NOT TRUE! The truth is, with enough
cardio we can burn fat and smooth out areas with weight training. The thing
is, there’s not just one kind of fat. Cellulite is a bit more dense so we
have to burn that first layer of fat then we can start burning the
cellulite. Most women just give up right before they start to see results.

The moral of the story is, you CAN get rid of those cellulite dimples. If
you’re a willing soul you should try:

1) 1/2 hour cardio twice a day (once in the am and once in the pm) That
stair climber does WONDERS for the butt and thighs

2) Cut way back on fatty foods

3) Weight train every other day (I highly recommend hiring a trainer!)

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Women are 4x more likely to sustain an ACL injury than men. Sports such as basketball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, etc… where there is a lot of cutting, sudden stopping, pivoting, straight knee landing and the like put women in greater jeopardy of tearing an ACL.

The surfaces we play on in addition to the fact that our hips are wider (which puts more pressure on the ACL) adds to the problem. Ladies, if that weren’t enough, during ovulation women are 3x MORE likely to sustain an ACL injury. Although experts have yet to agree on this subject as to why this happens, it is important for women to train properly to prevent injuries.

Here are 3 things to do:

1. Do unilateral (one leg) exercises to balance both sides of your body. (i.e. one legged squats, leg curls, etc.)
2. Practice safer jumping and landing techniques. To absorb some of the shock when you land be sure to bend your knees rather than landing straight legged.
3. Strengthen your hamstrings (back of the thigh) and quads (front of the thigh.) These muscles work together to protect the knee while changing direction quickly.

About the Author:
Priscilla Shaw is the official blogger for Girl Turf and owner of Pink Sneakers.

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Congratulations to Priscilla Shaw on becoming the new Girl Turf Blogger!

About Priscilla

On Music/Teaching…

Priscilla has a Masters in Education Administration and Supervision and earned her B.M.E. (Music Education) from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Her major instrument was classical piano, having studied under Adel Galanffy, Tomas Ungar, and John Owings. She also played the flute and percussion in the TCU band, violin in the TCU orchestra, and sang in the TCU Chorale.

Over the years, Priscilla has been involved in singing, composing, and directing several recording projects including: Our God is One featuring Nancy Grandquist, Joe Pace and the Colorado Mass Choir featuring Fred Hammond, Kid’s T.O.W.N. featuring the children’s choir of Heritage Christian Center, a live music recording in Las Vegas performing songs from Fred Hammond’s project Purpose by Design, and her favorite accomplishment of all, Magical Holidays Vol. II where her choir sang “O Holy Night” with Grammy winner Billy Dean.

Priscilla is in her 13th year of teaching public school and currently teaches Advanced Placement Music Theory at Smoky Hill High School in the Cherry Creek School District. She has experience teaching elementary through high school music and continues to have a successful career in the music industry. In November 2002, Priscilla became the first and only National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescent/Young Adult Music in the State of Colorado. In 2004 she became an assessor for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. In the summer of 2002, Priscilla escorted her students to Beijing where they made history by singing in the first ever performance of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana in China under the direction of Dr. William Hall. In July of 2004 Priscilla chaperoned a choir trip to Sydney, Australia where they performed the Berlioz Requiem to a sold out crowd at the Opera House. In 2004, Priscilla was awarded into Who’s Who of American Woman and Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers (twice!).

On Tennis Competition…

Priscilla gets her instruction by a great team of coaches. Frank Adams, Charlton and Karine Eagle, and Rich Benvin have all developed her game.

“Frank has coached me the longest. I consider him to be my mental and strategic coach. He has also taught me the most about coaching. What I like most about him is that he’s tough, he doesn’t allow me to make excuses about anything, and he knows my game inside out.”

“Charlton and Karine are both former ATP & WTA tour players. Charlton has an extensive resume and has coached the Fed Cup team for South Africa, World Team Tennis with Billy Jean King, and not to mention some of the top players in the world (i.e. Mary Pierce). Charlton and Karine have helped me hit with more pace and focus on patterns of play.”

“Rich also played on the tour. He is a master at B.S?. uh, backhands and serves. He always starts the lesson with, ‘So what do you want to work on today?’. I’ll say something and then he responds with, ‘And we’ll work on your backhand and take a look at the serve.’ The two things I like about Rich are that he hits the ball hard and he has a good sense of humor.”

In 2002, Priscilla ended the year ranked #1 in the State of Colorado in her division.

On Coaching…

Priscilla is a level P2 coach certified by the United States Professional Tennis Association. She coaches high school tennis as well as camps and clinics throughout the year. Priscilla is also the Intermountain USPTA Multi-Cultural Committee Chair and Lessons for Life Chair. In 2005 Priscilla won the Intermountain USPTA Seminar Contest! To top that, she represented the Intermountain to win the National Seminar Contest in Marco Island, FL in September. Her topic? …Taking P.M.S.to the Next Level!!

Priscilla volunteers her time to coach Star Search and gives presentations on Mental Toughness. In 2002, Priscilla was awarded the Althea Gibson Volunteer Award by the Intermountain Tennis Association.

On Spirituality and Family…

Priscilla is a member of Heritage Christian Center. She has been active as the choir director for the Children?s Ministry, Praise and Worship leader for the Prison Ministry team, and member of the Drama Team. She also helps with Sunday School at First Korean Church.

Priscilla is the youngest of six (4 older sisters and 1 older brother). Her father is retired after 29 years in the Army. And her mother is retired from working as a private detective, entrepreneur, and 5th degree black belt hapkido/karate instructor.

“My dad is the one who instilled a lot of good values in me: patriotism, writing thank-you notes, financial responsibility, and family values.”

“My proudest moment was when my mom earned her Bachelor’s degree at age 60 and her Master’s degree at age 62.”

On Politics/Organizations…

Priscilla is the past Treasurer for the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) where she managed a budget of over $1 million and was a board member of the DCTA PAC. Prior to being elected Treasurer, she was a board member the South East quadrant, and chair of the Elections Committee. Priscilla is starting her third year as an appointee to the board of the Colorado Fund for Children and Public Education (the State’s PAC). Her favorite part about being involved are going to Democratic and Republican Party fundraisers and interviewing local, state, and national candidates for office.

Priscilla is a charter member and past Vice President of Programming for the TCU Mile Hi Alumni Chapter. She also travels to Ft. Worth several times a year to serve on the National TCU Alumni board and Marketing Committee.

Priscilla is a board member (and currently the Membership Chair) on the Denver Public Schools Asian Education Advisory Council which gives annual awards and scholarships to Asian students and teachers. She was the captain for the 2003 Dragon Boat Festival where she and 20 of her teammates competed in a rowing competition against 40 other teams!

On Acting…

Priscilla has done several acting jobs, mostly hair shows and shampoo promotions. But her coolest gigs were being on a Chunky Campbell Soup commercial and playing a role on an episode of “Busted” on Animal Planet.

“Being the image on a Pantene ad would be my dream job! I’m still waiting to be discovered.”

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You return home after a tough day and slip into a bath. The taps trickle, the candles glow, the water, warm and soothing, soaks into your skin and the ballad of the moment defines your mood.

Your thoughts drift and the challenges of the day melt away. You’re dreaming of being on a beach. A turquoise tide tumbles on a sandy shore and the warmth that fills your pores now is the warmth of the sun. You feel wonderful and drift deeper and deeper and begin to picture the life you’d love…

Things haven’t been right for a while. You’ve felt like you’re turning up to work, hanging out for the weekend – which turns out to be a bit bland and samey, just like work. Days float by. You’re aware that life is lacking excitement and I know you’d love to change that. The problem is ‘how’.

If you are serious about making changes then read on:

1. How uncomfortable is life really?

A while ago I emailed my newsletter database list. I offered every person on that list the opportunity to get out of a rut and gain sufficient confidence to change their life within a year. ‘Yeah,’ they said in their droves. ‘Pick me! Pick me!’ a massive fifteen percent of my database responded. Problem was this though: when they discovered they needed to do something the willing fifteen percent fell to one point four percent.

Decide now who you want to be. Do you seriously want to change Life? If so read on. If you just want to gripe and hope that life will miraculously change then stop reading now. The good advice in this article is not for you.

2. Accept that life changes when you change.

Do you want to look back at life in twenty years and see that your life is no happier than it was twenty years ago? Accept now that life will only change when you change it. No one will do it for you. Expecting life to change without doing anything any different is the definition of madness.

3. Be responsible

Don’t blame your boss, your partner or your children. Your life is your responsibility. Take responsibility and understand you are the creator in your life. You have made everything happen and will make everything happen.

4. Learn to understand yourself.

Knowing what you don’t like or want is easy. Take the time to understand what you do like and what you do want. Try to do things that move you towards pleasure, rather than avoiding pain.

5. Have courage

Have the courage to take some action. Small action is fine. Little steps lead you a long way over time. Find people who support you and learn to ignore the ones who get in your way with discouragement. Read books that help you learn more about what you want to do. Find a personal development group, go on a workshop or find a coach.

About The Author
If you’ve read the article above and get my points, I’d love you to become on of my newsletters readers. Each month the articles cover the kind of subjects that would interest you. It’s free and I’m happy to add you to my list. I’d also be pleased to send you a free e-book, Simple Steps to Greater Happiness. Sign up now at www.unstoppablelife.com.

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One key challenge educators face is the importance of encouraging girls to excel in math, science and computer science studies. As technology continues to drive the world of business, those challenged or generally disinterested in science and math will be left behind. In fact, that’s exactly what’s happening.

Although women make up approximately 50% of the general work force in the U.S., they only represent 9% of workers in the science and engineering community. With such a low percentage of female interest, the government is expecting increased worker shortages through the first decade of the 21st century for the information technology (IT) industry.

The core worker in the IT industry are computer engineers, systems analysts, programmers and computer scientists, which includes database administrators, computer support personnel and all other computer scientists. These are all careers that relate directly back to high school math and science, in addition to computer science studies.

Growth projections by The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ indicate that the current graduation rate of those in undergraduate computer, information sciences and technology programs aren’t high enough to sustain the industry’s growth. In addition, they acknowledged that the even greater decrease of women into the computer science pipeline will have a profound effect on the industry.

These researchers believe that the low representation of women in computer science at the undergraduate level is inherited from the secondary school level, where girls do not participate in computer science courses and related activities as much as boys. Although girls are often well represented in earlier computing courses, they shy away from advanced courses. One possible reason for this is because of the increased focus on the technical and math course requirements.

This leads us back to math and science studies in elementary and high school, and yet another growing concern within the scientific community.

We currently believe that our nation’s future economic prosperity and global competition depends on both scientific progress and our adaptability in the fields of science, technology and engineering. As our society shifts from a resource-intensive society to a knowledge-intensive economy, it is critical for all of us to develop the knowledge and skills needed to contribute to this new community.

With this in mind, knowledge of math and science has now become essential for those pursuing a high-status and well-paid job in our new technologically advanced workforce.

Again, the science community is concerned that industry growth in the early 21st century will far out pace that of graduates. Once again, research has suggested that the root of this problem can be traced back to elementary and high school classrooms.

In going back to the classroom, a study by the National Assessment of Education Progress discovered that girls score below the national mean on all science achievement items and express negatives attitudes towards science. The study acknowledged that societal, education and personal factors all contribute to this funding, but stressed that differences within the science classroom may be one of the biggest contributing factors.

So what factors are discouraging girls from excelling in math, science and computer science studies in high school? Research has shown a number of different issues that need to be addressed. They believe that girls are not presented with adequate information about science-related career opportunities and their prerequisites, and that high school counselors often do not encourage further courses in math and science. In addition, texts, the media and many adults often project sex-stereotyped views of science and scientists.
A lack of development of spatial ability skills may also be an issue, which could be fostered in shop and mechanical drawing classes. Girls also have fewer experiences with science activities and equipment, which are often stereotyped as being masculine.

In order to encourage girls in the pursuit of math and science, teachers are encouraged to maintain well-equipped, organized and perceptually stimulating classrooms, use non-sexist language and examples, include information on women scientists and stress creatively and basic skills and provide career information.

In addition, math and science teachers should use laboratories, discussions and weekly quizzes as their primary modes of instruction or teaching strategies and supplement those activities with field trips and guest speakers. If possible, teachers should also encourage parental involvement.

Studies have also shown that teachers, both male and female, who were successful in motivating girls to continue to study science, practiced what is called “directed intervention”. They asked girls to assist with demonstrations, which required these students to perform and not merely record, in the laboratories, and in science-related fieldtrips.

When it comes to computer science studies, a similar approach can be taken. Although these studies do involved math, programming and technical issues, computer science educators need to be aware that working with computers involves much more than that. It also requires fully developed verbal and interpersonal skills - an area in which girls tend to excel at.

In order to attract more girls to the study, teachers should concentrate on applications and not just on math or programming. That’s because girls generally don’t get as excited about computers for their gadget value, as boys do. Instead, girls become more interested and engaged when technology is discussed in terms of it’s usefulness for problem solving.

Computer science educators should also impart to girls the important need for women in the industry and outline more career options. For example, jobs are not just limited to programming; individuals are needed to help solve business problems with technology solutions. The industry itself is focused on solving problems, and developing solutions to help business continue to grow.

Conclusion:
By introducing science, math and computer science in a positive manner to girls in all levels of education, we may be able to turn the tide and see more and more women choose careers in these important fields. If we truly believe children are our future, now is the time to ensure that they have a place in the future we have created. Valerie Giles owns and operates Cyber-Prof: Teacher Resource Site an educational web site that specializes in resources for school and teacher supplies . Free stuff for teachers, teaching strategies, K-8, educational toys and games, back to school, classroom technology and home school curriculum. Written by: Valerie Giles. Visit http://www.cyber-prof.com

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We are looking for a writer, preferably a girl, who would like to not only write about the experience of being a girl and girlf stuff but also add interesting articles and links to related web sites.

Sticky Blogs, a MentorNet, LLC project, is a blogging network consisting of bloggers from all over the world writing on topics they are most passionate and knowledgeable about. Want to be a part of the Sticky Blogs team? Contact richb(at)mentornet.com.