Bits & Pieces

By Kim J. Harmon

 

Just a few weeks ago I told a harrowing (harrowing to me, at least) tale about being afflicted with the dreaded yips and how I was on the very edge of trading in my golf game for something a whole lot less stressful … like sleeping in.

But I am here to tell you, that has all changed. I am on my way to becoming a new man.

I used to tremble at the very thought of taking my sand wedge or pitching wedge out of the bag and I used to sweat at the thought of attempting to hit out of the bunker. But not anymore. Oh, I still stink – but at least I’m not afraid of the game any longer.

All it took was a short session with my own mental health counselor – Jared Tendler.

Jared is a former No. 1 golfer at Newtown High School and Skidmore College. He studied psychology and business at Skidmore, received his master’s in counseling psychology from Northeastern University, and now is a licensed mental health counselor specializing in golf psychology (see related story).

This may be going a little far, but I’m willing to call him a genius.

We spent less than 30 minutes discussing my particular problem (which was the inability to hit a chip shot) and less than 30 minutes taking some shots at Rock Ridge Country Club and I can safely say I have all but conquered the yips.

That is not to say I still don’t have some mechanical problems with my swing (which may be understating it a just a tad). But I am hitting the ball better than I ever have and with more confidence and I no longer dread the thought of getting up at 5 am on a Sunday morning (although that is never going to be easy).

“Golf is an awkward set of bodily contortions designed to produce a graceful results.” – Tommy Armour

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The Rising Stars Summer Basketball League will open its eighth season next week at Treadwell Park and if you have nothing pressing on a summer evening, why not stop by and check out some games. It’s a fun time and in all the years that I have gone up there to take pictures I have yet to hear one player complain about a call or one parent shout some disparaging from the sidelines.

And it’s not called Rising Stars for nothing. A lot of good players have come out of the league – like Andrew Fiscella, who went on to set the all-time scoring record at Newtown High School.

Go on, check it out.

“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.” – Tim Duncan

 

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Newtown will be hosting the 2005 Connecticut Babe Ruth State Tournament this year and games have already begun.

The Newtown Hawks - under the direction of coach Nancy Bowen - played New Canaan on Thursday at Liberty Field with the winner meeting the winner of the Cheshire/Stamford game on Saturday.

Coventry, Weston, Brookfield, Norwalk all have teams in the tournament and a champion will be crowned on Sunday, July 10, sometime in the early afternoon.

So, stop down at Liberty this weekend.

“Yeah, I throw like a girl. You got a problem with that?.” – seen on a bumper sticker

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Remember – the Lead Out Loud conference for high school girls is slated for Saturday, September 10, at Newtown High School. Gold medal soccer star Kristine Lilly and Paralympic star Aimee Mullins are scheduled to speak.

Sign up at www.esteemedwoman.org on the web.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams

 

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The Toronto Raptors must know something the rest of the world doesn’t if they were willing to select Charlie Villanueva with the seventh overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. The seventh pick – that’s big money for a guy who a lot of people think is going to be a bust.

But it was nice to see the kid Ryan Gomes get selected by the Boston Celtics with the 50th overall pick. Gomes comes out of Wilby High School in Waterbury (my home town) where my son, who is heading into eighth grade next year, hopes to play ball in two years.

“The secret is to have eight great players and four others who will cheer like crazy.” – Jerry Tarkanian

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Some people should need a license to have kids … and then that license needs to be taken away.

Now, I’m not one of those fanatics that instantly blames movies, television and video games for the moral decay of our society and certainly not one who would give a free pass to a killer just because he was inspired by something Ozzy Osbourne once sang in concert, but I know the difference between what is appropriate and what’s not.

And what’s not appropriate is bringing your four-year-old daughter to see George Romero’s Land of the Dead.

Listen up – it’s a zombie movie! We’re talking about stomach-turning, gut-wrenching scenes of gore and violence. What in heaven’s name are you thinking, bringing your FOUR-YEAR-OLD daughter to see this movie?

Okay, that’s enough ranting for now.

“You should see the last 15 minutes of the movie. I couldn’t even see it.” – Yogi Berra