Yeah, that's me. I hate sports. I mean, I love and respect that other people love sports, but I hate sports myself. I don't like playing them (never have), and I don't really like watching sports (unless there's some really good food involved).

Why then, you ask, do I sign up my son for sports? Well, mostly because I don't want him to grow up to be a sports hater too.

Check out this video of Matt Ziesel, a freshman football player with Down syndrome, score a touchdown for his team.

Photo by 3lilmonsters411

Summer is not complete without numerous evenings spent at the ballfield. I love baseball, whether it's pro (go Yankees!) or little league, and yes, I'm that person who's screaming embarrassingly loud. Here are some links I love to get you in the baseball spirit:

Photo by mamasblessings

I know some moms are worried about letting their children participate in cheerleading because of the (sometimes) negative image and stereotypes often associated with teen cheerleaders. But I find this news to be way more alarming: Cheerleading is the most dangerous sport, causing more serious and deadly injuries among high school athletes than other sports.

This is a wonderfully inspirational video from the Women’s Sports Foundation. Several high-level female athletes answer the question "Why Do You Play?"

Love the ballpark but think ticket prices are a major league pain in the butt? This summer, take the family to a local minor league baseball game.

photo by CubsMom0828

Today is the day I--hesitantly--sign my 5 1/2-year-old up for summer football. He and his dad are all excited about it; I am struggling with fear about him getting hurt (and also have to listen to my mom mumbling about what a bad idea this is). But I digress. This post is really about practice--and whether or not to stay.

Have you ever invested in something enriching or extra-curricular for your child--that he said he wanted to do--only to have him say mid-program that he wants to quit? When situations like this happen, it's a tough call to know when you should let a child quit something good for him, or force him to go on.

Michael Phelps, the Micheal Phelps of 8-gold medal Olympic fame, proves, once again, that even role models need role models.

Soccer camps for 3-year olds? T-ball for 5-year-olds? A Washington Post opinion writer Fred Bowen nailed it when he says, "it seems as if almost every kid is playing on some team by the first grade."