Life Skills Talk at CCMAA Soccer October, 23, 2007

There were thirty eight boys at tonight’s soccer program. Kiwanis purchased Boy Scout Handbooks for each boy. Books will help as a reference for many of the life skill topics. The boys own them and will use them at soccer practice during the winter season.   

How to avoid getting MRSA Virus ( page 304… care of cuts and scratches)      

The MRSA virus is not new, it's been with us for some time now. The problem is not spread on the desks, it's spread via skin to skin contact, like in contact sports- during wrestling and such. It may be found in the locker room, but that same staph may well be living on your skin all the time. Staph bacteria are part of your normal skin flora, living there all the time. It's only a problem when it gets into the skin, via a cut or scratch. The kids can't be entirely sanitized unfortunately, and if you started using some sort of sanitizing solution indiscriminately you will just end up breeding an even worse super germ. The place they need to really watch the sanitation is in the locker room, not the classroom. Make sure your kids know to wash their hands, and keep them away from their faces. Keep the scratches and such covered with a bandaid and they should be just fine. Athletes probably ought to be even more cautious, though unfortunately, most sports involve skin to skin contact of some sort. Massive, indiscriminate disinfectant use is no healthier for us than the indiscriminate mass use of insecticides was. That got us super bugs of the six legged variety, and disinfectant will get us super bugs of the bacterial and viral kind. Same thing, just nastier.
 

How and When to DIAL 911 (page 292 emergencies and poison hot line.)

Is it ok to call 911 when there is not an emergency? The actual cost of a 911 call in the City of Hartford is $1500. If you pull the alarm and it is not a real emergency you are subject to arrest and pay restitution. We play soccer at Institute of Living Gym.  We do not pay Hartford Hospital any money to be here. They want us to use the gym and have fun and be healthy. When you pull 911 you hurt Hartford Hospital. They might get a bill from the city for the false call. And soccer might get pushed out of the gym, Would you want your parents to pay $1500 because you did something silly?

BUT that is not the biggest problem If you make a false call YOU actually put other people at risk if they have a real emergency and the fire trucks are here. Let’s think about being good citizens. Would you want your house to get burned up because somebody sent the fire trucks to another place and they did not have a problem?

Be Safe.  Be responsible.

How Smoking can ruin your lungs. Pictures of a actual healthy and cancerous lungs made a solid impression on all youth. 

It is always good to see ten to twelve parents each week to transport and chaperone youth.

Photos and instruction provided by Kiwanis Club of Hartford, with grant from the City of Hartford.