JUGHEADS
Youth Juggling Company, LLC
5905 Concord Avenue
Edina, MN 55424
jugheads@comcast.net
612.229.3348

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September 2006

"The Joy of Leading JUGHEADS"

It's a good thing that I have a repetitive nature, because juggling (and coaching it) is a very, very repetitive activity. Drills; minor technique adjustments; dozens or even hundreds of hours devoted to mastering one skill (esp. "numbers juggling"); rehearsing combinations, sequences, and entire routines many times for that edge in polished performance. And that's just the technical part of juggling!

JH itself is full of repetitive traditions, from snack choices to meeting times to seasonal rhythms to an amazing level of retention of students (we have six seniors this year, with collectively 41 years of JH experience!). As I've settled in to a predictable routine in my work over the years, aided vitally by Wendy and her availability to daily manage our home office, one thing has stood out among all of the traditions and repetition of my line of work: long term relationships. That's the heart of the work, and I try to reflect it in all of the priorities of JH. Because I believe that human beings are eternal creatures, I can say with C.S. Lewis, "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal" (C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, 1942). Therefore, I try to approach each youth each day with delicacy, bearing in mind and heart the awesome privilege of working with such important creations. Although drills can get old and accomplishments fade, relationships endure, and I'm glad and humbled to be in a work that comes with the possibility of mutually lasting significance.

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