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

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December 2008

“Balancing Rosters & Expectations”

One of my true pleasures of seeing such a numerical surge in our club rosters this year is that such growth has been accompanied, and perhaps precipitated, by quality improvements in our company. After snack time, every day for all six weekly clubs begins with group warm-ups lasting about 10-20 minutes. Our standard levels, ranging from year-end standards for Monday Rec. to our all-new Super-Ultimate Standards for our top-level Jugheads, have kids rushing to our gym office door dozens of times each day to see how their personal records stack up. Our weaning off of our former "pop & candy" snack tradition last year brought surprisingly few complaints from the kids, and although we still offer sports drinks, chocolate, and other "questionable" foods, more and more Jugheads are making better nutritional choices to supplement their athletic goals as jugglers. Our free times in certain clubs still feature kids who enjoy long sessions of chatting over snack as well as games of basketball "lightning" and other general recreation, but our goal sheets filled out by nearly half the company (required for all except for Monday & Thursday Rec.) have given the kids a tangible way to track progress and be held accountable to a relatively steady stream of accomplishments.

Now that we're entering the season of concerted efforts to choreograph and rehearse group routines for Juggle Jam 11 (in addition to solo & small ensemble routines for the Winter Showcase in March), the emphasis will shift from achieving standards to working on skills to be performed in March and May. However, whether endeavoring to move from the Rec. level to the Advanced level or polishing a juggling solo or passing pattern, juggling skills are the natural outward evidence of time well-invested in JUGHEADS. While I stick by my 15-year old company principle that personal character development (including social development) is equally important to a youth's juggling progress here, nearly every Jughead who is devoted to juggling improvement also develops stronger character & friendships. So, as we look to 2009-and with it our winter juggling session, two big shows, and clubs filled to capacity-please encourage your kids to get the most out of their year (and years) here, balancing their reasons for membership and looking to improve both as jugglers and as young people in and through this unique setting.