Hi! Welcome to Bakersfield Brigade!
Sports have been central to my life for as long as I can remember. I have many fond memories running around the neighborhood with my friends playing just about any game we could think of.
I grew up in the era before VCRs, computers, and cell phones. During a time when we stayed outside until it got dark, picking teams, making up rules, and organizing games. All without adult supervision.
I would argue in many ways they were the “good ol’ days.”
Coaching Career
I have enjoyed a variety of coaching experiences throughout my career spanning the spectrum of abilities and ages. My coaching career began at a small private school teaching PE to kinder-8th graders and coaching the boys and girls middle school athletic teams. I coached basketball at the collegiate level for a decade and currently work in the public school setting with students with disabilities (infants through adults.) I have worked as an adapted physical educator, Special Olympics coach, orientation and mobility instructor, and coach for youth T-ball, softball, and basketball players.
Becoming a Parent
Life has a funny way of surprising you…
I became a parent unexpectedly at the age of 41 to a beautiful 5-year-old little girl with some developmental delays.
With a BS in Biology and a Masters in Kinesiology, I understand the impact that physical activity (or lack of it) has on the physical, mental, emotional, and social development of kids. So I made it a priority to spend time in active play with my daughter every day during those early formative years, believing that over time she could overcome her deficits. We enjoyed countless hours playing together throughout elementary school, and she eventually developed into a high school multi-sport athlete and honor student.
Creating This Site
Life is so hectic these days. As parents, it’s so easy for our days to be consumed with the busyness of life, and we forget to take time out and play with our kids. Days turn into weeks; weeks turn into moths; months turn into years; and before you know it, we missed our window of opportunity and our children are grown.
Kids love to play. And they love for US to play with them!
Maybe part of the problem is you don’t know a thing about sports. Perhaps you were never interested in physical activity yourself, so you don’t even know where to start. Maybe you have a child with a disability and don’t know how to modify activities so he or she can be successful. Well, that’s where this site come in! I’m hoping it can give you enough tools to start somewhere. You and your child can learn how to play games together.
I guarantee you’ll have a lot of fun in the process!