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Things I’m Loving, Reading, Watching or Doing
1. The Double Goal Coach — This book is a game-changer, and a must-read for all youth sports coaches. It offers practical guidance about how to prioritize values over winning, which is something I think is really lacking in the current youth sports landscape. Much more about this in the coming weeks!
2. Follow your passion? — This article highlights how steady support and encouragement help kids develop grit and long-term success. One tension that I find particularly interesting is how we support our kids: Do we tell them to follow their passions or pursue the things they’re really good at in order to make money?
3. White Chicken Chili recipe — Y’all, I doctored up this NYT recipe, and the whole family said it was fire. I combined it with a recipe my brother gave me for his own white chili. My additions were: chopped celery, about 3/4 cup of heavy cream, can of pickled jalapenos (instead of chopped raw), chopped green bell pepper and a dollop of cream cheese. 🔥
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Quotes Worth Pondering
“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.” — Mary Poppins
“The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Big Dad Idea
Health, Parenting, or Personal Growth
The Annual “Woo”: Tacky Christmas Lights for the Win!
’Tis the season for me to mortify half our household with our eclectic—and slightly unhinged—assortment of outdoor Christmas lights.
This display has evolved over 15 years, but the theme has never changed:
Throw on every light we can find in any order you like.
Some of us (me + a few kids) think it’s brilliant. Others think it’s the visual equivalent of wearing socks with sandals. They dream of a tidy, all-white, magazine-worthy setup… while we’re out here creating a beautiful mess.
In years past, I’ve spelled words on the roof—“WOW,” “JOY,” and once just a giant “G.” The “WOW” didn’t survive the whole season. It sagged in the rain and slowly morphed into more of a “Woo,” which honestly might’ve been even more on-brand.
We haven’t purchased new lights in years, so every December becomes a puzzle of:
What still works?
Sometimes a dead string becomes a glorified extension cord.
A sad potted pine transforms into a light tower.
Nothing is wasted. Everything glows (eventually).
If there’s a dad lesson buried beneath this tangled mess of a tradition, maybe it’s this:
Despite living in a world where so much feels graded or curated, not every part of life has to be polished.
And often, it’s more fun when it isn’t.
Cheers to your own messes, traditions, and uniquely weird family moments that make your crew special.
Want to see this year’s masterpiece in all its glory?
[Check out the 2025 light vid here.]
Thanks for reading, dads.
Let’s make this time count!
