NHL Draft Youth Clinic

Today we were special guests at the NHL Draft ADM Clinic. Here are pictures of our interactions with Cal Clutterbuck and Brad Staubitz of the MN Wild, autographs, and smiles. Don't miss Coach Erin in a really blogable moment below!

A Carroll at Greg Carroll Learn 2 Skate

Sometimes stuff happens in real life that is every bit as amazing as stuff that is made up.

Almost 4 years ago a tragedy occurred that now shapes our community here at DinoMights. Long time mites coach Greg Carroll passed away unexpectedly one morning. It was very sad for so many young DinoMights he had coached.

We officially named Learn 2 Skate after Greg to honor his legacy.

Greg's friends and family have been behind Greg Carroll Learn 2 Skate ever since. Some of his High School Classmates even hold a Golf Tournament to support Greg's legacy.

This year we have the most amazing and touching part of the story yet! Greg's brother, Dan, is now a DinoMights volunteer. He spent time tutoring a 2nd grader this winter and then became a lead coach at Greg Carroll Learn 2 Skate.

It was amazing to me to see how special it was to Dan to be a part of this effort in a very personal way. I can't step in his shoes and know what it was like for him to serve at the event named for his brother, but I am certain that it is part of that amazing web that God weaves to bring about things that give us pause to wonder.

Thanks To Learn 2 Skate Volunteers

On Behalf of the 1st Grade Students at Green Central and Andersen Schools and the DinoMights staff . . .

Thank you for volunteering at Greg Carroll Learn 2 Skate.

You held us up . . .

Gave us something on which to lean . . .

Offered expert advice . . .

And became . . .

Our Friends!

Because of you we know we can do big things!

Thanks!

Thanks For Supporting Camp Scholarships!

UPDATE:

As of 5/12/11 Camp Funds are up to $1955!

http://www.razoo.com/team/dinomights-camp

Dear Friends and Family,

Thanks so much for supporting DinoMights my race and efforts to raise camp scholarships! The race was on Saturday and I did indeed have enough donations to wear a full set of hockey equipment. It was cold and a bit rainy, which actually worked in my advantage since the equipment didn't make me hot until mile 5. The hardest thing was actually the shin guards. The breezers were quite comfortable. DinoMights got a lot of good attention on the race course as I explained exactly what I was doing in hockey gear at a road race.

My fundraising effort had 10 donors for a total of $925. I had a partner in this effort that raced in a snowsuit (He was very sweaty by the end). Together we raised $1,605, which can fully scholarship 5+ students to summer camp!

Our fundraiser was definitely fun, but most importantly it may actually change the lives of some urban young people that will have chances to canoe the Boundary Waters, learn about food and nutrition, go to a hockey clinic, ride a horse, swim in a lake, and hear about the great love of Jesus at DinoMights summer camping activities 2011!

Attached is a picture to prove we really did it (notice our race numbers, proving that we aren't just dressed up!). Again thanks so much. Please stay in touch. If you haven't had a chance, but still want to join our effort visit http://www.razoo.com/team/dinomights-camp.

Are We Crazy?

Are we crazy? Maybe. Maybe we just have faith.

Last spring a few volunteers ran a race to raise camp funds. It was tough, because it was

rainy and cold. However, we actually raised over $3,000 doing that last year. So it was worth it,

and worth doing again this year; but with a semi-crazy twist.

One of the volunteers decided that just running the race wasn’t enough to get people to

give to his cause. So he said that he would add a layer of clothing for every gift to his online fund-

raiser page until he had a full snowsuit on in the race. His page was so popular for raising camp

funds that I decided to use his idea too. I am adding one piece of hockey equipment for every

donor. So far we are about half suited up each, and we’ve raised $700 between the two of us.

In a road race the right clothing is essential. You don’t want items that are bulky or create

uncomfortable friction. I’ve had some friction problems in the past. Trust me, it’s uncomfort-

able. “So why have I agreed to wear a jersey, shoulder pads, elbow pads, helmet, breezers, hockey

socks, and shin guards on a 6.1 mile run,” I think to myself, “Oh and by the way, the forecast is

calling for more rain.” I’m going to run in uncomfortable stuff and it will be raining. Am I crazy?

Why are we doing this?”

This might sound strange, but I think the answer is FAITH. You see summer camp is

really the place where DinoMights participants develop what we refer to in our mission statement

as Spiritual Excellence. For some of them it is the fi rst time they hear that God loves them. It is

a place where they often begin a life long journey of faith.

In some cases the journey of urban life carries a lot of uncertainty. Some of our kids are

forced to move every few months, or change phone numbers. Schools close, parents get laid off,

and the roof leaks, because the landlord won’t fi x it. (In fact, the roof will probably be leaking

during our run this Saturday). Their playground is an expanse of unfeeling cold hard concrete over

which they are dragged without having any control. Their journey’s can really be crazy.

I once heard an urban pastor say, “Faith is all we got in the city.”

Faith is all about seeing with your heart what you can’t see with your eyes. It’s what

makes the future things we’re hoping for real right now. It’s a journey to an unknown destination

that you believe is good, even though you’ve never been there before. That kind of sight and cer-

tainty is not always rational. With the obstacles some of our students face, having faith that their

lives can be anything other than chaos may seem a bit crazy. Isn’t it more likely that our kids will

fail? But faith demands that we refuse to accept that possibility. At DinoMights we hope for our

students to have lives that are not crazy. I’m not saying that we hope God is going to fi x every

leaky roof, but I am saying that we hope for our students to be able to look to God when the roof

is leaking and know that God will guide them through it.

So if taking an urban young person out of the city for a week to play in the lush wood-

lands of Northern Wisconsin or the Boundary Waters will allow them to come home with faith;

with something that won’t change while everything around them is in constant fl ux, then let’s do

it. Together let’s do even crazy things to support that journey of faith!

Please consider a ‘crazy’ donation to support ‘faith’ by sending a special gift for Camp

Scholarships.

WE LOVE CAMP!!!

Shunya and Wayne reading books at

Power Camp

Dino boys outside their cabin at Silver

Birch Ranch, with alumus and counselor,

Keenan

Success Stories: Levi

"How bad can it get? He is a good reader. He is a smart and creative kid. What is going on? Have we not done enough for him?" These are the thoughts my wife and I had when we learned how poorly Levi was doing in school.

He failed at least half of his classes in a traditional high school. He was falling through the cracks and getting left behind. He failed Social Studies, math repeatedly, he even failed gym! What's worse is that it seemed like nobody noticed or cared. Nevermind that he failed first semester math, he was just automatically enrolled in second semester math. I don't know about you, but it seems pretty obvious that if you can't succeed in the first sem math you also will be unable to succeed in the second sem math.

Everyone we talked to at the school said, "Oh yeah, great kid. Never causes any problems. Doesn't do his work though."

We pressed him, invited him over to do homework, called him to remind him to do homework.

Nothing.

So we pressed the school, demanded that teachers communicate with us, demanded conferences with school staff.

Nothing.

So we pressed his parents. "He is not showing you any reason to believe that he will be successful at this school. He is going to be 21 year old before he graduates at this pace, and you will still be supporting him financially if there is not a change immediately," we argued.

"O.K. I'll do my work," Levi protested, "Just don't make me switch schools."

"It's too late for that. At this point even if you passed every class from here on out you will graduate 2 years late. Moreover, if you keep going the way you are you will complete 4 years of high school in 8 years."

Finally the parents understood. They made him switch into a charter school. The school is strong on Spanish language and Latino culture. It is also especially strong on the arts. It is a perfect fit.

Kari and I had to back off a bit when he made the change. He'd had enough of us hounding him to live up to his potential, and we could tell. We didn't know if we had done enough for him, but we had done all we could do.

He didn't immediately like it at his new school, which worried us a bit. However, reading between the lines we liked what we were hearing. "I hate it there," he'd say. "I don't talk to anyone, I just do my work. That's it." His tone was resentful.

"Good. That is what you are supposed to do."

"Those kids are uncool," he'd say.

"So what? Maybe you need to succeed in school more than you need to have friends at school."

"I'm just going to work hard, catch up then go back to my other school."

We wanted to respond to that with outrage, but the time for outrage had passed. Whatever motivates him at this point is good. Even if it is getting out of his new school. Most likely, we reasoned, once he tastes success, he will love it.

Sure enough, he was chosen to create a mural on the back wall of the school. He became a leader. His talent shone through. The last time I talked to him this is what he said, "I'm taking a college course this summer. Two weeks I get to live on campus and study. Oh and I'm not 100% sure yet, but I think I'm going to graduate on time next year."

That is what we live for at DinoMights. Trust me, it is uncomfortable to be lying in bed at night wondering about if we've done enough. Truthfully, sometimes it doesn't matter. Not every story turns out like this one. But, we know that kids like Levi are worth the sleepless nights, and we joyfully celebrate when they have this kind of success.

Happy Endings

Last night was the last night for the 2010-2011 tutoring season. Many of the kids will now participate in our technology classes. In fact, we may have one of our biggest technology classes ever this year.

The party was tremendous fun. We had pizza, played board games, Mario Kart on the Wii, and the kids got fun prizes.

I went around and asked students to share something they have learned or remember from this year. Below are their quotes.

Eduardo, age 7, "I learned that hockey is cool."

Kevin, age 7, "I learned how to read in English, and I won a car." --When asked what he learned from his tutor.

Alex, age 6, "My favorite memory of hockey is doing the Superman." The "Superman" drill is when students extend their arms and slide on their bellies.

Larry, age 11, "I learned fractions." --When asked what he learned from his tutor.

Rafael, age 13, "Tweet, Tweet, Tweet." --When asked what he wanted to share on Twitter.

Francisco, age 12, "Getting my homework done on time." --When asked how his tutor helped him this year.

Edward, age 10, "I learned from my tutor that you always have to study hard and don't give up."

Sandy, age 16, "It was fabulous. I enjoyed coming every Tuesday and being with the kids." --On what it was like to be a tutor to a second grader this year.

Ericka, age 7, on her favorite book from tutoring, "Green Eggs and Ham in Spanish is Huevos Verdes con Jamon."