Blog Post

As the program manager for sports safety, where much of my work is focused on keeping kids healthy and in top shape for sports, I’m inspired by the young athletes I meet or hear about each day. Kids who are full of passion for the sports they love and a desire to work hard and play their best each time they’re out on the field.

When I’m not working at Safe Kids, I spend most of my time coaching a club field hockey team with girls ages 12-19. This is an elite club that was created for the best players from northern Virginia to come together, play in tournaments and hopefully get recruited to play in college. They are incredible athletes and have an inspiring passion for the game.

As summer temperatures continue to climb across the country, it’s important to remember that while these summer days are great for the pool and the beach, they’re not so good for the inside of cars, which can raise to deadly temperatures in a very short period of time. 

Sadly, since 1998, at least 910 children across the United States have died from heatstroke.

One of the things that inspires me to find creative and fun ways to keep kids safe every day is knowing that there’s a whole world of people working together to do the exact same thing. Once you see these videos created by our fabulous partners in Brazil, you’ll know what I mean.

I knew I was in for it when the latrine caught on fire in the middle of the night.

I’m writing to you today with a heavy heart. This holiday weekend when most of us were celebrating the 4th of July, a home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania experienced a devastating fire. Three adults and four children died in this home fire. There were no smoke alarms in the home.

Does it ever seem like Washington isn’t listening to us? Well, recently the Senate Appropriations Committee sent a message that they were hearing us.

Summer has always been my favorite time of the year. My family does not let a summer weekend go by without finding something to celebrate and a reason to get together and have a barbecue - Memorial Day, Father’s Day, the 4th of July and 4 birthdays all within a week of each other at the end of July (mine, my mom, my daughter, and my sister)!

One Saturday afternoon last month, I was lying on my couch watching a thought-provoking, sophisticated film – OK, it was "The Notebook" – when I decided I wanted some popcorn.

Before I begin this blog, I have a confession to make: When I was younger, I was never good about drinking water. I’m not proud of it, but it’s true.