ADMIN NOTES

• Today is National Name Yourself Day. You must arrive at practice with (an acceptable) new name for yourself. Today, that is your true and only name. You will have a sticker that you will put on your gear to make sure everyone knows.
• National Name Yourself Day is a day to celebrate reinvention by trying on a new name for size. Studies show there’s a link between someone’s name and their personalities. A lot of care goes into a name, and cultures show appreciation in different ways. Native Americans held names in high regard and certain tribes conducted naming ceremonies as a rite of passage, basing names on nature, animals, weather and plant life. Names were often chosen based on the features of the baby, such as gender and birth position. This name changed with adulthood as they experienced events in their lives. New names would be chosen to mark accomplishments, often attached to personal and sacred meanings (think “Dances with Wolves“).

  Puritans named their children after idealistic concepts. In the seventeenth century, Puritan names like Steadfast-on-high, Obedience, Prudence, and Temperance weren’t uncommon, and they often had religious connotations. This was done in hopes children would take on the meaning of their names and become upstanding citizens that contributed positively to society. Some Puritan names were practically full sentences, filled with hyphens as if to make a hopeful life as clear as possible.

  By the middle of the twentieth century, the rise of movie stars brought about American society to reflect on what they watched. Babies were named after famous actors and actresses such as Ava, Audrey, Bette, Cary, Charlie, and Clark. Names became less about ideals and more about the attraction of the celebrity, showing a shift towards a pop-culture driven mindset.

  Today, names themselves are revered in much the same way as the past. People are still named after celebrities and famous on-screen characters, but many take a more naturalistic or original approach and choose names outside of the box. As the world modernizes and comes to understand the idea of the self better, identity is also seen as an evolution, which makes National Name Yourself Day a useful tradition we can all learn something from.

PRACTICE

• Mostly crisp boat handling, if there is good wind we may try some crew substitutions.
• Practice TR Starts
• True balance drill (you have to finish 1-2)

-Coach Lance Manion