JUGHEADS
Youth Juggling Company, LLC
5905 Concord Avenue
Edina, MN 55424
jugheads@comcast.net
or 952.926.0896

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April 2000

“The Predictability of JUGHEADS”

Every month in this column, I try to share my heart behind the hype. That’s a consistent effort. And every month, I try to share a different angle of inspiration or insight. That lends variety. Tradition & change: you can’t have one without the other. Change is painted as highly noble and admirable in our world, and that is true, to a point--but without a sense of tradition, we lose our connection with the past and what makes us who we are as a group.

My conviction is that for kids especially, they need stability in their lives to optimally develop their values, personalities, disciplines, social circles and self-identities. Whereas JUGHEADS prides itself on the seemingly limitless possibilities for growth and improvement in the art and sport of juggling, it is the traditions that keep the kids anchored, socially stable and emotionally safe. Even our daily Club meetings are more often requested than lambasted, since it’s our one formal connection time as a group. Snack time is also cherished for the familiar ramen soup, Beef Jerky, Fruit Snacks and other mainstays of our after school diet.

And of course, we have our progress standards, rehearsal requirements, and behavior expectations. The older kids in particular will tell you (as they’ve told me): They love traditions. They love knowing and being known. They love being able to predict what a social activity is going to be like--at least that it won’t be personally threatening or demeaning. And so goes my personal mission beyond throws and catches: giving young adolescents a place outside the home where they know where they stand, cherishing the familiar routines, surroundings, expectations and relationships.