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

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February 2007

"The Process of Perseverance"

One of my favorite parts of directly coaching the Jugheads is my precious one-on-one time with any age or ability. I love to focus on and “cheerlead” one child at a time, vicariously grimacing over their mistakes, celebrating their records, and being jealous for their progress. Come to think of it, I imagine that’s what every actively involved parent goes through from the birth of their own child(ren) until death parts them. Parents and coaches know that in order to succeed, dues must be paid and the results of discipline and trials must be earned. Most things that come too easily are neither fully appreciated nor serve as a good indication of how to overcome obstacles in the future. We as caring adults in the lives of youth can cheer them on, mourning their failures and championing their triumphs, but we cannot live their lives for them.That’s all part of the process of perseverance toward a lifetime of maturity and bearing one’s own fruit.

Juggle Jam planning represents the singlemost stressful season of our calendar year. Directing a huge show with a large number of kids, without the benefit of a set curriculum or script or score, is a tall endeavor. The creative hump is the most difficult obstacle to overcome, settling on theme ideas, music ideas, choreography ideas, teamwork ideas. The fun part is running the routines starting in mid-March and tweaking and polishing them in April and early May. I really believe that Juggle Jam is a metaphor for life: one must go through the hard parts to get to the rewarding parts. I honestly can never predict whether each Juggle Jam will match (let alone exceed) the quality of the previous year. But one thing I do know: the process itself is precious to the Jugheads and to the adults involved, and the kids’ experiences trump the audiences’ reactions (although we strive for their approval as well!). We’re gearing up for a great show, but the most important thing is the character-building process that will last far beyond May 19, 2007.