The Arizona Wildcats have been cookin’ lately.
From the beatdown the UA’s volleyball team gave Arizona State on Thursday to the football team winning its first Pac-12 Conference game against Oregon State on Saturday, U of A is on fire.
But I have to say: Nothing last week got hotter for me than watching my hubby, Chuck Cecil, along with Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller, World Series champion Luis Gonzalez, Arizona and Olympic softball coach Mike Candrea, mayor Jonathan Rothschild, NCAA champion golf coach Laura Ianello and others take part in the annual “Cooking with the Stars” charity event at Mr. An’s.
Maybe it was the flames that nearly took me, the mayor and coach Miller out — or maybe it was Chuck tossing fake soy sauce on UA athletic director Dave Heeke. Nevertheless, the event, which benefited the Easterseals Blake Foundation, was en llamas.
The “Cooking With the Stars” event allows Tucson’s sports, media and political personalities the opportunity to serve our community, snap selfies, sign autographs and give back to people from all over Southern Arizona. We’re so grateful for each and every person who helped to put this event on and for the generous supporters who smiled while they actually ate the food Chuck and I burned — I mean cooked! To learn more about Easterseals Blake Foundation, visit blake.easterseals.com.
Tiger Woods
In the biz
Everybody loves a comeback story. Two of my favorites are surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost one of her arms in a shark attack and then garnered her first national surfing title, and boxer George Foreman, who after five years into retirement returned to the ring and reclaimed the world title. On Sunday, I added a 42-year-old golfer named Tiger to my list.
Tiger Woods, who has who has been marred in scandals, surgeries and substance and sex abuse, finished 11 under par to take home the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. His first win in five years is fantastic news for his loyal sponsors, the business of golf and fans who needed a boost.
In 2010, when Woods struggled with behavioral issues off the course, many sponsors — including Gatorade, AT&T, Gillette and EA Sports — were quick to jump off the tainted-Tiger PR train. Nike, which had been with Woods since he turned pro in 1996, is one of the only sponsors to stay the course with him. On Sunday, Nike unveiled their “He’s Done It Again” campaign on social media after waiting 1,876 days to leverage Tiger’s comeback and their loyalty.
The business of golf also benefited from Tiger’s victory. The PGA Tour’s season finale drew a 5.21 overnight rating on NBC, the highest of any non-major championship this year. That number is up an impressive 206 percent over last year’s event. Tiger needs golf, and the $70 billion industry still needs him. But, most importantly, Tiger’s relentless quest for victory may be good for all of us as we fight the good fight — stumble, fall and get back up to keep pushing toward our metaphorical winner’s circle.
Charli Cecil on phone
Tech talk
One of the vital components to a healthy teen, college student or athlete is sleep. A whopping 75 percent of young people do not get the recommended eight to nine hours of sleep per night, and electronic devices in their bedrooms are adding to their unhealthy sleep habits. A study entitled “The Association Between Portable Screen-Based Media Device Access or Use, and Sleep Outcomes” shows that having computers, tablets or cell phones in the bedroom negatively affects sleep by causing continuous stimulation. Social media, with its constant barrage of engagement, updates and private messages, may also be keeping users from falling asleep and staying asleep.
Our daughter, Charli, is no different than the average teen on her phone. She chats with her friends at night, watches YouTube videos, plays games and listens to music.
The battle to pry her device out of her hand at night is getting harder and harder; thus, it’s important for me as a mom and educator in this space to set device-free times and zones.
College athletes living in dorms or apartments must turn their phones off. Not in sleep mode, but off, to give their brains a break. Setting new ground rules around phones can be a challenge. Start a dialogue with your people about their sleep and devices. Kids are smarter than you think! Here are five conversation starters to get going with your athlete or teen:
- How do you use your phone before bed?
- Do you think your phone wakes you up when you’re asleep?
- How do you feel when your phone is turned off at night?
- Do you think you need your phone on when you’re sleeping?
- Where would you like to put your phone outside of your bedroom at night?
Need insights on safe and healthy social media practices? Contact me at info@teamsm2.com.
