My three kids play club soccer. The club just held tryouts. I tried hard to parent and teach my kids leading up to that week, and so I write about it here. As different as they are in everything they do, they play and approach soccer differently too. Tryouts, though, had a happy ending for them all.
My ten-year-old, “JD”,...
Until recently, I tipped lots of people when I stayed in hotels. I would tip the bellman for bringing my bags up, the bartender for pouring a drink, the server for delivering my dinner, and the valet for driving my car half a block. There was one person, however, I didn’t even think about: the housekeeper who cleaned my...
I was recently in trial for seven consecutive weeks. Facing another trial scheduled to begin two weeks after the last one ended, I knew I needed some time to relax and recharge. And so, in the middle of my last trial, I booked a trip to Costa Rica. Originally I booked the trip for two: me and my fiancé....
I write this from a Washington, D.C. hotel room. It’s Father’s Day 2018. I am on the 8th day of a 10-day east coast trip with my three kids. They are still sleeping in their room, which connects to mine. My kids are 11, 9 and 9 (twins obviously). They had never been to the east coast before. We...
I train in jiu-jitsu. Because of trials, and travel, and running the firm, and kids, I don’t train nearly as much as I like. But I do it when I can and I enjoy it. I began training relatively late in life. I was in my late 40s, a lawyer and a dad. Earlier in life, I had obtained...
Grand Master Carlos Gracie (September 14, 1902 – October 7, 1994) was a Brazilian martial artist and founder of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He also is the father of Grand Master Carley Gracie who, in turn, is the father of Clark Gracie, my own Jiu-Jitsu professor. Gracie fathered 21 children, 13 of whom earned the rank of black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. At the time of...
It’s a new year. For many of us, that means setting resolutions. I am a big goal-setter, and so for me, that typically means setting a number of personal and professional goals. I am currently reading “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. Clear stresses the importance of “identity” in changing behavior. In terms of defining goals or habits,...
I write this from Vail, Colorado, on August 10, 2021. It’s the third day of a seven day family vacation here. The last summer family vacation I wrote about was two Summers ago and before Covid. I took the kids on an East Coast trip and wrote about Father’s Day. The kids have grown lots and lots...
A long time ago, I played college football at the University of San Diego. I wasn’t that big, or fast, or tremendously talented. But I worked hard, had a mean streak, and was tremendously competitive. In my Senior year, I was named an Academic All-American. I signed a contract with an English club called the “London Knights”...
I first played tackle football in 10th grade. I went out for my High School’s Junior Varsity team as a safety. I remember the first time I hit someone in a drill. In those days, they taught hitting facemask to facemask. The feeling was violent, scary and shocking. But for some reason, I...