Sometimes getting up in the morning can be rough.There are days where I am still sleepy. And there are some nights where I have nightmares. Here are 10 positive affirmations to start your day:

• I AM strong.
• I AM powerful.
• I AM a CHAMPION.
• I AM MINDFUL.
• I AM CHEERFUL.
• I AM kind.
• I AM GRATEFUL.
• I AM HAPPY.​
• I AM HEALTHY.
• I AM JOYFUL.
• I respect NATURE.

PaHeru: I ate breakfast and went to competition. I had some pretty good scores. At the end of the events was the award ceremony. I was getting 2nd,3rd, 4th, and 7th place. Overall, I got 3rd place. I was upset because of the places I got. So I started crying. But my friend Asaph cheered me up by saying, "Paheru it's ok. You still did good."

Mom's Perspective: The photo above was after PaHeru cried for about 30 minutes after the official Awards Ceremony.  He did not make the 2020-2021 USAG North Carolina Men's Elite Team like he had aspired to nor had he placed 1st in his age group.  Both were his personal goals.  As a mom, I was present to support him and cheer him and his teammates on.  I did not try to force him to smile.  Some parents would but I chose not to.  He is a true athlete and he takes his sports trajectory very seriously- I never want to dishonor or minimize that. After the photos were taken, we went on to cheer on his Division 2 teammates who competed after him.  On the ride home, we talked about the entire experience of the weekend- his teammates's birthday celebration, the great movies in the hotel room and the endless free hot cocoa in the hotel lobby. Only after we got some food did I ask him, "What can you do moving forward to make your goals next year?" This conversation lasted about 20 minutes and for the rest of the ride home, we listened to our favorite songs- which were alot; it was a 3.5 hour drive from Hickory to Fayetteville. 

I don't judge anyone's parenting when it comes to being a sports parent- it's a challenging position for anyone who devotes at least 50% of their time supporting a child who is in a competitive sport.  I My goal is to always be supportive of his ENTIRE EXPERIENCE and also highlight for him what he might easily overlook when his mind is only focused on 1 area of a competition.

As an athlete, how do you deal with disappointment?  We'd love to hear from you. 

PaHeru Nubia-Ra Athletics. Setting Goals. Getting Fit. Staying Positive. 

In October 2019, PaHeru set his goals regarding school, gymnastics and Taekwondo.  He envisioned all of his goals being fulfilled by December 31, 2019.  Let's see how he did!

Goals for School: Receive awards for good grades. Get class assignments completed faster.
Goals for Gymnastics: Win gold medals for all events.
Goals for Taekwondo: Get promoted to Red Belt by last testing of the year.

Outcomes:

• Earned certificates for A/B Honor, Perfect Attendance, and Terrific Kid Award during 1st Grading Period of the school year.
• Won 2nd Place Overall Men's Gymnast Level 5, Division 2 at Boudreaux Classic (November 2019); winning 1 gold medal for Parallel Bars, 3 Silver Medals, and 2 Bronze medals.
• Won 4th Place Overall Men's Gymnast Level 5, Division 2 @ Sandhills Classic (December 2019); winning 1 Silver for Steel Rings and 4 Bronze while not placing on the High Bar.
• Promoted to Red Belt in Taekwondo on December 20, 2019.
• Received "Best Breaking" Gold Medal for Breaking Routine at U.S. Taekwondo Center.

All in all, it was a great end of year! View the Promotion Ceremony Video below! 

PaHeru Nubia-Ra Athletics. Setting Goals. Getting Fit.  Staying Positive. 

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