Raising Athletes for Life

 

 

 

Registration is NOT required – see you there!

New Canaan CARES presents “Raising Athletes for Life” on Thursday, March 23rd, at New Canaan Library from 7:00 – 8:30 pm. “New Canaan CARES is excited to bring this group of accomplished students, athletes, parents and coaches together,” said Board Chair Jess Huetter. Huetter continued, “Athletics and academics are two of the biggest pillars of our youth community.  I am happy to help further the conversation about how we define and achieve success in youth athletics.”

Anchoring the panel is moderator Garland Allen, a retired teacher, Athletic Director, and coach of Basketball, Football and Track & Field, who served more than 35 years in public education. Garland co-founded the non-profit organization inCourage, and is a leading advocate for developing young athletes in a healthy sports culture.

The panelists are a combination of athletes, parents and coaches. Dave Inman, a former professional hockey player, is also a New Canaan parent. Dave grew up as a multi-sport athlete and chose to focus on hockey. He played on the U.S. National Team, played Division 1 hockey at Notre Dame and was drafted by the New York Rangers.  He played professional hockey post-college before starting a career in finance and settling in New Canaan with his wife Krystie and is a proud sports dad to two sons. 

Joining him on the panel is Heather Knight Pech, a four-time division winner of the Boston Marathon, current course record holder in her age division, ranked #1 in her age division in the U.S. and 2nd in the World. Heather has been working with athletes of all ages since 2012.a She operates with the belief that when your body, mind and heart are in balance, you connect to what you do.

Kendall Patten, a multi-sport athlete while at New Canaan High School, is currently a senior at Cornell University majoring in psychology with a minor in business, will also be a panelist.For the past four years, she has been a member of Cornell’s Varsity Women’s Soccer team. Kendall has also been a member of the Big Red Leadership Institute, working on new ways to incorporate leadership into daily life. 

The fourth panelist is New Canaan’s own Andy Towers. Andy was an All-American player at NCHS and Brown University and then continued his career playing professionally with the Premier Lacrosse League, where he was selected as an All-Star. His coaching career is extensive.  He founded Lacrosse Draws, an organization committed to helping young athletes succeed in 2002.  He spent 19 years coaching NCAA Division 1 lacrosse and served as head coach of the 2021 World Champion Chaos Lacrosse Club. Andy is dedicated to helping young players succeed in their mission to become the best players and people they can be by attacking life with focus, effort and toughness.

Each of the panelists will share an overview of their experience, lessons learned, how they define success and thoughts on how we, as a community, can provide a healthy culture to achieve it.

Click here to register today!

Continuing the Conversation – Building connections with your tween

Would you like to build connections with your tween and discuss topics that are important to both of you? If so, join CARES and Dr. Amanda Craig as we Continue the Conversation! You are welcome to attend one or all three, and it is NOT necessary to have attended the initial conversation to participate. It’s a great way to foster the relationship with your tween while they are still listening!

March 5th will focus on “becoming the secure base kids need.” The discussion on March 12th will be around “what gets in the way and how do we repair relationships.” While March 19th is “learn from the past to understand the present.” All are free and will be held at New Canaan Library from 3:00 – 4:30 pm. Registration for one or all of them is here. The video is available online here if you missed the Book Talk on February 9th.

 

The New Canaan Urgent Assessment Program

Are you or someone you know experiencing an urgent need for mental health treatment? The town of New Canaan has partnered with Silver Hill Hospital to provide New Canaan residents in urgent need of mental health treatment with a timely psychiatric assessment and tailored referral for ongoing care. Click here to access the overview or call 866-542-4455. This service is being offered free of charge to residents of New Canaan.

PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT an emergency service. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency and need immediate assistance, you should go to your nearest emergency room.

Men’s Mental Health

Men’s Mental Health and the Burden of Masculinity
Good mental health is extremely important. While we have made very large strides in understanding mental health issues we still have work to do when it comes to men’s mental health. Although both men and women are affected by mental illness, it is oftentimes overlooked in males. Researchers at The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimate that at least 6 million men suffer from depressive disorders, including suicidal thoughts, annually. However, mental health conditions among men often go untreated because they are far less likely to seek treatment than women. Untreated mental health conditions increase the risk for suicide, so it’s no surprise that suicide rates are higher among men. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, men die by suicide 3.9x more often than females; 75% of suicide deaths are men. So what is preventing men from getting the treatment they need? Stigma and the culture norms surrounding masculinity are two contributing factors.

Stigma & Suffering In Silence

It’s difficult to understand the silent epidemic of mental health issues growing among men in the United States. Silent, because it’s a topic rarely spoken of, swept under the rug at both the individual level and by society at large. Stigma not only bars men from speaking to their loved ones about mental illness, but also from addressing it themselves and seeking help. Stigma affects the way men perceive mental health concerns and therapy. Common ways this can manifest is:

  • Men may struggle to express their emotions.
  • Men may not realize that they have a mental health condition.
  • Men may turn to substances or other unhealthy coping mechanisms over seeking treatment.
  • Men may believe that they can push through negative emotions or work through problematic behaviors on their own.
  • Men may have a negative opinion about the effectiveness of therapy.
  • Men might not consider seeking treatment until their mental health or behavioral issues are severe.
  • Men might have difficulties being vulnerable in therapy and connecting with their therapist.

Source: The Hub: Behavioral Health Action Organization for Southwestern CT – Click here to view the full blog post

 

J. Stuart Albon: Building Resilience in Our Children

J. Stuart Albon: Building Resilience in Our Children 

Stuart Albon, an Associate Professor in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Founder and Director of Think:Kids, is giving a special presentation in New Canaan on November 8th!

Dr. Ablon will be speaking about the increase in mental health and behavioral challenges we have seen in children and adolescents over the past decade. He will be offering concrete strategies parents can use to increase the social and emotional resilience of their children.

You can learn more about Dr. Albon on his website, and Think:Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Tuesday, November 8th at 7:00 PM

New Canaan High School Auditorium.

No registration is required for this event.

This event is co-sponsored with the New Canaan Parent Teacher Associations & Parent Faculty Association, New Canaan Community Foundation, and New Canaan CARES.

Celebration Centerpieces 2022

Earth Garden is supporting New Canaan CARES and our community this Thanksgiving with Celebration Centerpieces.

This is an opportunity to show someone that you are thankful to have them in your life or a beautiful way to add joy to your own holiday table! At the same time, you will be providing much-needed financial support to our organization.

Choose either rich fall colors or soft fall hues in either a small or large arrangement.

Click here to order

Delivery is available in New Canaan only.

Arrangements will be delivered Tuesday, November 22nd and Wednesday, November 23rd.

Second Annual ForeCARES is November 8th!

 

New Canaan CARES is excited to announce our second annual ForeCARES Mini Golf event!

Tee times are: 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 & 1:00

Join us on this day off of school for an 18-hole “par-tee.” Fore CARES will be run “shotgun” style. At a particular tee time, each group of players starts at the same time but at different holes. Each hole is limited to four players at a time. CARES may combine smaller groups to form a foursome.

This event is $20 per golfer, with the proceeds going directly towards CARES programming! The event will be held rain or shine and tickets are non-refundable once purchased.

Children under 12 must have supervision to attend. Please plan on arriving 15 minutes before your start time to check-in. Those starting late may not finish all 18 holes and may not stay past the next start time to complete the round. Groups are limited to 4 players per hole.

Click here to purchase your tickets!

Author Visit: Sivan Hong

New Canaan CARES is excited to welcome local author Sivan Hong!

Some may think of Halloween as a super fun day, but to others, it can be overwhelming. From feeling shy in costume to being afraid of not recognizing friends and teachers in theirs, Halloween can be full of jitters. Sivan will read her book Benny J. and the Horrible Halloween and talk about ways to overcome these jitters and how to have a super fun day in spite of these fears.

After the story, we will be decorating mini pumpkins for Halloween! This program is recommend for children ages 4-7 with a parent or caregiver.

Click here to register for the event.

More about Sivan:

Sivan’s bestselling children’s book series, The Super Fun Day Books, focus on neurodiverse children who overcome their challenges with perseverance and bravery. In addition to her writing, Sivan also serves as a Trustee on the Boards of the Rita Allen Foundation, Multicultural Children’s Book Day, and the ASPCA. She has previously worked as a professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, and as a partner at The Bridgespan Group.

Sivan has more information about her books on her website. Be sure to listen to some of the podcasts she’s been featured on as well, such as Navigating the Spectrum with Michele Portlock, where Sivan talks about advocating for her neurodivergent children, and the No Limits Podcast with Lisa Jacovsky, where Sivan expands on working in different industries and transitioning to writing and illustrating.