October Standard Testing provided a diagnosis of each Jughead’s technical strengths & weaknesses while juggling under pressure. (Rec. rookies were exempt, but some accepted the challenge!) Some tried to finish quickly (e.g., under 5:00), while others didn’t finish within the 10:00 limit. (Club balance and 3 ball / 3 club tricks are common weaknesses.)

Ultimates had up to 24:00 for 11 solo standards and two passing standards, with a remarkable (and rare) seven of our 16 members beating the clock! Freshman Isaac C. broke his own all-time record with completing all 11 solo standards and two passing standards in 8:21 gross, or 6:21 net thanks to a 2:00 bonus for achieving the 2nd year standard of 50 catches with 5 clubs. Senior Isaac N. was close behind with a net time of 6:47, with seniors Kayla M. (9:51), Grant D. (10:04), Jacob D. (11:10), and Jared A. (20:17) along with freshman Ben S. (16:00) and even Specialist Chris Lovdal (17:45) all completing the designated Ultimate Club standards within the allotted time.

After MEA, multi-win Endurance Contests were held for all veterans: 4 Balls for both Rec. Clubs and 5 Balls for Advanced & Elite. Congrats to this year’s Ball Endurance champions: Sophia H. (Thursday Rec.), Serena N. (Friday Rec.), Matthew J. (Advanced), and Isaac N. (Elite). 

The contests yielded impressive average records:
4 Balls—Thur. Rec., 54.57 dominant hand throws (DHT, surpassing the Advanced standard); Fri. Rec. averaged even higher: 72.71 DHT. 
5 Balls—Adv., 111.4 total catches (more than doubling the Elite standard); Elite, 542.0 catches (nearly tripling the UC standard).

November’s All-Club Endurance Contests: Advanced, 4 Rings (Nov. 4); Elite, 5 Rings (Nov. 5); Thursday Rec. & Friday Rec., 3 Clubs (Nov. 7 & 8); and Ultimate, 5 Clubs (Nov. 14).

Note: If every Jughead practiced outside of club(s) for one hour a week (10 minutes a day with one day off), endurance records and skills (e.g., tricks) would increase even further and faster!
 

11/1/19: Friday Rec. Assistant Noel D. poses with a triumphant Jacob F. after the 3rd grader qualified 3 balls (10 dominant hand throws) for the first time—16 months after his first camp! 

Friday Rec. Parent Specialist Joyce Miller recently had a breakthrough in tweaking Jacob's juggling pattern, and he represents several young Jugheads for whom the whole company is rooting to keep improving!

On Oct. 12, Wendy Arneberg organized our UC Awards Banquet held at Rojo Mexican Grill in St. Louis Park's West End. After dinner and many lively conversations among the 42 adults & students in attendance, Director Paul Arneberg gave a scouting report on possible future Ultimates; Coach Erica Liddle (Class of '14) cast a vision for the Club year; Co-Captains Kayla M. & Isaac N. gave their perspective as the varsity team's student leaders; and a heartfelt "exit speech" was given by Eva Hadjiyanis, our recent Ultimate Club grad from the Class of '19.

The intimate crowd was also treated to seeing together, for the first time, the 2019 IJA Teams Stage Championships routine for which the team was awarded the bronze medal on June 27 in Fort Wayne, IN.

Right after the video, Wendy revealed a new tradition, this year funded by our IJA prize money: letterman-style athletic button-down sweatshirts for all 2nd year Ultimate Club members (plus 3rd & 4th year members in this inaugural year) designed with the option to have the actual juggling letter and patches sown on! This is a special and unprecedented way to honor veterans of Ultimate Club for their unique team membership while giving a stylish and practical option for wearing hard-earned 1st-year letters (and subsequent patches for 2nd, 3rd & 4th year letters) that are awarded through achieved standards and experience spanning our programming year ending the previous July 31.

This year's three new rookies (Leona B., Olivia C., Ben S.) received our 11-year old tradition for 1st-year Ultimate members: sports jerseys with the option to have their last names printed on the back.

The evening ended with Paul and Erica interviewing the 16 members in attendance and presenting juggling letters for ‘18-‘19. 1st year juggling letters: Isaac C., Jacob D., Noel D., Aedan E., Eli K.; 2nd year juggling letters: Jared A., Joe D., Nathan D., Eva H., Kayla M., Isaac N., Elizabeth S.; 3rd year juggling letter: Grant D. Congrats to our 16 current members for 2019-2020 and 13 letter-winners from ‘18-‘19!

The Edina Youth Juggling Association (EYJA) was founded in 2005 by former Jughead parent Doug Watson under the Edina Community Foundation to promote youth juggling in Edina and its surrounding communities. Grants have included sponsorship of the Winter Showcase, Juggle Jam, guest instructors, props for performing and teaching, yard signs, SLT training, and senior scholarship(s) awarded each March. As of Summer 2019, the EYJA has raised more than $131,000 since 2005, with more than $122,000 distributed through board-approved grants! These figures only hint at the life-changing work that the EYJA has helped to foster through its support of the art and sport of youth juggling in the Twin Cities, with reverberations around the world.

Each fall, the EYJA sends out a mailing requesting tax-deductible donations to promote local youth juggling. JUGHEADS does not directly benefit from these donations, but the EYJA supports many activities that do support our own mission to develop youth through juggling. NOTE: The EYJA can be designated through your company's United Way’s campaign drive or even online through the Edina Community Foundation's web site.

2019-2020 EYJA board members are: Doug Watson, President; Rich Lovdal, Vice President; Barb Johnson, Secretary; Gary Holmquist, Andrea Humphrey, Jack Levy (Jughead grad, Class of '11), Nikole Rutzen, Kate Stites, Jeff Shlosberg

Vulnerability.

What a word.

Few people like it, and yet it’s something everyone could learn from. I think one of the coolest aspects of JUGHEADS that is often overlooked is the practice of vulnerability. In nearly every other aspect of a typical teen, being vulnerable and making mistakes is looked down upon and people chastise you for it. In typical sports, you have to be the best, and everyone expects you to do so. In school, you must keep your grades up or you may not have a certain prestige or the best friends that everyone else has. But in JUGHEADS it’s all very different.

Every single person has their place in JUGHEADS. Everyone. This past month the clubs have each been focusing on some endurance-based contests, and this is the time of year for some people to shine and show off their skills, but it’s also the time that a lot of members may dread knowing that they are the lowest skilled in their club, and they just can’t wait for things to be over so they can leave and get away from the embarrassment. The truth of reality is that at JUGHEADS, no one is the best at everything. The thought of that is just absurd! You could say, “Sure, but so-and-so’s skills are much more obvious.” And yeah, you’re totally right…until it’s your time to shine. And trust me, you’ll get there, if you aren’t there already.

Being vulnerable means to cast aside your attention or pride, and to just juggle. Despite the fact that it is a juggling club, I’ve been around these parts to know well enough that nobody comes here to be the best juggler. If that were the case, why come at all? No. We are here because people accept us for what we have to give to the company. Last year I wrote on the balance between juggling and socializing, and I said JUGHEADS is a “you get out what you give in” kind of place. No way am I saying don’t practice your juggling skills, but don’t let it consume you and fill your mind with how terrible you are compared to someone else.

And to those of you who obviously excel at technical skills, don’t get cocky. Keep your head cool, and don’t be looking for recognition. You’ll get it in your own time. Remember we all have our roles to fulfill in JUGHEADS, and no one is a better person than another just based on juggling skills. At the same time don’t hide from your success, remember how you got there, and strive to help the other students and peers to work harder and improve their standards, and remind them that everyone has a place in JUGHEADS. Every. Single. Person.

The concept of vulnerability is not new, so why do we hide from it like it’s some stranger? Embrace it, knowing that you will get better and learn more about who you are as a person with it. You got this!

In its 4th late fall offering, “Bring a Friend to JUGHEADS Week” is an opportunity for members to share this unique activity-based community with a friend. For the company, it’s an opportunity to promote juggling and gain potential summer campers, school year Jugheads, or just fans! Sign up your Jughead’s friend to attend a Club day December 2-6 through Sign-Up Genius link via jugheads.com. 

NOTES:
1) Space is limited each day for both quality- and crowd-control, most especially in Friday Rec. Please email/text requests to bring a friend an alternate day that week if your Club's slots fill up.

2) Due to the fact that there are only two (2) weeks between Juggle Jam 22 (May 15-16) and the end of our 2nd Semester (Friday, May 29), the SLT + Staff decided that there will not be a 2nd "Bring-a-Friend Week" (i.e., between JJ22 and summer camps) this year. Instead, we encourage as many families as possible to promote our June 2020 juggling camps for first-timers to check us out more formally. As always, summer camp registration options will range from a single half-day to a season pass.

3) Even though we're limited with how many kids we can accommodate visiting Dec. 2-6, and it's the only formal outreach event between now and June 2020 (other than the 2020 Winter Showcase and Juggle Jam 22, of course), we're open to any family's creative ideas for promoting our company to potential new members. Please contact Paul Arneberg with special requests for one-time "off-season" visits to give interested kids a taste of the day in the life of a Jughead.

All current Jugheads and their parents are invited to attend our annual all-company party that will be held on Saturday, December 7, from 5–9pm. We’re returning to The Refuge & Gym at Calvary Church in Edina (5300 France--use west parking lot). Rental costs were rolled into 1st Sem. tuition; RSVP on Sign-Up Genius via jugheads.com indicating a main/side/salad/dessert you will share. We need at least 16 parents to work two-hour shifts of service/supervision. This tradition goes back many years* and features a potluck dinner, desserts, snacks, active games (juggling, dodge ball, basketball), board games, Catch Phrase, movies, and the promise of fond memories! All Jugheads and parents planning on attending should sign up via our link above by Friday, Dec. 6.

*Fun fact: When the Arnebergs moved to Edina in 1996, they hosted up to five separate club-based holiday parties in their (small) home each December! Eventually, these parties were combined into one huge "Jingle Jam," and the event is now a calendar favorite among many of our Jugheads in our 11-year age range.

• Schedule Reminders, Set #1: Thurs. Rec., Ultimate Club & Fri. Rec. will be held at Emmaus Lutheran Church on Nov. 21-22 (8443 2nd Ave S., 55420). (We're displaced for two partial weeks each year due to St. Stephen's hosting the area-wide TEC Retreat each November and April.) Plan to attend your Club there! 
• Set #2: Advanced WILL meet on 11/25; Elite WILL meet on 11/26. (Some schools may be off all of Thanksgiving Week.)
• Set #3:  Juggle Jam 22 (JJ22) dates are May 15-16, 2020; all-cast dress rehearsals are May 6 & 11 (6-9 pm). 
• Our 15th annual Winter Juggling Showcase is set for 7:00 pm on Saturday, March 14. Download an application or ask for one at JUGHEADS! 
• MADFEST ‘20: Up to 32 Ultimate, Elite & Advanced* Jugheads will travel with us Jan. 17-19, 2020. Pick up a hardcopy reg. form at club or sign up online. *Due to space constraints, Advanced members are invited based on grade level (10th+) and double-club membership.
• MONDO ‘20: For the first time in our company's 26-year history, we're not organizing a group to attend the all-day/evening Mondo Juggling & Unicycling Festival. However, as it's held at Concordia University in St. Paul, Jugheads are encouraged to attend on their own! The dates are Feb. 14-16, 2020, with Saturday, Feb. 15 serving as the main day for most workshops, official games, and the evening show, the Mondo Spectacular.
• Upcoming SLT + Staff Meetings: 11/9, 9a-Noon @ Grant's home; 12/3, 5:30-6:30p in The Commons.

This ‘19-‘20 series is inspired by the book Margin (1995, 2004 by Richard Swenson, M.D.) and the widespread phenomenon of mental health issues and burnout in today's society. "The Margin Series" focuses on the reality that everyone has limits regarding time, emotional energy, physical energy, and money, among other areas. I'll cover a wide variety of topics where we need margin for optimal function as well as for availability to love and serve others.
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“In everyone's life there is much to be grateful for and also much to be unhappy about... Unfortunately, most of the time our emotions dwell on our problems and forget about our obligation to gratitude. […] All people have within their grasp much to be thankful for.
Gratitude fills. Grumbling drains. The choice is yours.” 

—Richard Swenson, Margin (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2004), p. 92 (emphasis mine).

Thanksgiving is my overall favorite holiday. I'm not saying it's the most theologically significant or the most spiritually fulfilling, but it's my favorite. Highlights: permission to maximize feasting and recreational time with extended family; a welcome late-fall break from school and work; no expectations or pressures of gift exchanges; no being overshadowed by the intense busy-ness of Juggle Jam season (as is often the case with Redemption Weekend, aka Easter). I have many fond memories of basement table tennis tournaments, walks through early snowfalls, brisk 5K races, touch football, my first holiday spent with Wendy's family on the farm, and countless hours of board games, most notably with my fellow Type-A competitive nephews in Chippewa Falls. 

Despite its non-sectarian appeal and the fact that no observant Jew or Christian would say that Thanksgiving is more important than Passover, Yom Kippur, Christmas, or Easter, I assert that the concept of thanksgiving, or gratitude, should be celebrated every day of every human's life. This assertion lands squarely in our Margin series. If one were to succinctly answer the challenge to the subtitle to our book of focus, "Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives," gratitude is easily an operative word for all four areas listed. 

It seems to me that one reason that we're overloaded as a society and as individuals in so many areas is that we're ungrateful with our current circumstances. Burnout, in one way or another, is related to presuming that we have no limits or that we're far from reaching those limits. Speaking for myself, my open struggle against perfectionism and guilt is often rooted in an attitude of ingratitude. Rather than constantly struggling and striving to better myself (e.g., my happiness, fitness level, investments, and schedule efficiency), I should step back and learn to enjoy what I already have in all of these areas (and more).

One who is grateful is less prone to worry about what is lacking but is rather thankful for abundant blessings. Gratitude means reducing the tendency of multi-tasking productivity (whether related to work or trivial pursuits) but instead enjoy doing one thing at a time, and doing it well. For me, it means I won't worry (as much) about whom I'm not serving any given time, because if my schedule has margin and I'm called upon to help (at club or on a free evening), I'll not only be available, I'll be grateful to be used by God to be a blessing to others.

This very thing happened at the start of November. Wendy & I had a free Saturday night, and while we considered planning ahead to host guests, we refrained for some reason. Then, the day before our "found time," my brother, Jim, asked if we could host his family for an evening to help his twenty-something son, our nephew Levi, recover from hand surgery. Not only was I grateful that he asked, but we all had a great time, and it was a mutually fulfilling excuse to catch up and be edified.

Back to that Richard Swenson quote above. I very much appreciate his admonishment, "our obligation to gratitude." We often see thankfulness as sort of a kind-hearted bonus virtue, but Swenson reminds us that it's actually required for anyone who seeks to live a balanced life of margin. One of my former church choir directors once dusted off an old Sunday school classic which he sang as a child. Its title and chorus went as follows: "Are You Humbly Grateful, or Grumbly Hateful?" Grammatically cutesy, perhaps, but it poses a profound question.

Here are a few more quotes that I often think about to steel my mind toward a gratitude attitude while avoiding stumbling over grumbling:

The quintessentially innocent Buddy in Elf (2003) when he continuously accepted pamphlets on the street during his first visit to New York City: "THANK you...THANK you...THANK you..."

Audrey Arneberg, my mom, admonishing her five kids to avoid covetousness as she raised them from 1957-1985: "Want what you have."

The Apostle Paul: "Do all things without grumbling or disputing." Philippians 2:14 (ESV)

The Apostle Peter: "Show hospitality to one another without grumbling." 1 Peter 4:9 (ESV)

The number of times that the Bible uses synonyms for "thankful" or "grateful": 172. In the overwhelming majority of those instances, gratitude is expressed in the context of prayer. Prayer itself is an act of humility and faith-based gratitude for One who hears our needs and receives our praise.

Gratitude is one way of acknowledging that the blessings we enjoy result from others' intentional acts of kindness. Daily gratitude is essential for humbly and obediently living a life of margin while hedging against grumbling, arrogance, and burnout.

Developing Youth Through Juggling Since 1994,