Latest news with #middle school
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
"I probably held him back too much" - Kobe Bryant's middle school coach regretted limiting his role despite seeing his talent
"I probably held him back too much" - Kobe Bryant's middle school coach regretted limiting his role despite seeing his talent originally appeared on Basketball Network. In December 1991, a young Kobe Bryant moved back to Philadelphia after spending seven years of his childhood in Italy. Besides focusing on his studies, all Bryant wanted to do after enrolling at Bala Cynwyd Middle School for his eighth-grade year was to get on the basketball team. However, that was initially made difficult by the coach at that time, Dr. George Smith. Smith, who initially doubted Bryant's abilities, didn't think the new student from Italy who transferred right in the middle of the school year would adjust so quickly to the team's style of play, hence his refusal to make things convenient for the 13-year-old Bryant at that time. "That's going to be a little difficult. We've already completed tryouts and we have a scrimmage tomorrow. I can't really let you play until you get your physicals completed," Smith initially told Kobe as Mike Sielski wrote in his book, "The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality." "You don't know the offense. You don't know what we're doing." Kobe persevered The next morning, Kobe showed up in Smith's office having completed his physical paperwork, which led the coach to allow him to train with the team. The coach handed him jersey number 24, and despite initially telling the adolescent basketball player that he didn't know the offense and that he'd be lost in it, Kobe took the humble approach and decided to learn it while on the sidelines. So, after the team rigorously followed Smith's game plan during the scrimmage and was happy with how the team performed throughout the first several minutes, the coach decided to call Bryant's number. Right away, the guard from Italy impressed. Bryant not only blended into the offense but also showcased his complete and advanced passing and dribbling skillset, which surprised not just Smith but also the Bala Middle School varsity team members. "This was something I hadn't expected," Smith reflected years later. "I'm just sorry I didn't realize he was going to turn into such a player. I could've utilized him more, but I didn't want to give the ball to just one player. I probably held him back too much."Held him back he did Despite proving that he could fit in the offense and play at a high level, Bryant still didn't get along with Smith. That's because the coach was so focused on building a program that revolved around team basketball and developing young talent. This meant that every time Bryant tried to take over games or do something that Smith didn't want, he'd often get sent to the bench. Smith was the type of coach who didn't want a single player to outshine everyone else on the squad. He demanded they run a 1-3-1 zone and, on offense, required at least three passes before taking a shot. That system clashed with Bryant's instincts — and ultimately led to a quiet fallout between the coach and what may have been the most gifted player to ever walk through his story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Yahoo
My daughter went on a cell-phone-free weekend trip. It was surprisingly harder on me than on her.
My daughter went on a cell-phone-free wilderness trip for a weekend. It was a great way for her to unplug and get to know other girls. I had an unexpectedly hard time not being able to text or call whenever I felt like it. My daughter recently went on a Girl Scout camping trip. They went rock climbing and hiking and had a weekend full of adventures. Much to my delight (although less to hers!), cellphones were off-limits for the weekend. It was supposed to help the girls get to know each other better. I'm also sure it was easier on the staff not to worry about girls dropping, breaking, or losing their phones while they were out exploring. On a more practical note, the cell service wasn't any good where they were camping anyway. What I didn't expect was how difficult it would be for me to not be able to reach my daughter instantly. I'm so glad my daughter has some screen-free weekends Like most parents I know, I'm concerned about how much time my kids spend on their phones. My daughter is in middle school, and she doesn't remember a world without smartphones. I'm trying to teach her to have a healthy relationship with technology. It's not all bad, but I want her to have plenty of offline time as well. I've always been conscious of trying to limit her screen time and that of her older siblings. I tried to find lots of analog activities for them to do when they were younger. I encouraged them to try after-school activities that would hopefully keep them active and entertained. I wanted them to spend time with people in real life instead of mostly online. But I realize I haven't been as conscious of whether I myself was too attached to my smartphone at the same time. I didn't expect it to bother me that I couldn't reach her That weekend, I was everything from mildly annoyed to downright anxious that I couldn't talk to my daughter during her trip. I'd go to text her something funny, and remember she wouldn't see it until she was home. The staff had ways to reach us in an emergency, but I still worried about whether she made it to the campground from our drop-off site safely. I catastrophized. I played out all kinds of ridiculous, but still scary, scenarios in my head at night when I tried to sleep. My reaction caught me completely by surprise. I'm an 80s kid. I'm from the generation that was famously kicked outside to ride bikes with our friends until it got dark. I didn't grow up able to communicate with my parents at every moment. When I got in an accident that totaled my car just after college, I waited until our scheduled weekly phone call to mention it to my parents. Now, I can't imagine my kids not calling me immediately in the same situation. I like that phones mean I know where everyone is, and that they can call for help right away in an emergency. Some of my kids have their driver's licenses, and I feel better knowing they can check in when they arrive somewhere. But when I couldn't contact my daughter right away, like I was accustomed to doing, it really threw me. I didn't like it one bit. I'm trying to make some changes I think a lot of my problem was that I've gotten too used to my phone. Gradually, without realizing it, I've checked it more and more. I'm not a prolific poster, but I scroll a lot to see what everyone else is posting. I've gotten accustomed to grabbing my phone and texting whatever I'm thinking to whoever I want, immediately. And I'm used to getting a response from them immediately, too. My phone isn't all bad. I get pictures of my extended family in our group chats, and text my friend overseas like she still lives here. I read books on it. I have a terrible sense of direction, so I definitely need it for navigating. But when I'm at the point that one weekend of not texting my daughter makes me worried, that's a bad sign. So now, I try to leave my phone in the other room on weekends and spend time offline. I put down my phone and look at people while they're talking to me. It's currently summer, so if we're on a hike or doing something as a family, I try to put my phone away and fully engage with everyone. I also take weekends off from social media. I'm sure it will be a lifelong challenge to balance the good and bad parts of having a smartphone. I hope I can stay aware of when it's gaining too much of a foothold in my life, and readjust once again. Or maybe sometimes I just need a long camping trip somewhere with no cell service. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The 1 Gen Z Phone Habit Everyone Should Steal
As a preteen, I couldn't resist the siren song of AIM, or AOL Instant Messenger. I'd hear that 'door opening' noise or a message notification and rush to my computer, eager to see if the sign-on was my best friend or my boyfriend, both who were equally tethered to AIM at the time. (Naturally, all of our screen names usually contained the name of the person we were 'dating' at the time ― NicksGirl4Eva88 was the height of romance in middle school in 2001.) When I got my own phone not long after, I downloaded my favorite songs to use as ringtones, just like every other teenager I knew. I was as eager as ever to receive texts. (Phone calls? Those not so much. It's true that millennials are phone call averse.) Now that I'm in my 30s with a full time job, the thrill is categorically gone. If anything, I'm loath to look at my phone: Group texts reach obscene numbers in a matter of minutes, Slack notifications from work stack up and ruin my flow state, and there always seems to be one or two texts from a friend that I've been meaning to get to, but still haven't yet. Color me surprised, then, to learn that a number of Gen Zers (and some millennials ― ones who are smarter than me) just leave their phones on 'Do Not Disturb' all day. Going on vibrate isn't enough anymore, it's DND 24/7. On TikTok, videos tagged 'DND' and 'DND 24/7' show teens and 20-somethings sharing how peaceful and productive they've felt since changing their notification settings. To render your phone basically useless for the entire day is about as close to zen as I can imagine, but it also sounds weirdly frightening. But the way Gen Z sees it, it's their phone, their time and their prerogative if they need to set boundaries. 'When I'm trying to study for an upcoming exam, a new Snapchat notification or Instagram message can often send me into a downward spiral of scrolling through my social media accounts for several minutes,' said Madeline Kerestman, a 21-year-old pre-med student and social media influencer who goes on DND for chunks of the day. If you're busy working, a random alert hinders your progress more than you realize. A 2005 study out of the University of California at Irvine found that, on average, it takes around 23 minutes for most workers to get back on task after an interruption. It's not just her study flow state that Kerestman is trying to protect when she goes incommunicado, though. Like many on TikTok, Kerestman said using the feature is about 'protecting her peace.' More and more, she's trying to live in the moment rather than living for the dopamine rush of a new 'like' or comment. 'I constantly receive notifications from both TikTok and Instagram that notify me of new likes, comments, and followers,' she said. 'While I love this aspect of having a platform and being connected to others, it can really be stressful and distracting sometimes.' It's just a bonus that going on DND means dodging all the spam calls and texts the rest of us are getting hit by lately. It's pretty simple to go on DND. For Android users, swipe down from the Home screen to access the Notification Center, then swipe once more to expand the whole panel. Tap Do Not Disturb to toggle it on. If you have an iPhone, go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb. Once there, you can set times where you want your phone to go on DND and specify a list of people who will be allowed to get through while all others are silenced. Gen Z clearly has a love-hate relationship with their phones. DND 24/7 is just more proof that Gen Z feels inundated by tech and wants to be more digitally minimalist in how they do things. In the last few years, some teens have gotten rid of their smartphones in favor of flip phones. On TiKTok, Gen Zers document what it's like to have a flip phone or share instructions on how to make an iPhone an app-lite 'dumb phone.' In 2022, The New York Times profiled the 'Luddite Group,' a bunch of New York City teens who read in Prospect Park with a strict 'no phone' rule. 'When I got my flip phone, things instantly changed,' one of the teens told the Times. 'I started using my brain. It made me observe myself as a person. I've been trying to write a book, too. It's like 12 pages now.' Chinedu Kenechukwu, a 24-year-old from Lagos, Nigeria, experiences phone wariness (and weariness) as well. 'I went on DND all day on most days last year,' she told HuffPost. 'I tend to be anxious sometimes, and incoming calls on my phone tend to increase that anxiety so I'd go on DND usually just to protect my peace.' These days, Kenechukwu doesn't have the function on, but she wouldn't hesitate to turn it back on during times of heightened stress. That's what it's there for. Lauren Larkin, a psychotherapist and founder of Lel Therapy, sees DND 24/7 as Gen Z's attempt to course-correct and renegotiate being Very Online and overly available. Instagram, BeReal and TikTok don't always need your attention. 'I could see Gen Z using DND as a tool to set boundaries,' she said. 'It helps create a sense of control over relationships that aren't serving them, either by being less accessible or having less access themselves to what others are doing.' For those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, the DND function and carving out one designated time a day to respond can be a real game-changer. Those with ADHD often struggle to respond to texts (along with phone calls and emails) due to symptoms like forgetfulness, being overwhelmed or distractibility. DND gives them the chance to respond only when they're ready. One caveat we should mention: Setting your phone to DND when you're bothered by your notifications or you're setting boundaries is one thing, but there could be times where DND could be a sign of some deeper anxiety. 'If getting calls or texts makes you have racing thoughts that are difficult to control, a faster heart rate, sweating, shaking, trouble sleeping, nausea, those could be signs of an anxiety disorder,' Larkin said. If you're isolating, sleeping all the time (or hardly at all), aren't enjoying what you used to enjoy, and are feeling generally hopeless and that's why you're shutting your phone onto DND, that could be a sign of a depressive disorder. 'It's all about the why behind the choice,' she said. 'It's good to be curious about that so you can understand if it's a coping mechanism for something bigger.' Older generations may struggle to go on DND 24/7. If you're used to 'always-on' urgency culture, DND 24/7 can be hard to process. The DND users we spoke to said they've received some blowback from frustrated friends and family who've been unable to reach them. Some people find the trend a little obnoxious; online, people joke about how satisfying it is to 'hit 'notify anyway' to a DND Warrior.' Older generations may wonder 'why even have a phone then?' or freak out about what would happen in case of an emergency. 'My mom will always say, 'You are on your phone constantly! Why can you not answer a text in five minutes or pick up a call right away?' Kerestman said. 'I think generations assume that Gen Z and millennials are glued to their phones,' she said. 'While this may be true to a degree, I don't think it means we should be expected to respond within two seconds or constantly be checking our social media accounts.' Emily Cooper, a therapist in Seattle, Washington, is a zillennial, the 'micro-generation' of people born between 1993 and 1998. (They're too old to be considered Gen Zers and too young to be millennials.) Personally, she loves the DND feature. She always just assumes if someone really needs to get in touch with her, they'll call her back or she'll get to them when she gets to them. Her mom, a young Boomer, has a much different relationship with her phone. 'My mom will answer the phone just to say she can't talk,' Cooper said. 'I'm like, 'Then just don't answer your phone then!' She has gotten better at it, but will still text me one of the canned responses of 'Can I call you back?'' Cooper said with a laugh. The therapist wonders if part of the generational difference can be chalked up to the fact that phone calls and catching someone on the phone was more of a rarity back in the day. 'For that generation, it was almost like a delicacy,' she said. 'You had to be home at the right time, able to afford long distance, whereas for me, it's always been available so I don't really value it as much.' 'I'd rather answer quick questions or check-ins with a text at my convenience, and if it's something more serious, I'd rather do it in person than a phone call,' she said. 'I also simply don't have that many people who call me anymore.' Preferences may vary along generation divides, but Cooper thinks everyone could benefit from putting a premium on phone-less time: Studies have shown that notifications from phones actually release cortisol ― the bodies' stress hormone ― and leave our brains on 'high alert.' Our nervous systems truly need time to recover from those pings and vibrations we receive all day. 'Plus, I don't think anyone should have access to us 24/7, and expecting that is a little ... unrealistic,' Cooper said. 'People have lives: kids, school, work, family, friends.' Cooper thinks the only people who need around-the-clock access are parents and kids, but even then you can set up DND settings so those calls will go through. 'I think that's a good middle ground,' she said. 'Overall, in my experience, it's been really nice to feel in control and be able to 'opt into' to social media and text conversations instead of feeling like they are all being thrust upon me.' Related... What To Do If Group Texts Are Stressing You Out People Who Deleted Their Social Media Share What It's Like What It Means If You're A 'Paragraph Texter' How To Stop Reaching For Your Phone Right When You Wake Up Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Marion County substitute teacher accused of sexual relationship with middle school student
The Brief A substitute teacher is behind bars in Marion County, accused of having a sexual relationship with a middle school student. The Marion County Sheriff's Office believes there could be more victims, and is asking people with information to come forward. ORLANDO, Fla. - A substitute teacher is behind bars in Marion County, accused of having a sexual relationship with a middle school student. What we know Dianely Torres has fourteen felony charges against her for sending and receiving sexually explicit material to and from a middle school student. That list of charges could grow. This was a long-term sub, meaning she was filling in for an extended period of time, not just on a day-by-day basis. Timeline Horizon Academy sent parents a notice about this arrest, saying Torres was removed from the classroom the moment the complaint was lodged, and has not been on school property since. Below is a timeline of events, as reported by authorities: December 3, 2024: Dianely Torres hired with ESS, the company from which the Marion County Public School District gets its substitute teachers, on December 3rd, 2024. December 16, 2024: Torres gets in trouble for messaging students on Discord February 20, 2025: A student reports seeing Torres with a student's head in her lap, massing him. Torres is fired. February 21, 2025: Administration at Horizon Academy reports Torres to the school resource deputy, beginning the Marion County Sheriff's Office investigation March 6, 2025: A search warrant of the messages between Torres and the middle school student reveal sexually explicit images and discussion of sexual acts. April 15, 2025: The student victim's grandmother reported to the Sheriff's Office that she suspected Torres and the victim may be meeting up in person. She checks the student's messages on Discord and finds explicit images sent between him and Torres. May 7, 2025: Torres admits to deputies she and the student had a "dating" relationship. What they're saying The Marion County Sheriff's Office is asking people with information to come forward, and help hold the substitute teacher accountable. "These are predators and it is scary to have people like that around children," said Valerie Strong with the Sheriff's Office. She also reminds parents to always monitor their kids' social media usage. "Parents need to know what their children are doing on these platforms, know who they're talking to. And if they are talking to a teacher or an adult that they shouldn't be on a platform with, go to that person's supervisor, let the police know, look to see what their children are talking with them about. We have to keep our kids safe." What's next Detectives are now reviewing evidence that Torres may have met up with the student in person for sexual acts. She told deputies she did so at least three times. If they find that to be true, that will add to her charges. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local: Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source The information in this article comes from information shared by the Marion County Sheriff's Office, and reporting done by FOX 35's Marie Edinger.
