torianoporter

[torianoporter]

In the trenches... #kcmo #protest2020 #protest #protests2020 #kansascity #olathe #rally #racial #justice #frontier #park (at Frontier Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CB-2PrqBKVw/?igshid=wfzcm2lllyqc

[torianoporter]

Shut in? What shut in? So excited for my first speaking engagement via Zoom. Today's agenda: Keynote the annual student awards ceremony for the Journalism Educators of Metro Kansas City... The motto: As a dear friend once told me, a situation is only as big as you make...Me: Shut in? What shut in? #trusttheprocess #author #journalist #speaker #mentor #writer #tpwrites #torianoporter www.torianoporter.com (at Independence, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-fcZE5hLF-/?igshid=nnob7zizne4v

[torianoporter]

*Repost* 10 years ago my good friend Ricky Simms died at the age of 35. He took his own life. The first friend I've ever lost to suicide. I will honor his life this weekend at a #suicideprevention and #mentalhealth awareness event hosted by Crossroads Academy's @teamimpactkc. I share part of the presentation in my latest blog post. Link is in the bio above.⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ and also on www.torianoporter.com. (at Independence, Missouri) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByEYungBm1d/?igshid=moj6mb8kd8nk

[torianoporter]

Just Clap...and Enjoy the Game

I have become the parent that I despise. As a certified basketball official, I’ve seen the good, bad, and just plain old ugly of youth basketball. From the young tykes to the high school level, the pure unruly behavior of parents and fans is sometime overwhelming. Parents, for the most part, are some of the worst. As a ref, I have seen an adult coach, ridicule and ride a child from the stands. I’ve witnessed refs take some of the verbal abuse, but most are trained to block out the noise and focus on action on the hardwood. On numerous occasions I have found myself agitated by an overzealous spectator. The ones that yells and screams at a kid after a missed layup or an errant inbound pass. Oh, don’t let Little Johnny or Baby Suzie commit a foul. It’s as if the parents themselves forget it’s their kids they are literally embarrassing. An unofficial study - in other words, my stinking thought - shows 7 out of 10 youth players between ages 7-17 agreed that their parents’ behavior at games are sometimes embarrassing. It’s an unofficial study, but one I stand strongly behind. Those numbers were an eye-opener. You see, I’m a basketball parent as well. My son, age 16, has played the sport since he was 5. I’ve pretty much blocked off all of my embarrassing acts at a game, but I do know I have had my share of blowups at my boy during games. A ref or two has got it as well. So, today, I take an oath. I will no longer act like one of those people I hear from the stands pretend that they have anything but a negative impact on their child’s experience. Instead I choose to clap and enjoy the game.

[torianoporter]

We Can't Change the World Unless We Change Ourselves...and that's The Plain Ugly Truth...