For The Motivated Parent

For Parents Who Have Sons/daughters Who Are Good Or Want To Be Good!
“Since 1971, the true educational value of the Paavo Running Camps has been to get runners to do things on their own. As a parent, a coach, and the director of the Paavo Programs, I have always had that objective as a priority so runners return from their Paavo Experience being able to do things on their own, that is, doing things without anyone helping them (Or stand on their own two feet). To me, this is a rule of life that must fully be in place when a runner/student/athlete/son or daughter graduates from high school.”

From a Paavo Staff Coach, a parent, and a teacher (Coach Barnett, Luling, Texas)
“I took 10 runners to the camp and brought back 10 distinctively different runners after the camp.”

From Coach Sellers on the number one issue of a young runner/person being developing the foundations of being successful in today’s society: “When one can do things on their own, they are more valuable to themselves, to those they work for, and to those who eventually work for them.”

More from the Paavos and to parents:
“One of the Paavo Purposes is to prepare a young runner to develop the character traits necessary to jump into society (Real world--Age 18) and this includes knowing how to work, how to get there on time, how to get along with others, how to complete a demand or task, how to follow structures, and to know all goals have time capsules that never get longer.”

From a short look at the beginning logbook session on the opening day of every Paavo Camp.
“There are basic components for the unknown runner to develop on a Paavo. Training, knowing the demands of the sport as to how they are relevant to the long range goals of each runner, running faster, doing things a runner did not think they could do, intensity, and goal character are the mainstays of that list of components. All these point to the real basics of real world relevance. Learning how to use key experiences blended with training to race is the basic demand of our sport. Yet, the Paavo Process says, one also has to do the same six real world demands a runner will run into when high school graduation occurs. These are right out of one of the many logbook sessions on the Paavo Camps. There are six:
1. Get there, and get there on time everyday.
2. Social manners---how you look and what you say.
3. Get it right the first time
4. Do it right the first time
5. Get along with others.
6. Don’t abuse substances.
And always with the Paavos, basic is doing the right things first, and the first things right.”

First, From Coach Sellers--The Basic Perspective--where we coming from so the Paavo Runners can go there as well.

Here are several things about the Paavos that are simple and basic to what parents truly want from a motivating key experience. I want to add at this point that all this evolves from a long intensive career in education and athletics that links back in time to the inherent values of both. Please note at the end of this message I will share with on some real distinctive one liners that secure the Paavo Philosophy of Individual Excellence and Motivation The Right Way. And again the real perspective is where the Paavos are coming from as to what great unknown runners have exhibited in the 41 years I have been teaching, coaching and most of all as a parent and grand parent. It is that simple.

Perspective:
1. A perspective is a connection to what a parent truly wants as a key connected experience that has educational value so the runner (son or daughter) can take more than running from significant experiences.
***The perspective for the Paavos is to give the runner who truly wants to be good or better to have a place to go to express their work ethic, their tenacity, their training, and their positive attitude.

Educational Value
2. Educational value is directly connected to demands of the total educational process. There are three the Paavos emphasize:
*** Runners doing things on their own
*** Runners becoming independent.
*** Runners becoming self reliant.

Process:
3. The Paavo Process For Demands Of The Sport are the same for the demands of the real world (Age 18/High School Graduation) The premise is simple for what we do. To be a better runner, one must also be attentive to becoming a better person. The qualities to develop to become a better trainer to become a better racer is our focus in the unfocused world where young people are today.
*** Training, key experiences, and running faster are essentials of what the Paavos do and become the demands of the camp. The demands of the camp are achieved with the Paavo Process that promotes:
*** Becoming goal oriented.
*** Becoming self-reliant
*** Becoming self-disciplined.
*** Becoming independent
*** Becoming responsible.
*** Over and over, it is the process that makes a difference, and therein lies the significance of the educational experience of the Paavos.
*** We just take 5, 7, or 14 days out of the lives of the runners and try to do something with those.

Purpose
4. The original purpose of education in this country was to give every person the opportunity to be the very best at learning so they could go out into the real world and be the very best at their vocation pursuits. The Paavos still retain the same direction and focus.

Simply put: We do things others don’t, won’t, or can’t do.

Yes, we want Paavo runners to be attentive what they are after they leave their Paavo Camp----fiercely independent, goal oriented, positive, and to have the willingness to do things on their own.