Matthew Arnold Stern

Better speaking. Better writing.

Calling All Angels

Jan 21

Posted by Matthew Arnold Stern in Little White Ball (Baseball) | No Comments

Front of Angel StadiumThis year, my son’s Little League team is the Angels. Although I am an Orange County resident, there is a lot more to my relationship with the Angels than it just being the team in our community.

I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, so the Dodgers became my ball club. The Angels in the sixties and seventies were second fiddle. They were like the Clippers of baseball but with a much better owner.  Furthermore, my mom was a Hollywood Stars fan growing up. The old Los Angeles Angels of the PCL were the Stars’ hated rivals. Read the rest of this entry »

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The dangers of trash talk — Part II

Jan 10

Posted by Matthew Arnold Stern in Communication in General, Insights, Little White Ball (Baseball) | No Comments

A couple years ago, I blogged about the dangers of trash talk. Too bad the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t read it. Here is what one of them did in Cowboys Stadium before yesterday’s playoff game. Read the rest of this entry »

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2010: The Year I Made Contact

Jan 2

Posted by Matthew Arnold Stern in Communication in General, Insights | No Comments

It took me until the last day of the oo’s, but I finally got on Facebook. And it is a bit overwhelming.

Imagine being able to get in touch with nearly everyone you’ve ever know. And I mean everyone. In just the past few days, I got friend requests from people from our Little League, my high school, and Toastmasters. I found former coworkers and relatives I fell out of touch with.

Just like real relationships, the tough part is finding time to get in touch with everyone. How do you devote the time to communicate with people — really communicate? Not just a few sentences in a status message. Just getting to know them again. Posting photos is fun. So is sharing your beliefs and hobbies in a profile. (Well, there may be some beliefs you might not want to post.) But nothing beats person-to-person contact.

Still, having the opportunity to reconnect with old friends is exciting and fun. Just don’t expect me to have the time to spend with Farm Town.

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Things I learned this decade

Dec 27

Posted by Matthew Arnold Stern in Insights | 1 Comment

Another decade is almost in the books. It’s natural for all of us to look back and share our insights. Here are ten things I learned this decade. Read the rest of this entry »

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Look what I found at the 99 Cents Only Store!

Dec 12

Posted by Matthew Arnold Stern in Insights, Little White Ball (Baseball) | No Comments

Making the Play: How to Get the Best of Baseball Back by Dave WinfieldI’m not sure how happy Dave Winfield would be to see his book Making the Play: How to Get the Best of Baseball Back at the 99 Cents Only Store. It was one of the books I got from the library last summer when I was trying to figure out how to be a Little League president. (That edition had a harsher title: Dropping the Ball: Baseball’s Troubles and How We Can and Must Solve Them.) Dave makes a number of important points regarding baseball that we should all heed.

One of them is the role parents have in encouraging children to enjoy and play baseball. Our family considers baseball an heirloom, passed on from one generation to another. The times my mom took my brother and me to the ballpark or watching games on TV were special moments we shared together. I’ve certainly enjoyed the times I played catch with my son. (We even played while we were in line overnight for a Black Friday sale. Of course, we went to a vacant part of the parking lot.) But the good parents do can be ruined if they get overinvolved or if they don’t conduct themselves properly while watching or coaching their kids’ games. There have been a number of times when my son had to rein in my excitement at ball games. Read the rest of this entry »

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