Right Moves: A LiiNK Center for Healthy Play Podcast

The importance and accessibility of play in our lives is often taken for granted and not prioritized in our communities and schools. Play advocates work tirelessly to change this mindset through education, research, and providing more play resources to more people. In this episode, Dr. Rhea sits down with Out to Play founder, Bethany Fort, to discuss one of the biggest challenges play advocates face when making these changes – lack of funding – and why funding is necessary for the sustainment of play.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Out to Play

Lowe’s Foundation

The Welman Project

LiiNK Center Resources

Unstructured play is necessary to all humans, especially children, but how easy is it to have unstructured play in our daily lives? We can play anywhere… right? Dr. Rhea brings in Bethany Fort to explain the prevalence of play deserts, particularly in urban areas, and how her non-profit, ”Out to Play”, is working to bring unstructured play to you!

Bethany Fort has an M.A. in Children's Literature and an M.S. in Library Science. She managed family programs at Arlington Public Library for 7 years before co-founding Out to Play. Out to Play is a 501(c)(3) outreach organization that brings mobile nature play spaces to play deserts in Fort Worth. She co-founded Out to Play with Green Space Learning in 2021. Read more about the work we are doing at www.outtoplaytx.com!

Other resources mentioned in this episode:

Kaboom

Trust for Public Land

Parents continue to enroll their children in sport at younger ages thinking this will give them a leg up on being a better athlete. Coaches have begun to require children to specialize in one sport at earlier ages in hopes of being more competitive. Are these practices healthy for our children and youth? Dr. Rhea brings back her PhD candidate, Kate Webb, to further discuss why focusing on specialized sports and competition at early ages may not be developmentally appropriate or healthy for children and can lead to limb imbalances, injuries, and decreased confidence.

Kate Webb graduated with a B.S. degree and Master’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science from Tarleton State University, worked as the Education and Retreat Director for Camp Eagle (Christian Adventure Camp in the Texas Hill Country), as a Biology/PE Teacher - Head Track/CC Coach at Wylie High School, and in the fitness industry.  As an educator, she completed the Principalship Certification in Educational Leadership at Dallas Baptist University and the Level 2 USATF Coach Certification. 

In the fitness industry, she taught group fitness classes, and traveled with MASHUP Conditioning as a coach/presenter at SCW conferences.  As a NASM Sport Performance Specialist, she worked with children on developing foundational fitness to improve stability/flexibility/mobility to aid in decreased body imbalances and injury.  Additionally, she created a free Summer Track and Field Program for k-12 that has just completed its fifth season.

Why are the physical and mental health of our youth declining? Dr. Rhea brings back her PhD candidate, G. Kate Webb, to discuss the two extremes of children’s activity levels that we see today – sedentary behavior, and specialization in sport. Both of these lifestyles can take away from the amount of unstructured, outdoor play a child receives, which in turn leads to decreased muscle strength, possible injuries at very early ages, and an overall decline in physical and mental health as children develop and mature.

Kate Webb graduated with a B.S. degree and Master’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science from Tarleton State University, worked as the Education and Retreat Director for Camp Eagle (Christian Adventure Camp in the Texas Hill Country), as a Biology/PE Teacher - Head Track/CC Coach at Wylie High School, and in the fitness industry.  As an educator, she completed the Principalship Certification in Educational Leadership at Dallas Baptist University and the Level 2 USATF Coach Certification. 

In the fitness industry, she taught group fitness classes, and traveled with MASHUP Conditioning as a coach/presenter at SCW conferences.  As a NASM Sport Performance Specialist, she worked with children on developing foundational fitness to improve stability/flexibility/mobility to aid in decreased body imbalances and injury.  Additionally, she created a free Summer Track and Field Program for k-12 that has just completed its fifth season.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

YMCA Afterschool Program

What do children actually need during the school day? The U.S. has placed priority on content time and academic test scores more and more in the last several decades, putting recess and play on the back burner. Listen as Dr. Rhea discusses the detriment of this, and how play and learning actually go hand-in-hand.

Are we over-diagnosing and over-medicating ADHD in kids? Avigail Gimpel returns with Dr. Rhea to further discuss the ADHD epidemic, long-term effects of ADHD medication, and what it would be like to prescribe nature as an aid for ADHD symptoms.

Avigail earned her BA and graduate degree at Touro college graduate school for Special Education. She married Daniel Gimpel in 1998 while teaching 3rd grade in an inclusion classroom. In this school, she developed a successful intervention program for her students struggling with ADHD symptoms.  

She and Daniel emigrated to Israel soon after their marriage.  Avigail earned advanced degrees in teaching children with Dyslexia and cognitive education for children with ADHD symptoms. In 2003, she and her husband, with three small children moved to Moscow, Russia.  She observed that kids with ADHD have very similar symptoms in New York, Jerusalem, and Moscow.  

Upon returning to Israel, she immersed herself in developing treatment options for ADHD for her own six kids and struggling students.  She built a teacher’s training program which she teaches at Hertzog College. She lectures in schools and to parent groups across Israel.  In private practice, she educates parents to become ADHD coaches to their children. She is the author of HyperHealing, The Empowered Parent’s Complete Guide to Raising a Healthy Child with ADHD Symptoms (a #1 best seller on Amazon), and HyperHealing, Show Me the Science! 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Book links: https://www.hyperhealing.org/adhd-parenting-books-hyperhealing

Website: https://www.hyperhealing.org/

Youtube: Avigail Gimpel HyperHealing Mom - YouTube

ADHD has reached endemic levels in today’s youth, and it’s become increasingly difficult to distinguish ADHD-like symptoms from true ADHD. Dr. Rhea brings in author and educator, Avigail Gimpel, to share her personal journey with ADHD. They discuss what ADHD symptoms may look like in youth and adults, how technology has affected symptom prevalence, and whether exercise could be the key.

Avigail earned her BA and graduate degree at Touro college graduate school for Special Education. She married Daniel Gimpel in 1998 while teaching 3rd grade in an inclusion classroom. In this school, she developed a successful intervention program for her students struggling with ADHD symptoms. She and Daniel emigrated to Israel soon after their marriage.  Avigail earned advanced degrees in teaching children with Dyslexia and cognitive education for children with ADHD symptoms.

In 2003, she and her husband, with three small children moved to Moscow, Russia. She observed that kids with ADHD have very similar symptoms in New York, Jerusalem, and Moscow.  

Upon returning to Israel, she immersed herself in developing treatment options for ADHD for her own six kids and struggling students.  She built a teacher’s training program which she teaches at Hertzog College. She lectures in schools and to parent groups across Israel.  In private practice, she educates parents to become ADHD coaches to their children. She is the author of HyperHealing, The Empowered Parent’s Complete Guide to Raising a Healthy Child with ADHD Symptoms (a #1 best seller on Amazon), and HyperHealing, Show Me the Science! 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Book links: https://www.hyperhealing.org/adhd-parenting-books-hyperhealing

Website: https://www.hyperhealing.org/

Youtube: Avigail Gimpel HyperHealing Mom - YouTube

Dr. Rhea wants YOU to come to our upcoming event - The PLAY People in Your Neighborhood! This is a 1-day conference, cohosted with US Play Coalition and Forth Worth Botanic Gardens, focused on navigating the play resources in your area. She has outlined the speakers and their play strengths. This is an amazing group of speakers! EVERYONE is welcome to join us for this on October 9th here in Fort Worth, TX. For more information on our presenters, schedule, and to register for this event, visit https://usplaycoalition.org/2023fortworth-playdate

Use promo code 23PLAY15 for $15 off your registration cost!

Jennifer Jolly returns with Dr. Rhea to continue their discussion on TBRI, this time focusing on professional settings. TBRI is adaptable to any setting with a caregiver role, including schools. So how do we help teachers understand and implement the TBRI model in classrooms?

Jennifer Jolly is a pastor's wife and mom of two biological sons, 22 and 20, and one adoptive son, 18. Her "Varsity sports" are grocery shopping and sitting in bleachers, which she has done in all seasons in stadiums and gyms around the Northwest Georgia area. She has a Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling and a Masters in Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. In 2017 she sought TBRI out of desperation in their adoptive parenting journey. She became a Making Sense of Your Worth and Parenting for Positive Self Worth facilitator in October of 2022. She worked for six years as a secondary school Guidance Counselor before shifting gears to work on implementing TBRI in the YMCA after-school program housed in Restoration Rome. She is currently in her third year as the TBRI Coordinator for Rome City Schools. She loves her role in scaffolding change and implementing TBRI at the micro and macro level in each school and the school system as a whole. 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

TBRI Website

Attachment Styles - TBRI

Three Pillars of Trauma Informed Care

Dr. Rhea sits down with former school guidance counselor and current TBRI coordinator, Jennifer Jolly, to share her personal and professional journey with TBRI. TBRI, or Trust-Based Relational Intervention, is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. Jennifer explains how TBRI has helped her gain a wider understanding of herself and her kids, both biological and adopted.

Jennifer Jolly is a pastor's wife and mom of two biological sons, 22 and 20, and one adoptive son, 18. Her "Varsity sports" are grocery shopping and sitting in bleachers, which she has done in all seasons in stadiums and gyms around the Northwest Georgia area. She has a Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling and a Masters in Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX. In 2017 she sought TBRI out of desperation in their adoptive parenting journey. She became a Making Sense of Your Worth and Parenting for Positive Self Worth facilitator in October of 2022. She worked for six years as a secondary school Guidance Counselor before shifting gears to work on implementing TBRI in the YMCA after-school program housed in Restoration Rome. She is currently in her third year as the TBRI Coordinator for Rome City Schools. She loves her role in scaffolding change and implementing TBRI at the micro and macro level in each school and the school system as a whole.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

 TBRI Website

Restoration Rome

Hope for the Journey

Attachment Styles - TBRI