Progeny

What did we do in 2009?

dderam — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:57:33 +0000

Many thanks to everybody that made 2009 a year to remember! Please enjoy this high speed rewind of the year.

We had victory and heartbreak in 2009. We learned what to do and what not to do. Our victories have given us even greater momentum and our mistakes have made us stronger.

2010 is shaping up to be special.

Enjoy.

The Star Spangled Banner Dunk

dderam — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 04:32:39 +0000

It’s a late Christmas present to the Progeny family.

Everybody young and old loves the star spangled banner dunk.

Reesy Neely reminds us why.

Enjoy.

Merry Christmas

dderam — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:21:12 +0000

Scrooge was better than his word. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew….and it was always said of him that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that truly be said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!

Waukegan in the National Spotlight Tonight on ESPN

dderam — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:23:25 +0000

My high school is playing in the national spotlight tonight at 9pm on ESPN.

After losing to Whitney-Young in the 4A state final last year. Jereme Richmond is looking to make a big statement.

Their opponent is led by Harrison Barnes…the #1 high school player.

Should be a great game and it will be interesting to see the difference in styles between Chicago ball and Indy ball. I took one of my high school teams up north to see Waukegan play. We all agreed that the style was very different from the Hoosier style.

Click HERE to read the ESPN story or HERE to read the local story on the game.

Should be a great game to watch.

Who cares about Progeny?

dderam — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:17:30 +0000

Apparently a lot of people.

As we wind down to the end of a wildly successful year we’re looking at who is looking at us.

You might be surprised that 2,262 different people visited our website since May…viewing over 26,000 pages.

Here’s how it breaks down for the US. Click on the image to make it bigger.

And the rest of the world. Click on the image to make it bigger.

We’re only getting started. We’re looking forward to a monster year in 2010. There’s a lot of things cooking right now. We look forward to telling you more about these plans soon.

Christmas Presents - Good Reasons Why You Should Buy A Chess Set for Your Child

dderam — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:06:53 +0000

Click here to read the article. “There Are Good Reasons Why You Should Buy Chess Set for Your Child”

“The number one reason buying a chess set for your own child is a fantastic idea is because it will have a good impact on him/her and because, upon learning how to play this game, your child will learn how to think strategically. This is going to be thinking that’s beyond school. This is going to be deeper level thinking. Your child is going to learn how to strategize which helps in real life when you have to brainstorm for solutions, for example.”

“Not only will your child learn how to be strategic with a chess set, he/she will also learn a great deal about thinking ahead. In chess it’s necessary to contemplate cause and effect. If you move a piece how is that going to affect your opponent and then how will that affect your ability to move forward for the next couple of turns? Those are the questions a chess player is always thinking about when playing chess. Isn’t that a good reason to get your child a chess set?”

We’ve got the top basketball trainer working with our kids on their skills, strength, nutrition, and technique.

Our tutoring group is working right now to find the top tutor in the area.

Who is the chess master? I’d love to bring him or her into the Progeny family.

How about speed chess? Think fast.

Future Progeny Park Floor Plans

dderam — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:58:02 +0000

Here’s a look into the future. This is the second revision of the design. You can almost visualize walking through the front door and smelling the hardwood.

You can click on the photos to see a larger view.

We like the feel of the Oregon facilities for the interior. Indirect light and natural light…shining through the darkness of course.

Progeny Visit to Pittsburgh

dderam — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:58:10 +0000

Last week we visited Bill Strickland and the Manchester Bidwell Corporation in Pittsburgh. He is an amazing guy and MBC is an amazing place.

During one fast and furious 3 hour session we learned more than we did all year.

We talked about everything under the sun…tutoring ratios, academic testing standards, fund raising, corporate sponsors, honor codes, transportation of kids, nutrition, and developing our own individual style.

They consistently urged us to think differently and to be bold.

Below are some pics from their facility. Notice the natural light. It’s one of those buildings that somehow make you feel like a better person. This is something that we are also shooting for.

Another Ramp Goes Up

dderam — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:13:04 +0000

Another ramp goes up…giving wheelchair access to the outside world.

We have a lot of choices to make in our community service projects. In this case a one day project produces a small change that makes a big difference in a person’s life.

The light shines in the darkness. Can you see it?

One formula for math education

dderam — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:43:33 +0000

This is an interesting take on how to teach math. I love the idea of teaching math that is fun. I think kids would be fired up about this kind of math. I can see heated and fun arguments about risk in the stock market, randomness, and ability to predict how a game will come out. Maybe this is a next step after our human calculator project.