2 . Sport is not only physically challenging, but can also be mentally challenging. Criticism from coaches, parents and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create too much anxiety or stress for young athletes. Stress can be physical,emotional, or psychological and research has indicated that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.

The early years of development are critical years for learning about oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can, for example, learn how to cooperate with others, make friends, and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware, at all times, that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parents' and coaches' criticisms to heart and find flaws in themselves.

Coaches and parents should also pay attention that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today's youth sport setting young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngsters' performances. Positive support should be provided regardless of the outcome. Research indicates that positive support motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress,which can lead to burnout.

3 . Do you have a talented young artist, photographer, or designer in your life? It's never too early to start helping them get their work out there! We've rounded up the top art competitions for kids and teens that can help these young creators share their first masterpiece with the world. Most of them are totally free to enter!

Global Canvas Children's Art Competition

Ages: 16 and under

Mediums: drawing, painting

Organized by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, this art competition wants to inspire the next generation to be more mindful of how we take care of the earth. The judges are looking for artists to discover the wonderful places that wildlife calls home.

Toyota Dream Car Art Contest

Ages: 15 and under

Mediums: drawing, painting

Time to design a dream car! Toyota wants to get junior artists thinking about what the future of transportation might look like. Prizes include a chance to tour one of the Toyota car plants and experience various aspects of Japanese culture.

Advena World Children's Art Competition

Ages: 15 and under

Mediums: drawing, painting, photos and other original artworks

This competition aims to promote creativity and self­expression. Instead of a theme, it asks the participating artists to simply express their feelings — anything from sadness or joy to anger or excitement — through their chosen medium.

Progressive Young Artist Awards

Open to: high school and college students

Mediums: painting, drawing, photography, mixed media, sculpture

PYAA is all about expressing and celebrating progressive values. So, if there is a creative teen in your life who wants to do good in the world, ask him or her to sign up for this art competition. The prize is a scholarship which winners can put towards their post­secondary schooling.

4 . The journey my daughter Cathy has had with her swimming is as long as it is beautiful.

Cathy suffered some terrible _________ in her early childhood. After years of regular treatment, she finally became healthy.

Two years ago, while Cathy was watching the Olympics, a dream came into her sweet little head—to be a swimmer. Last summer, she wanted to join our local swim team. She practiced hard and finally _________ it. The team practice, _________ was a rough start. She coughed and choked and could hardly survive her first few weeks. Hearing her coughing bitterly one night, I decided to _________ her from it all. But Cathy woke me up early next morning, wearing her swim suit ready to go! I told her she shouldn't swim after a whole night's coughing, but she refused to _________ and insisted she go.

From that day on, Cathy kept swimming and didn't miss a single practice. She had a _________ intention within herself to be the best she could be. My ten-year-old girl was growing and changing right before my eyes, into this _________ human being with a passion and a mission. There were moments of frustration of course: often she would be the last swimmer in the race. It was difficult for Cathy to accept that she wasn't a winner — ever. But that didn't stop her from trying.

Then came the final awards ceremony at the end of the year. Cathy didn't expect any award but was still there to _________ her friends and praise their accomplishments. As the ceremony was nearing the end, I suddenly heard the head coach _________, “The highest honor goes to Cathy!” Looking around, he continued, “Cathy has inspired us with her will and enthusiasm. Although skills and talents bring great success, the most valuable asset one can hold is the heart.”

It was the greatest __________ of my daughter's life. With all she had been through in her ten years, this was the hour of true triumph.

7 . The summer vacation is coming. If you are a fan of sports and nature, here are some host cities of Olympics to visit recommended by Lonely Planet.

Athens, Greece (1896 and 2004)

Home to the first modern Olympic games in 1896, Athens’ history of the Olympic tradition dates back to several thousand years. Every four years, the Olympic torch is lit at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens before beginning its long journey to the new host city. Visitors can walk through the Olympic Velodrome in the Olympic Sports Complex and step back in time at the 50,000-seat stadium.

Barcelona, Spain (1992)

These days Barcelona is among the world’s most visitable cities even without Olympic fame, but that isn’t always the case. The telecommunications tower built for the games by Spanish architect Calatrava is also an iconic (图像的) device of the city’s skyline, and its Olympics stadium- Montjuic Stadium is regularly used to host A-list musical performances like The Rolling Stones, Madonna, and Beyonce.

St Moritz, Switzerland (1924 and 1948)

Appropriately, the town that invented Alpine tourism has hosted the Winter Olympics twice, and continues to make use of its many sports facilities—if you can afford to get there. Stay at the Kulm Hotel for the easiest access to the Kulm Country Club, where guests can skate on the same lake used by mid-century Olympians, or test your courage on the Olympia Bob Run, one of the few places where you can ride a full-speed Olympic bobsled (双人雪橇) on a run constructed entirely of ice.

Sydney, Australia   (2000)

The turn-of-the-century Sydney Summer Olympics were named the “Green Games” by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and were designed to introduce a more environmentally conscious way of hosting the event. The structure that best shows Sydney’s efforts to be an example of continuing Olympic development is the ANZ Stadium.

Yours sincerely,

Li Hua