Raven Ready!

 

I am the mother of two boys.  They are smart, funny, cute, talented, well behaved, respectful, kind and all around great kids.  My oldest son loves sports, all sports.  He watches sports, talks about sports and plays sports 24/7.  When he was 9 he earned a black belt in Tang Soo Do.  He has played football for the last 5 years.  Last year he learned to play tennis and made the school tennis team.  This year he made the basketball team. He practices everyday after school until 5:00.  Games during the week and tournaments on the weekends. 
My youngest son loves to play sports.  He doesn't care about watching them all the time or reading the latest news.  He just wants to play.  He has earned a green belt in Tang Soo Do.  For the last three years he has played football.  This year he has decided to play basketball.  As I walked away from dropping off his registration form for basketball I sighed as I realized how my next 10 weeks were going to be spent.  Going to practices on weeknights and games on Saturday.  During football season there are 3 days of practice for two hours.  Saturdays we show up for games an hour early and the games last one hour.  I expect basketball season will be no different.  Bottom line is my kids spend a lot of time with their coaches and teammates. 

What does this have to do with cupcakes you ask?  What does this have to do with Child Abuse?  Well...

When my son was playing football for the TEAM Youth Foundation this year I made some chocolate cupcakes with purple and gold glitter (they were the New Braunfels Ravens)  for their end of season party.  As I sat at the party talking to the parents about how exciting it was to get our life back I thought about all of the time spent at the fields.  I thought about the powerful influence these coaches had over my kids.  I thought about the authority they have over these kids.

 Then I thought about Jerry Sandusky.  And I shuddered.

 Children are more likely to be abused by someone they know and trust. 

I thought about how much we trust coaches to mold our children into finely tuned athletes, how much authority we give them over our children, and how easy it comes for us.  It's pretty scary. 


Here are some ways that you can keep your athletes safe on or off season:

1.  Don't drop them off!  Attend as many practices and games as you can and listen to what their coaches are saying to them. 

2.  Make sure you choose and organization that requires background checks of the coaches and hopefully one that requires a training on child abuse. 

3.  Get involved.  Be a team mom or dad.  Volunteer to be a coach or ref.  Help on the sidelines.  Make sure that everyone knows you are present and watching.

4.  If your child plays for a school team and travels on the bus to games, make sure you know where they are going and when they are expected to be back.  If your child has a cell phone make sure you are in contact with them throughout the trip.  Insist that they respond to your texts and calls.

5.  Make sure to talk to your child about what types of behaviors and language is appropriate between a coach and athlete.  Make sure they know not to be alone in a room with a door closed with an adult.

6..  If something doesn't seem right, say something!   

I know, I know, that is some pretty heavy thinking for a party!!!!!

Then I was thankful. For Coach Kody, Coach Rick, Coach Luke, and Coach Mark who have coached both of my children. I was thankful that they are worthy of my trust. I am also thankful for their tolerance of my protective hovering over my children (yes, I am a helicopter mom!). I am thankful that they and the leadership of the TEAM Youth Foundation, understand the dynamics of child abuse and take steps to avoid situations where something awful can occur. 

Here is the recipe for my Raven Ready Cupcakes!





Ingredients - Chocolate Cupcakes

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar vinegar

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
 

 

 

Ingredients - Chocolate Fudge Frosting

 

• 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons milk
• pinch of salt

 

Directions

In an electric mixer mix confectioner's sugar, cocoa powder, butter, milk and salt until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.

Swirl onto completely cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with gold and purple cake glitter.

 I would suggest doubling this recipe is you plan to generously frost 12 cupcakes.

(from That Winsome Girl http://thatwinsomegirl.blogspot.com/2010/03/chocolate-cupcakes-with-chocolate-fudge.html)