Another goal we will be focusing on this year is to do more with less. We all know that as gas prices have been rising the focus has been on more environmentally friendly methods of doing anything and everything. We at Bux-Mont Awards are no different. It especially hit home for me as this past year marked the birth of our newest child, Graham Ross. We welcomed him to this place on April the 29th. We have been using two trash bags per week, not bad for a family of four, but that increases throughout the holidays. We doubled our recycling efforts both at home and at work, and are now proud to have found a home for all the packaging peanuts that we get in, rather than throwing them out, and also we recycle all of our scrap aluminum and brass. It adds up too. By recycling our cardboard and paper, we are using less trash services, which leads to less waste in the landfills. Safer for our kids, safer for us. This is just one of the many things we are doing to work towards greener m

Well 2008 is rapidly coming to a close. Christmas just flew by in a buzz and now we are left with the mess to clean up and for some of us maybe one last Christmas get together this weekend before it's back to the real world. As 2008 comes to a close, many like to look back and reflect on the previous year and then take the opportunity to set some goals for the upcoming year. Some of us can't wait to get 2009 started. We at Bux-Mont Awards had a good year. We continued to grow and help meet more of your needs, and while a substantial rent increase has forced us to close our Harleysville location, we are going to continue to meet our Montco customers needs in every way possible. We are currently looking for a new storefront to move into somewhere in the area, and we are looking forward to announcing that when it happens. Now onto the important stuff. A couple of our goals for 2009 include continuing to help meet your awards trophy needs, and to hopefully bring on some new

We here at Bux-Mont Awards would like to wish all our loyal customers and readers a very merry Christmas. Without you I would not have any fun at work, and for that I am thankful! Have a safe happy holiday! The Family

I can not believe how fast time goes. It's here one second, gone the next, just like that. This being the season to give thanks, I wanted to take a post or two to outline some of the things going on with Bux-Mont Awards and how it pertains to our stakeholders (customers, employees, family, etc) I want to assure our customers, old and new, of two things. We are here to meet your needs and we are here for the long term. We invest a lot of the profits at Bux-Mont Awards into new technologies and education to better bring you the latest products and services. We often times can not offer the cheapest prices on many of our products, but we do offer greater service than our competition, we promise to fix our mistakes in a timely fashion (and yours a lot of times to), and we know what you need to achieve your goals. A lot of times if you think you know what you want, or are just shopping on price alone (we are not the most expensive out there by any means either I will have you know)

Yes you read that right. I am posting this about Valentines day gifts because it is the perfect and achievable New Years resolution. How happy would your loved one be to know you took this much time to figure out what your significant other needs. So let me take this time to tell you that Bux-Mont Awards can help you this year. On a limited budget? This economy got you on a tight budget? Then maybe you should think about making your wife or husband dinner and grab a bottle of wine. In order to keep this memory alive throughout the year, get the wine bottle engraved and personalized with your loved ones name and the year to commemorate the event. Bux-Mont Awards. 201 N. Main St. Sellersville PA 18960 | 215.257.5432

Sign up for our mailing list and receive half off your custom photo Christmas ornaments. These are perfect for the season and very versatile. You can put a photograph and add words. You could put your business logo. Local townships can have their seal put on these ornaments to create a custom Christmas keepsake year after year. These ornaments are available at our Sellersville store at 201 N Main St. Happy Holidays to all!

We have been doing a little decorating, and decided to take the time to ask the question and provide an answer. First the question, are you ready for Christmas ? My wife and I recently had the pleasure of hanging the lights on our first tree bought for our first Christmas in our new house. It is really nice to have old traditions, but making new traditions with loved ones is a bit more fun I think. I am really enjoying this holidays season, the first with my new family. Trying to cherish what we have while we have it is the toughest thing to do on a daily basis. We also took in Sellersvilles annual Winterfest festivities on Tuesday with our two kids. We enjoyed trolley rides and the crowds looked bigger than in previous years. The answer we have for you is in the form of custom ornaments for the holidays. We can commemorate this special holiday season with your childrens grandparents. These make great gifts for the grandparents that have everything. Sample pictures below.

We are know the holidays are in full swing now that Thanksgiving has come and gone and everyone is getting into the spirit with decorations and Christmas Sales! The annual Hometown Christmas is once again happening this Sunday the 7th at Santa Land, or St. Marks Church in Pennsburg. From 11 - noon children ages 3-6 will be decorating a gingerbread house and from 12:00 - 1:00 kids aged 7 - 10 will get their turn. Children aged 11 - 14 will decorate a breyer horse at home and drop it off between 11 and 1 for judging. Prizes are awarded to the winners in each age group! Click here for more info

Personalize these items today. The freeport sports bottle at a great price. The minihorn noisemaker looks great in your school colors with the team logo on it. For those hot days the turbo mini fan and flashlight is a great incentive for fundriasing efforts. Also available is soft stress relievers. These are a great inexpensive give away.

The perfect promotional items for sports fundraisers, promotional items, and giveaways. Your logo looks great on any of these items. Get in the game promotions include a noisemaker, stadium cushion, can insulator and sports bottle. Inquire now for special pricing.

The Upper Perkiomen Valley Regional Planning Commission conducted a survey on Recreational Opinions. Three focus points emerged: Support for more Recreational Facilities Preserve Natural Areas Increase locations for outdoor concerts Anyone interested in adding their opinions do so in the comments. Anyone interested in helping email me here Dan Bencsik, sales team member at Bux-Mont Awards , is here to spread the idea that properly recognizing achievements is the key to economic success and builds healthy lives.

The PERK UP steering committee of the Upper Perkiomen Chamber of Commerce has outlined the needs and priorities for the greater Upper Perkiomen Valley region. The Eight Aspects of the Community follow: Strengthen Small Town Environment Value Open Space Community Pride Civic Involvement Market Community Assets Low Impact Business Planned Growth Community Cutural Recreational Events Inter Municipal Interaction

The business first started as Bux-Mont Awards & Engraving Services and not a lot has changed in the 16+ years we have been in operation.  We added some recognition services here, apparel and promotional products there, but everything is under the recognition umbrella.   We are a recognition company first and foremost.  We are dedicated to the principles of properly recognizing achievements and what goals do ing so accomplishes.  We firmly believe that pe ople thrive in an environment that includes recognition of achievement.  We also believe in the power of corporate apparel as aiding in brand recongition.  We recognize those who have come before us and deserve memorialization.  This is what makes up the Awards and engraving services in our name.  We do all this for you.  We can help many people in many ways, a lot like the engravers who came before us were to their villages and towns.    In these times it is of greater importance to utilize recognition of some form on a daily ba

I had the opportunity this morning to attend my first event as an Upper Perk Chamber of Commerce member and it was exciting! The event was a well atte nding breakfast at the Upper Perkiomen School District Building. A very nice building with a great conference area. After networking we enjoyed the sounds of the Upper Perk Uptones then it was on to awesome omelets, prepared by the Culinary Students at the Western Center for Technical Studies. After breakfast was finished we heard from the presenting sponsors Sandi Syglowski of The Family Resource Network. She talked about some of the programs they put on as well as the 40 developmental assets they stress. There was a good time had by all, and it was nice to be able to meet and converse with new people. I am looking forward to the attending the train ride, as well as picking up a Christmas Tree at Ringing Dale Christmas Tree Farm this year. The chamber reminds us to always shop & support local businesses, especially in these

2008 World Champions of Major League Baseball Simply amazing .

File this one under creative marketing plan ideas: winter 08 Embroidered Fleece blankets are a great way to instill that warm feeling in your customers this winter season. There are many opportunities to utilize fleece blankets in your marketing this winter season. Especially with the current economic climate. Possible Taglines include: Financial Industry : Current economic climate chilling? We'll bring back that warm feeling. Senior Gifts : High School gave me the Warm Fuzzies Seniors '08 Insurance Industry : (given for referals): You give me that warm feeling: Thanks for the referral. Health Care : Keep warm this winter; avoid the flu These taglines, with your logo incorporated, can be a very powerful way to build your brand. contact Dan@promopros.com for quantity and pricing information. Contact me now, these may be on sale!

2008 Winners: First- Brooke Finkbeiner Second- Tyler Silfies Third - Madalyn Slook Prizes (1st: $2500, 2nd: $1000, 3rd:$500 Scholarship) Award Rules: The Courtney Isabella Memorial Scholarship Fund will again award $4000 in college scholarships to three Keystone drivers.  In order to be eligible for the award each candidate must: Exhibit good sportsmanship through the Fall 2008 Keystone racing season Participate in at least 7 of the fall Keystone races.  This could be either AA or NDR races or any comdination of AA and NDR races.  Only double elimination races will count towards this participation. Submit an essay of at least 500 words on the following topic: "Sportsmanship: More than just playing fair" Complete the application form and submit with the essay. Bux-Mont Awards congratulates you on your hard work and accomplishments!

Because of the amount of hoopla surrounding the pink month of october , not that many people know that November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month . We recongize achievements and as such we would like to recognize those who help battle this silent killer. Bux-Mont Awards is willing to give our customers a free gift and donate 2% of profits from orders taken when you mention that you want to support Pancreatic Cancer Awareness. Pancreatic Cancer kills about 35000 individuals each year and should not be taken lightly. Most people diagnosed with this cancer have their lives taken by it. So when you are giving Thanks and filling up on the turkey , or out shopping on Black Friday ; when you are recognizing alzheimers awareness month or doing something to fight national youth homeless, please take time to think about those in your life that are close to you and help us raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. Thank you.

I know, I know, I don't want to think about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday let alone Christmas. With these tumultuous times we are dealing with and the massive amount of change being undertaken, let's show this world that we can let the Phillies pick us up. Please visit our Sellersville store to see the World Champion Phillies Ornaments on display and for sale. These commemorative ornaments include pictures taken at the Game 5 World Series Clincher against the Ray and those Phillies. There is no better tree ornament this holiday season.

I didn't make it to the parade, but I was happy to be in the moment. October's Most Popular Posts: World Series 5.b The quality trophy difference Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Part One: If at first you don't succeed:

lets go phillies

Soccer dad writes in his blog about using patches as recognition for his soccer team. I thought it was a great idea! When he started the program he gave patches to his girls for achieving the first time. This year he gave a patch for doing something over a number of matches. The goal here was to get the girls to perform over a number of matches. He has 9 different patches he gives. He gives patches for juggling, assists, goals, different soccer moves, leadership, intensity, volley, support, blood and champions patch. Do you give patches? What do you give your players patches for? Other methods for getting them to reach for the stars? Leave your ideas in the comments and we will post when we have more ideas on getting more out of your players. Dan provides patches for soccer teams through his work; Bux-Mont Awards

This is a picture taken from our customers website. While the column and figure used are ones that we would also take pride in using on the awards we provide you, we would never ever put a trophy on a base that small. The trophy base is often overlooked and undervalued in the overall trophy itself. After the industry moved away from metal figures the need was there to keep the weight behind the base without comprimising cost. In youth participation trophies and tournament awards, kids often look for weight in determining the intrinsic value of the trophy itself. ie. Trophies that weigh less equate to less effective trophies. After the metal figures (the old heaviest part of the trophy) went bye bye, we were left with all plastic trophies which cheapened the quality and lessened the effectiveness of the award. We answer this by using a base that is proportionate to the overall height of the trophy (theirs is way to small) and to make it marble; this gives the trophy a heavy fe

Breast Cancer Awareness Resin Cost: $25.00 Description: Breast Cancer Awareness ribbons in pink on a black base, the perfect way to recognize the achievements of those fighting for the cure. *Trying to do our part, for every purchase of Breast Cancer related Recognition items we are going to be donating a portion of the proceeds (from 3 - 5%) to the Susan G. Koman Foundation . And for the Cancer Ribbon Resins, we will donate 100% of the profits towards fighting for the cure.

It is hard to believe October is here already, but you know what that means, the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I am sure that everyone knows someone affected by Breast Cancer, and we should take this time to remind all you ladies to do your monthly breast checks , and to everyone else, we can all do something to do our part to help find a cure. Let's get together and make something great happen. That said we are trying to do our part and for every purchase of Breast Cancer related Recognition items we are going to be donating a portion of the proceeds (from 3 - 5%) to the Susan G. Koman Foundation . And for the Cancer Ribbon Resins, we will donate 100% of the profits towards fighting for the cure. Breast Cancer Awareness Resin Cost: $25.00 Description: Breast Cancer Awareness ribbons in pink on a black base, the perfect way to recognize the achievements of those fighting for the cure. Size: 7 1/2 x 6 x 4 Dan Bencsik of Bux-Mont A wards writes this in memory of Grand

The family here at Bux-Mont Awards was proud to not only attend the annual Pennridge Chamber of Commerce Autumn Gala this past Saturday, September the 27, but also to be able to see our Team Leader, owner Greg Bencsik receive this years Business Achievement Award. We have made these awards for the last 10 plus years and have had the opportunity to produce with honor and great care the prestigious awards that some amazing individuals and businesses have recieved. Greg accepted the award with great pride knowing that his name was put in the records with the other previous winners. Greg has led Bux-Mont Awards to double digit revenue growth that is as much an indication of the great care and responsibility that goes into making the numerious awards for those in the Bucks and Montgomery Counties as it is vindication for the amount of hard work and great care taken in responding to his many customers needs. Bencsik has single handedly taken this company from a home based start up to w

We at Bux-Mont Awards are continually updating our skills so that we may better serve our customers. It is in this vain that we have enrolled in a Webinar on Building a Recognition Culture that will take plate Thursday September 18 from 2:30 - 3:30. Enjoying doing what it takes to disseminate the best recognition practices, we take our job seriously and we think we do a pretty darn good job. If any of you would like to attend follow the link to sign up. I will be posting a follow up from the seminar on our blog after the show, so you can look forward to getting some ideas.

The 2008 Paralympic Games are underway in Beijing, China. A list of the sports and a background of the games is available here . This year there will be an unprecedented amount of coverage thanks to www.universalsports.com. There will be webcasts of full games on the website while they will have a daily recap show on their HD television channel. cnnsi.com has some photos from the games. There is a little more notoriety surrounding Oscar Pistorius a single leg amputee who made a run at the Olympic games in track. There was a lot of discussion whether he should be permitted to compete in the Olympic games because his prosthetic leg enabled him to run just as fast using less energy than a real leg. In the end the discussion was moot as he did not qualify for the games. Post written by Adam Bencsik, Communications Team Leader at Bux-Mont Awards

Bux-Mont Awa rds is proud to be the official Awards supplier for Sparta Cycling and the Univest Grand Prix. For the last two years Bux-Mont Awards has proudly supplied The Univest Grand Prix with The WFMZ Team Award and The Intelligencer Most Agressive Rider Award. Taking place the weeknd of September 6th and 7th this year, John Eustice, owner of Sparta Cycling, created the Univest Grand Prix . Now in its 11th year the race is one of only thirteen Union Cyclist International (UCI)-ranked professional road cycling competitions for men in the United States with more than 150 professional riders from 20 countries competing. Outside of the Bux-Mont Awards , Bikeworks and The Harleysville Hotel is the Leidy's Sprint. The racers come right by us and the excitement ensues. The Harleysville Hotel was out grilling and providing free water for all. The weather held out and we were able to see the racers come by us at tremendous speeds. Check out the videos below of the Leidy's

While creating an ad for a local soccer tournaments program, I was having trouble finding a design I liked. Trying to decide whether to settle on this one particular layout I decided to seek advice from a graphic designer friend of mine. This friend works in the graphic design department at Velcro and is very good at what he does. I greatly respect his judgment and value his opinions when it comes to design work. He looked over it and we decided to make some changes, but in the course of that he questioned the benefit I had used as the tagline, "Quality Awards Build Brighter Futures." The conversation we had follows: Mike : I like where you are trying to go with the tag line but I'm not sure quality is the right word... I know why you used it... me : ummmm.... i don't know what to replace it with Mike : but does the quality of the award really play into the accomplishment I guess it does if I think about it me : quality awards that reward the accomplishmen

There are two kinds of recognition. The effective kind and the ineffective kind. The ineffective kind often finds its way to the trashcan or the back of a shelf fairly quickly. These types of recognition products are often referred to as dust collectors and in the most severe cases trash. Effective recognition inspires and invigorates the receiver to continue to strive to achieve. These types of recognition awards and trophies are often times cherished for a lifetime and the stories of the victory or success is often times repeated again and again. Jimmy Rollins MVP trophy fits this category. I think that Aaron Rowand will be talking about his gold glove for some time. We shouldn't forget that for kids, effective recognition goes great distances towards building brighter futures and is imperative for some youth to keep them striving to try their hardest and keep wanting to come back year in and year out. This is omething that dust collectors can't do and a great reason

Quakertown Alive is hosting it's 9th annual arts alive festival on Saturday, May 17th. This event is a good time to be had by all and includes a nu mber of things to do that celebrates the arts. With close to 100 artists and crafters and live performances going on all day, downtown Quakertown comes alive on this Saturday to help spread the arts to all. Included in the activities are musical performances, horse drawn carriage rides, magicians and much more. Check out Quakertown Alives Arts Alive page for more information. Hope to see you there! Q uakertown Alive! is a volunteer-driven, non-profit community development organization in Quakertown, Pennsylvania based on the principles of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and its Four-Point Main Street Approach . See "About QA!" at left for additional information.

There are many great things about this time of the year.  The plants are starting to bloom and signs of spring can be seen everywhere. The athletic fields are starting to get used again, and signs of new life are everywhere.  I just want to take the time to remind everyone that we need to practice good sportsmanship and remind all parents that these games are played for the kids enjoyment. It is hardwork to play a long season for everyone involved, and it is even harder to have your kids playing while you are volunteering and coordinating the bigger picture.  As parents we need to realize all the hardwork and dedication the kids put into playing youth sports, and also the parents and volunteers work that goes into getting the kids to practice and the games, and volunteering to help out in  youth sports organizations where it is very desperately needed.  Thank you and your participation and involvement does not go unrecognized.  The smiles on the kids face s when they get that participa

The Perfect High School Award This plaque is right for the following reasons: Digital Imprinting: This thing is done with the newest technologies to keep your school spirit up to date. Full Color Logo: Gone are the days of the same old engraved award. These plaques utilize technology to bring your award to life. Uses: MVP Awards Scholar Athlete Awards Coaches Awards We here at Bux-Mont Awards have put an awful lot of thought into recognition, and one of the things that diffentiate us from them is our willingness to learn, to adopt new technologies and to not be afraid to fail. We do this for you, our customer, so that you may have the absolute best when it comes to recognition products. Below we will highlight what we have found to be the perfect high school scholar athlete award . Check the full photo set here.

There are many more than five, but these seem to be getting it right. Evaluation is based on sponsorship efforts, child enrollment, and the effectiveness of their recognition program. So here they are in no particular order. Deep Run Soccer : Deep Run Soccer has a tradition of being an excellent club to play for. Their intramural and travel teams have consistently been among the best in the area. Deep run has provided the Pennridge High School teams with many qualified soccer players. They also implemented the TOPS program that enable special needs kids to play organized soccer. Harleysville Soccer : We recently celebrated the 1 year anniversary of the opening of our new Harleysville store and since we have been here we have heard nothing but good things about the Harleysville Soccer Club. Their Previous President wrote a great article about the benefits of volunteering that I posted to this blog and he continues to be instrumental in providing the quality leadership needed

I can not begin to tell you how many amazing tastes that were taken in from the many vendors at the show. The Washington House and Sellersville Theater booth offered a great crab bisque to taste while checking out the upcoming lineup at the Theater. Pumpernicks and Houlihans both had samplings of their menu that showed why they are popular spots to visit when eating out. The Texas Roadhouse has it's chili and pulled pork to sample, and the ice cream at Maggie Moos was simply magnificient. The William Penn Inn highlighted the event for me with a sampling of their desert menu. They had these little deserts shaped like espresso cups with little espresso beans on the top that were absolutely worth the wait in line to get them.

More on the exhibitors as we continue the roundup of the North Penn Business Expo.   The only golf course displaying there, the Talamore Country Club  of Ambler, had some very pleasant people working the booth.  Mr. Jack Lutz clearly explained the many options Talamore has from full membership in the club to student memberships.  Mr. Lutz had a lot of information to share and the display had some quite illustrious pictures of the majestic views offered at the different holes.   Representing Alderfer Auctions , a woman from their Human Resources department informed me of the many things that Alderfer does in addition to their auctions.  Something new Alderfer is starting is an "Antiques Roadshow" of sorts for people to bring in their antiques and have them appraised.  It runs Wednesday nights and starts April 9.   The next post will highlight the many great food samplings available.   Dan Bencsik, sales team leader at Bux-Mont Awards , is writing his opinions of the North Penn

     I stated in yesterdays post that I would be closing early to travel down the pike to visit the North Penn Chamber of Commerce Business Fair 2008 .  The business expo featured  a taste of North Penn and was held at the Gwynedd-Mercy College in Gwynedd Valley.   It was quite the event, well produced and seemed to be very well attended.  I got to the show at 2:30 and arrived to a packed parking lot and a lot of busy exhibitors.  In the following paragraphs and upcoming few posts I will outline some of my personal highlights of the show: After one trip up the aisle I saw some familiar faces and some new ones as well.  William Quigley, owner of the Washington House and Sellersville Theater , and active participant in many area Chambers was displaying for both the restaurant and theater and really talked up the new renovations currently being undertaken to the theater.  The marquee was retired and the lobby is being expanded along with a new deck.  The design is crisp and maintains th

Tommorrow, Friday April the Fourth we will be holding an open house from 5:00 - 7:0 0 for people who are interested in seeing this years new soccer awards! Check out the flyer below and visit Bux-Mont Awards tomorrow for great fun and prizes.

This Thursday, Bux-Mont Awards Harleysville store will be closing at 1:30 in order to attend the North Penn Chamber of Commerce Business Fair 2008 . If you need immediate assistance please contact me, Dan Bencsik at 215.701.4652. When calling this number you will be asked to leave your name and then be put on hold while the service contacts both the Harleysville and Sellersville stores as well as my cell phone. You are sure to get a human voice when you call that number and thats how we like it! I suggest anyone who can to come to the North Penn Business Fair . It looks like a good one! Thanks for your understanding and I look forward to giving you updates!

Bux-Mont Awards will be attending an Open House after work this Saturday April 5 in order to keep our employees up to date on the latest and greatest recognition products in the industry. Our trade organization bailed on their east coast show, so unfortunately, in a cost saving measure, we were unable to attend their national show in Las Vegas. Fortunately for us our suppliers care enough to gather us together to keep us educated. We like education. We like to assure our customers that we have the know how it takes to ensure their needs our met. We pride ourselves on our knowledge, and we look forward to showing you we have what it takes to meet your trophies and awards needs! Dan Bencsik is sales manager at Bux-Mont Awards a recognition company serving its customers since 1991.

Bux-Mont Awards , a recognition solutions company, has instituted a new banana brain award for the employee who exemplifies the least amount of brain matter within the organization. Designed to encourage poor performance, the bananna brain awards sure to make people strive to achieve new lows. Don't let your employees poor attitudes go unrecognized, make them the next recipient for the bird brain award! oh and april fools! ;) Dan Bencsik heads sales and marketing at Bux-Mont Awards , the recognition right company

Thats right it's starting to get to that time of year! Sign-ups are starting and teams are forming. Lets not forget the many lessons kids learn and the vast amount of exercise they get from their participation in youth sports. Success at a young age isn't measured in the wins column, but in the amount of energy exerted and the many life lessons that come with both the wins and losses. While many of us are busy, and these times are trying, it is important to remember to take time to do something you enjoy. That said, there is much to enjoy about volunteering for your childrens youth sports organizations. Even a couple hours at the snack stand goes a long way in helping the overall welfare of the organization. Kids and parents alike have much to gain through participation in youth sports. You can meet great people who become lifetime friends. These people, through their volunteering, truly inspire and change lives. Get out and volunteer your time, you won't be disspoi

Shopping local has a big impact on the local economy and your neighbors wellfare. Being a primarily local business, we continue to rely on community support for most of our business. So enjoy shopping local and read the top five reasons below (from the NFIB): Support the country's leading job creators. Small businesses make up 99.7 percent of all U.S. employers. Over the past decade, small business net job creation fluctuated between 60 and 80 percent. In the most recent year with data (2003), employer firms with fewer than 500 employees created 1,990,326 net new jobs, whereas large firms with 500 or more employees shed 994,667 net jobs. Small-business owners are community leaders. Most small-business owners spend their entire year contributing to their communities – what a perfect time to show them how much they are appreciated. Eighty-three percent of the general public believes that local small-business owners contribute more to the betterment of their community. Ninety-one per

Websters definition of recognition 1.the action of recognizing : the state of being recognized: as a : acknowledgment ; especially : formal acknowledgment of the political existence of a government or nation b : knowledge or feeling that someone or something present has been encountered before 2 : special notice or attention Dan Bencsik of Bux-Mont Awards is a recognition expert striving to spread proper recognition in every way.

Finally we have the healthy habits of starting your kids in youth sports. This is the final benefit in the series. We hope that as you read these you offer to share your ideas. Thanks for reading, hopefully you got something out of it! Healthy habits. Because sports increase an awareness of one's body and how it responds to different stimuli and circumstances, sports help prevent drug and alcohol abuse. Most athletes value what their bodies can do and want to maintain those abilities. Being an athlete also gives kids an acceptable reason for telling their friends no to drugs, booze, and other high-risk, unhealthy behaviors. (Of course, not all athletes avoid drugs and alcohol.) Dan Bencsik, Bux-Mont Awards

Our continued look this week at the physical benefits of youth sports. Today we highlight Stress relief! Stress relief. Sports allow kids to clear their minds of academic and social pressures, to literally run off the tension that's accumulated in their muscles. In the words of one patient, "If you play really hard, you feel better because playing takes your mind off things that bother you, and afterwards you can concentrate better." Most doctors recognize the positive mental effect of physical exertion, even though we're not sure exactly why this is so. I know that my ability to study in college and medical school was greatly enhanced when I ran during the day, and I'm not the only athlete to find this true. Many athletes get better grades in-season (theories posit the discipline and the need to manage time, along with an increased ability to concentrate). During exams, Duke University opens its gyms twenty-four hours a day to provide stress relief for its stud

The continued benefits of youth sports continues as we look today at Mastery, that satisfying, enjoyable way to develop your kids talents!! Mastery. Sports give kids a satisfying, enjoyable way to develop their own talents: through personal effort they get good at something they're interested in. Doing something well makes them feel good about themselves, but equally important, it teaches them about the process of how to improve and work more effectively. Learning a skill-to dribble left-handed, say, or to execute an effective second serve-entails a recognition that practice is essential and that improvement is incremental. The process of repetition teaches the athlete how to master a move and also how to experiment with different approaches to improve a skill. The feedback in sports is usually immediate and visible-does the ball go into the basket?-so that the athlete can change or repeat what she's doing and figure out how to get better. Not only that, the whole process of

The following information was taken from The Benefits of Youth Sports Article by Jordan D. Metzl, M.D., Carol Shookhoff, Ph.D. We are going to highlight the physical benefits of your sports participation over the course of the next few posts. Any other ideas are welcome! Fitness. Kids who play sports develop general physical fitness in a way that's fun, and they establish lifelong habits for good health. This is particularly important at a time when obesity in the United States has reached epidemic proportions: the incidence of obesity has increased by more than 50 percent among America's children and teens since 1976 and continues to grow at a staggering rate! Dan Bencsik, Bux-Mont Awards