Last night I took my son to his first basketball practice for the season. His team is comprised of nine and ten year olds with limited skill-sets and talent, but so fun to watch.
Parent pride generally kicks in as soon as your kid grabs the ball on any play, but it's even better to see your child have the chutzpah to try even when they have no experience and simply want to play.
This is the feeling that athletes should nurture.
The movie, Jerry Maguire gives a professional look at the game itself and how it's changed, "show me the money" becomes the major focus at the college level when pro recruiters get involved. The greed of the game.
But these days, the days where kids just want to play, for the love of the game, that's where the heart of playing comes from.
You can't buy that feeling.
These are the days when you watch your kid score for the joy of scoring. Seeing a genuine love of team camaraderie. The desire to play with certain kids because they are good, and they want to win.
These are the days when sports have value for hope and love, not greed and prosperity.
I hope my kid can remember this day, years from now when he is an adult and the world around him is nudging him to take the money. I hope he always remembers this day...the day he tried, the day he just wanted to score, and how proud I was of him because his love of the game fueled his attempts.
