My daughter, who is 13, began playing sports back in the recreation T-Ball leagues and has been pretty much active throughout the years in one sport or another. Trying to find her fit, she picked up on a sport in which I had no idea she had an interest in and one I knew very little about. Volleyball maybe not the most popular sport in most school’s agendas, but it has been a love for her since the day she stepped into middle school. After playing basketball for several years coming up in our recreation system, it has been volleyball and also tennis that has taken the top spots.
I have been fortunate enough, in whatever sports she played, to be along for the ride either on one side of the game as a parent/fan or as a coach. I love it when parents can put aside their busy schedules to take part of events in their kids’ lives in sports or whatever. On the other hand, I feel for the parents who might not be as fortunate to be part of a child’s sports experience. For whatever the reasons may be, we must come to the realization that this part of life comes and goes really fast. It’s a sad thing to see as a fan or coach when a child takes this ride alone with no support from both parents or have one of the two missing at games. Sadly to say, it happens just about every year in any school or recreation sport. The enjoyment as a child to be on the field is sometimes dampened when the parent is nowhere to be found on the other side of the fence or bleachers.
Fortunately as a dad, I have had the opportunity to be part of my daughter’s sports experiences. Her involvement in sports is not something I pushed on her at a young age. Sure I would love for her to be involved in everything, but forcing a child to play can cause them to miss the enjoyment of it all.
T-Ball was the door that opened her interest into sports. At the time and even now, I’m not sure if it’s the competitive part she enjoys or if it’s just being involved that she finds that pleasure. Being with her friends and enjoying the surroundings of what sports can offer excites her enough to want to play. Don’t get me wrong, she is not one who enjoys those times of losing but at the same time she finds the enjoyment of just being part of a team.
My enjoyment comes not only from being the fan/parent when she’s on the volleyball floor or tennis courts. My enjoyment also comes from my daddy/ daughter times we have going to sports events. Just last week we had a weekend full of volleyball. We got an early start on the weekend with an Emmanuel College match on Friday followed by her playing on Saturday in a middle school jamboree and ending the weekend at the Ramsey Center on Saturday night watching UGA’s women’s volleyball match.
The game itself isn’t the only thing that catches her attention in sports. Sometimes it’s the athletes themselves that she likes to follow. Sometimes as a result, a friendship is formed between the two. We love to attend as much of the school’s sports as possible. Besides playing on the same courts as her friends in middle school, she also enjoys the bond she has formed with some of the high school’s athletes of past or present. Athletes such as Sam Lazear and former Lady Raiders Katie Bolin and Courtney Freeman to name a few have been positive influences on and off the field. As a parent, it’s a comforting thing to see when your child wants to model themselves after not only just the “athlete” of such but also the student/athlete. Stressing the fact of making good grades and presenting yourselves in positive ways is a key ingredient to a student athlete. This all brings a point to make to all athletes who play school sports; set a positive example because you never know who or what ages you are influencing in and outside the sports world.
As a dad, I value and enjoy my daddy/daughter times of going to games together and the fun we have. I know however that these times are here just for a short season of life. Our children are only kids for a short time. Enjoy all that they have to offer us now if it’s the enjoyment of attending sporting events or just those times that we get to experience being part of the interest they have. Who knows maybe one day our kids will be the ones that the younger student/athletes look up to.
Dallas Bordon is the former sports editor for The Comer News/Danielsville Monitor.
