the game

A funny thing happens when you watch your kids play sport. There is a mix of emotion – pride, excitement, fear -combined with the overwhelming desire to see your child succeed.

This deisre for success, I have found, isn’t tied to a win or a loss. For me, it has more to do with watching them contribute to the team by doing their best, whatever that looks like. Like anything, there are days when your child excels and there are days when he doesn’t.

The funny thing I see, though, is the anger and disappointment parents express when their son/daughter is not playing their best game.

(Did you read that last word…GAME.)

I have heard parents chew out the child when the game is over. The whole way to the car the parents are pointing out what the player did wrong, what they should be doing better, how the loss is on their shoulders, and how they didn’t drive all that way just to watch them lose.

I’ve stopped judging this and find myself observing instead. How can I judge when I also feel many of the same things, when I find myself frustrated or disappointed at times. It seems that there is this kind of visceral emotion parents feel at these times – almost as though they are on the field themselves, not merely watching their kids.

I wonder if we, as parents, worry that our children’s play will impact how people feel about us? That’s kind of egotistical, right? When I look at the players on the field I don’t judge their parents. These are kids who are still learning how to play a sport. This is a game, a competitive game no doubt, but a game nonetheless.

Is there a solution to this? Probably not. As the boys get older and the game becomes more competitive, I see less of this thing. It’s not gone, but the parents seem to realize that there are good games and bad games and that their kids are only human too.

In an effort to freeze the time that is going way too fast, I’ve started shooting what the boys love. There will be a lot of lacrosse on this blog so look away if you don’t like it. Or just read the words and ignore the images – I won’t judge you. I never thought lacrosse would become such a large part of my life, but my boys love it and so, I have learned to love it too!