As a parent all we want is for our kids to do well in life and have success. But ultimately as long as they try and enjoy what they are doing that’s really all that matters.
Sports has always been a big part of my life. My dad pushed me very hard but that may have driven me to have as much success as I did in sports. I want my boys to do well when they play sports and it’s hard to see them if they struggle or don’t have success. But I also want them to have fun and enjoy what they are doing.
Chase did great in soccer this fall and was one of if not the best player on his team. He scored ten goals and had a very successful second year. Basketball (my favorite sport) has been a different story. He is not very good and is one of the weaker players on his team. He struggles to catch the ball but I keep reminding myself he’s young and learning.
Chase practices soccer all the time so I suggested two weeks starting to spend some time on basketball so he can get better. Sickness, cold or rainy weather and our schedules haven’t given us the chance to play but yesterday we finally had the opportunity to practice. Just me and Chase.
His elementary school is right behind us so we walked over to play on their courts. We started with some skills. I threw him a bunch of passes to work on him catching the ball. Then we worked on rebounding as I missed shots for him to catch. Then he worked on boxing me out and getting the rebound. Then we worked on dribbling. Then we finished with going over some defensive positioning. I loved teaching him the sport I love and know so much about.
We ended with several games of Horse and Around the World. We both had so much fun and couldn’t believe we had been playing for an hour. My hands had grown chilly by the end and admittedly I took a hot shower to warm up when I got inside but I had such a great time that it was worth the cold that took over my body. I had a blast and was completely lost in playing basketball with Chase. I didn’t worry about anything else for that hour and it was awesome.
The best part was seeing Chase’s confidence grow as we practiced. He was enjoying it because he was getting better with the skills we practiced. It’s very hard starting out in basketball especially when the best players on the team never pass to the weaker players meaning Chase never gets the ball. I know it’s frustrating and has been hard on him.
To his credit Chase tries. He is pretty good on defense. He rebounds well for his size. He has gotten some steals in his games. As my brother said at Chase’s last game “he’s the PJ Tucker of his team.” Tucker is a veteran player on the Sixers who rarely scores but is a strong defender and rebounder. He’s the definition of a role player. And I love that comparison. Chase isn’t strong and not that good but he tries. He’s still learning but he’s not bad on defense. Most importantly he wants to learn and get better.
It will take time. I think basketball is a hard sport to learn as there are a lot of different skills and strategies to worry about. I know my dad gets frustrated with Chase and I know Chase gets down sometimes but he’s young and it’s his first year of “competitive” or non-instructional basketball. I was thrilled he asked me to play with him today and look forward to practicing with him more and more. Being able to teach a game I love to my son proved to be one of the best possible ways to spend a little free time we had on a Sunday afternoon.
#youthsports #basketball #practice #baller #fortheloveofbasketball #momandsontime
