It never occurred to me the countless hours they spent in the car, taking me to and from practice, and to out of town tournaments on the weekends. And I don't even want to think about how much money they spent over the years. Not only for things like team fees and necessities, but for all the tournament t-shirts, pretzels, and extra things I probably didn't need.
As much as the child is invested in the game, the parents have invested equal or more time, effort, and love into the activity. They have always been there for us, through the good times and bad. They've been by our side when we've been injured and have yelled at us all the way home after a bad game. They've also been there in the stands, cheering for us, when we get a hit or make a spectacular play. I guess what I'm saying is that I didn't realize how much sports have affected the relationship between my parents and I.
For our first scrimmage, my mom texted me asking me when and where it was at. Being kind of far away from home, I replied with something like, "Don't worry about coming, it's just a scrimmage.". Thinking that she would've stayed home, once we started playing I couldn't help but notice myself looking in the stands for my mom, even though I told her not to come. About halfway into the game I saw her sitting at the very top of the stands, and a weird kind of excitement came over me.
Being able to spot your supporters in the crowd makes playing the game that much more exciting. Not only are you working for your team and your coach, but your fans and supporters as well. I am very thankful that even though I'm not at home anymore, my parents still come out and support me.
Photo Credit: Maddie Abbs
You have good parents! Do you think a frustrated parent at their child's performance can negatively affect the child?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! If they continually harp on their child after games the child may get upset and angry and not want to continue playing. It can dramatically change the relationship between the parent and child for the worst.
ReplyDeleteAw, this made me tear up (which may be because of lack of sleep due to finals, lol) but that's so sweet the gratitude you have towards your parents. Being a parent to a naturally athletic son, I love that you are taking the time to write about the support your parents have given. It is a full time job being a parent and I'll tell you from experience that seeing your kids shine and enjoy the sports they participate in is worth all the money spent plus some!
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