My son is back to playing basketball for another season, and his first game was on Sunday. I’m not really a big basketball fan except for when my son is playing. Watching a group of 7 & 8-year-olds put their hearts and soul into the game, make mistakes and improve their skills makes it super fun to watch.
This past weekend, however, was more extraordinarily awesome than usual. My son’s team is a nice mix, and the boys are really playing together. The game went into overtime, and with the mix of the 3-pointer and a couple of free throws, they won their first game. My son is not the kid getting the points and making the baskets, but he is great on defense and is incredibly fast. His big skill is that he prevented the star player on the other team from getting baskets. It’s amazing to watch him be so focused, and I couldn’t be more proud.
The reason I am bringing all of this up is because of the confidence basketball is giving him and the wonderful lesson of team work, as well. We were out to dinner with family, and the question turned to “What are you going to be when you grow up?” I answered for him. “He wants to be a rapper,” I said from rote. He’s been telling me this for a very long time. “No Mommy,” his little voice corrected. “I want to be a basketball player.” I love that he feels so good about this sport!
This non-sports fan is feeling the beauty and power of team sports, after all. I love any game that passes off such great life skills and boosts the ego. So, my song of the day is a cheesy oldie from the 80’s. “Basketball” by Kurtis Blow is a little hilarious, but so much fun to watch just like my son on the court.
