I’ve seen this before – a half-assed tryout, making the track team and, suddenly, floating the idea wanting to quit before the second practice. Yes, my seventh grader, Lynden, hopes that his subtle hints about leaving the school track team will garner my support to do so. He must not know I value the act of participating more than he does. “Dad, track is boring,” he mentioned in passing the morning after tryouts. I said nothing and picked him up from practice later that day. That evening, on the van ride home, Lynden escalated the quitting chatter, “With everything else going on, … [Read more...]
Pro Athletes and Toddlers: 7 Ways They are Exactly Alike
You wouldn't think it to look at them, but our favorite professional baseball, basketball, football, hockey and soccer players have a ton in common with wee toddlers. How so? Let us count the ways? 1) Pro Athletes and Toddlers: They all want the damn ball.Almost immediately following his rookie season, former football player Keyshawn Johnson, stirred quite the controversy when he published an autobiography titled Just Give Me The Damn Ball in which he called one teammate a “mascot” and complained that his then team, the New York Jets, didn't throw the ball his way enough. Many sportswriters … [Read more...]