Getting involved in sports at a young age can have many benefits. With today's youth spending so much time on their phones which is really a computer, physical activity of any sort is a great way for them to be more constructive with their time.
Playing together as a family helps strengthen family bonds and ties. Sports can be a fantastic way to bring you and your children together, providing the whole family with physical and mental benefits. We all know that a sedentary lifestyle will come back to haunt you, leading to disease and disability. The quality time we spend with our children today is an investment in their future well-being.
Many of my fondest memories are of those times spent with my family playing all sorts of games. My Dad's passion for one particular game, BASKETBALL, has been passed on from him to the next three generations. This photo is from 60 years ago when my father was my coach. As time passed he continued to be my biggest fan while playing basketball in high school and college.
The trophy I'm holding in the above picture is the one you see here. Along with it is a picture of the only other one I have kept over the years, garnered while playing hoops in college.
Lakeland Regional High School is my alma mater and is also the H.S. my kids attended. Our granddaughter is presently a freshman at Lakeland. Her passion for PLAYING HOOPS may one day lead to her joining her father and aunt on this very exclusive list of 1000-point scorers.
Despite the competitive nature of playing a sport in H.S. having fun is what it should be all about. I have lived in three different homes over the past 45 years and I've built a basketball court at each location. Here you see the family playing on the court I build at the farm. Smiling faces abound as family ties grow stronger.
Start early, even if you have to hoist the little rug rats above your head so that they can reach the hoop.
Unlike so many other sports, basketball can be played by yourself, all you need is a ball and a basket.
Owen, Ava's brother has also developed a love for this simple game. He's a 7th grader and he plays on two different traveling teams. His dad is his coach and what a great coach he is.
There's the big guy with the bald head, it must be genetic! Okay, why do I feel he's the right guy for the job, someone you would like to be interacting with your child:
- He has a great temperament
- Always positive when instructing
- Never raises his voice unless calling out a play
- Family guy, wonderful role model
- Knows the game inside and out
- Makes the game FUN
The one distinct difference I see with youth sports today
compared to back in the day is the behavior of the parents.
WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?
Shoot, shoot, and shoot some more, before long you'll be knocking on the 1000-point club door!
Play one on one if you really want to have some fun.
Who says you can't use a football on a BB court,
This is the 2nd court I built years ago. When we moved to the farm, our son purchased our home. It couldn't have worked out any better, great community and our grandkids would be the 3rd generation to walk the halls of Lakeland Regional High School.
or ride your bike and bounce on a trampoline.
Here's our lovely granddaughter sporting her new gigs. #3 you've got to love it.
After a few games playing on the freshman team with her friends and classmates, she was moved up to the Junior Varsity level. I'm sure that it wasn't easy for her to adjust to this new environment, playing at a higher level and leaving friends behind.
I think I may have been as nervous as #3 about this transition, but that was quickly dispersed as she proved to be up to the task. Ava was coming into her own, knocking in 24 points in one game.
Halfway through her freshman year, she would be following in her Aunt Erica and Dad's footsteps, she was called up to The Varsity team, a real honor. She got a little taste of the competition at this level, getting into a few games, but mostly learning by observing.
A 3-point attempt, let's follow the ball.
Swish
I know that felt good!
Basketball has been such a big part of our family for so many years. When I look back I realize just how instrumental this game has proven to be in the development of our character as individuals and as a family.