Family Heritage: Our Value on Sports as a Family Tradition

I bet you didn’t know that I was a basketball wife, did you? Sure, I’m not fabulously strutting around South Beach or sipping champagne with Shaunie O’Neal, and I’m certainly got getting into insane cat fights, but Daddy D did play professional basketball over seas for most of his 20’s. He played all over the world; in Australia, China, Mexico, just to name a few places. Pretty cool, huh? And because of that, sports are big business in our establishments of family heritage and legacy.

Sports and Family Heritage

Daddy D has had a love affair with basketball since he was very young, and it has continued into his adult {nonprofessional} years as well. Even to this day, other than being with his family, there is pretty much nothing else Daddy D would rather do with his time. Despite days of sore, aching joints and limbs {he is an old man now, after all}, Daddy D would play for hours on end if his schedule allowed it. He simply loves everything about basketball and how it makes him feel.

I can appreciate Daddy D’s love of his sport. Although to a lesser degree, I was an athlete in my youth. I was a soccer player, and a large part of my identity was based on the people, scheduling and mindset that being an athlete entailed. Last year, I made the conscience decision to let go of that aspect of my identity and wrote about the emotional experience in this post: Family Heritage: Hanging Up My Soccer Cleats. Giving up soccer was not a decision I took lightly.

Regardless, a part of my core will always be influenced by values inherent to team orientated sports. And the truth is, I want my kids to grow up with that influence as well. Daddy D and I plan to incorporate organized, competitive sports into each of their lives at a young age. We are SUPER excited for the family weekends packed with events and memory making that organized sports facilitate, too.

Recently, Daddy D joined an old man league {that’s not the official league name; just what I call it} for the last few weeks of its season. The guys that set up the team were peer pressuring him to commit to the entire 10 week schedule, and although he would have loved to play the whole season, I had to put my foot down and explain to D that we were going to very busy, ohhh, bringing home a brand new baby. Basketball would have to wait. I’m a horrible wife, I know. But when the team was short several players, he convinced me that it was time to jump in and play. “You can even bring the kids to watch me play!”, he says.

Oh joy.

I ultimately decided to embrace the opportunity, not only to support Daddy D in his old man basketball career, but to begin Alina’s exposure to organized sports. It won’t be long before this little sweetheart is introduced to the concepts of team play, rules and regulations, and sportsmanship.

Basketball may not be her strong suit, however. This was her idea of “dribbling”…

Alina had a great time rooting for Daddy D {“Go Daddy, go!!”}; any opportunity to be as loud as she wants is a fun time for her, actually. It was sweet to see her brimming with pride… she is still talking about that basketball game. At home, she ices her knees with Daddy and nags him to stretch {she gets the nagging part from me}.

I can’t believe how fast our eldest is growing, and knowing that new adventures and experiences await us brings so much excitement too!

Do your kids play sports? As a parent, do you capitalize on its inherent values to teach your kids about teamwork and commitment? Any suggestions for what to put this girly girl in?

Happy Wednesday!