Sports

When I think about my kids and sports I always have mixed feelings.  We don’t push it around here, but we live an are area that does.  My older boys have narrowed it down to 2 each.  Austin plays lacrosse and football and Blake plays basketball and soccer.  Both are playing indoor sports tonight.

One part of me gets frustrated with the push from parents for our kids to play every sport.   Or when parents take winning so seriously.  When they get so upset on the sidelines.   When they yell at the coaches after the game.  When they try to live through their kids.  But then there is side of me that loves the fact that this town that we live in is so sports crazy.  It’s fun to be around a school that is very rich in football tradition.  It is also fun to be in a town with a (fairly) new hockey team.  It’s cool that my oldest son was at their very first game.

A few minutes ago I was killing time on the computer and stumbled on this article on our local newspapers website.  And this makes me feel good, that there are people (parents) out there that are doing it the right way. I love to find examples of things like this for my kiddos.  To show them that their heroes can also be really good people.
Taken from the Columbus Dispatch on Christmas Day

There’s an athlete in town who tries his best to do the right thing, but he doesn’t want it trumpeted. This being the holiday season, there is a surplus of trumpets. I’m holding one right now. I’ll try not to blow it too hard, but it’s going to be difficult. This athlete’s story, as most stories of this sort, begins with good parents. They didn’t have much, but they weren’t destitute. The kids’ clothes were all hand-me-downs, and their sports equipment was what a car dealer might call pre-owned. When it came to playing in pricey leagues, mom and dad volunteered for endless fundraisers to provide the opportunity. That was life.

They understood who they were, which is to say they didn’t focus on what they did not have. Rather, they made sacrifices to facilitate. They also made sure their kids knew that, despite the difficulties in their paths, there were others far less fortunate. All a kid had to do was walk down the street to understand.

This athlete was doubly blessed, then. He actually listened to his parents, so he understood nothing was going to be handed to him. And he lucked out in the gene pool. He grew into a big, and eventually strong, young man, in possession of superior physical tools designed for his sport.

Eventually, he was a marquee draft pick and, as such, money was shoveled in his direction.

His father was waiting for this moment.

“The biggest thing about my parents is, they’re very humble people,” the athlete said. “They made me humble. When things calmed down, my dad had a talk with me. He wanted me to understand that when you are given something, it’s important to give back. It’s a responsibility.”

The athlete is uncomfortable.

“I’m a private guy,” he said.

I’ll write this quietly, then.

There are the glass seats in Nationwide Arena. The athlete buys up prime seats and gives them to charities to do with as they wish. Few know who’s behind the donations.

There is the scholarship. The athlete has funded an athletic scholarship at Ohio State, even though he has no direct connection to the university. Such endowments run six figures. The university trots out the donors at football games, but this athlete declined to be a part of that show. Most of his teammates don’t even know of his involvement.

There is the holiday charity, Santa’s Silent Helpers. The athlete is providing food and toys for 50 disadvantaged families in Central Ohio. The athlete sends the money, local churches identify the needy recipients in their parishes and cheer is spread. It is impossible to understand the depth of this cheer until you have delivered it, or received it.

There are the personal appearances. The athlete is prominent enough to be in high demand at team functions, including all the junk that sponsors demand. He does these things as part of the job. He does Nationwide Children’s Hospital visits as part of his life, and he does not shy away from the oncology ward.

There is the foundation, which is in the works. It will provide for a multitude of charitable organizations both here and in Canada. Among its targets is funding for breast cancer research and awareness. The athlete’s grandmother had breast cancer, so the cause is important to him.

“What I really love doing is the kids things,” the athlete says. “I love seeing the smiles.”

The athlete goes on to explain what it was like growing up in Toronto, getting the chance to meet Doug Gilmour or Wendel Clark or Mats Sundin.

“I was over the moon,” the athlete said. “It’s not quite like that here, but we still have to sell the game here, and I really enjoy being in front of the kids.”

To that end, there is the No. 61 Club. The athlete has bought 30 tickets to all 41 Blue Jackets home games. The tickets are donated to kids who participate in a program emphasizing the importance of physical fitness and making healthy choices. When a kid hits a goal, he or she gets a seat to a Jackets game. The athlete was in on the design and implementation, and he puts his face out in front of it as often as he can.

There are the stories about scads of autographed sticks and hats and jerseys, and about how the athlete will pop up at this rink or that and give away his free time for the fun of it.

“We don’t even know about the stuff he does,” said one teammate. “I know him pretty well, and I don’t know the half of it. That’s what makes it so special.”

The athlete is still uncomfortable.

“I feel pretty lucky,” the athlete said. “I didn’t grow up with a lot of things. Now, I’m in a good spot, and I’m fortunate to be in a place where I can help people that need help. Most things I do, I do private. I’m a quiet guy, a regular person. I just want to give something back, in my own way.”

Merry Christmas to all, including Rick Nash.

No matter what my kids end up doing with their lives I hope that I am this kind of parent.  I hope that they understand how important it is to give back, to help out, to do the right thing.