When he started playing, I was so worried – worried he wouldn’t get any playing time, worried others would make fun of him, and worried that these new friendships would change if his performance on the court was not what they had hoped.
But throughout the season, I learned – he didn’t care about playing time because he was learning how to play, and no one made fun of him because they all make mistakes at times. And his new friends have turned out to be some really incredible boys.
I also learned that I can’t stop my son from trying something because of my insecurity in handling the failures that may occur. Lots of lessons we won’t soon forget from this season.
The Life Blend 
Bravo to your son for taking the plunge, and to you for reflecting on what the experience taught him as well as you. There’s capital P Playing time — those priority game minutes that can often become a source of stress and frustration, of haves and have-nots — and then there’s all of the *other* minutes immersed in practice or supporting teammates from the sidelines. All of that time for playing, with its lower-case p and usually lower-stakes invitations, counts for plenty, too.
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Exactly. As a former coach, I knew his lack of experience in the sport would be against him, but he really just wanted to be part of the team. He had such a great attitude of learning throughout.
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Yes, it’s so true, we have to let them get out there and do things for themselves, learn to be independent and how to socialise, while we let go!
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I remember the first year my son played football. He was eight, I had just adopted him, and he really wanted to play. I was shocked to learn that football was serious business and some of the kids had been playing since they were four. My son didn’t care, he was there for the uniform, and the water jug, and the snacks afterward. He went on to be the captain of his high school team, for two years running, so I guess it worked out. Mostly, I was like you, I cared about the learning and the fun!
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