Character on the Basketball Court

Basketball season is well underway around our house. I admit it's the one sport that I really do not get. I don't understand much of the game and don't really enjoy watching it very much. However, I am an excellent cheerleader anytime my kids are on the field, court, or dance floor.

I hoop and holler and get mad at the refs for fouls I think they do or don't call. With basketball however, I tend to just say good basket, good job, and go team!

This is C's seventh year of playing basketball. The first three years were with a Y team and the last three have been with an Upward Basketball program. He loves playing and we've been so impressed with the Upward program and the lessons they provide for life.

C is not what you would call a Basketball stud. If you recall, he is my math stud! He can play and loves to shoot hoops with kids in the driveway, but golf and baseball are more of his game. (By the way, I get those sports) Upward has allowed him to play on a team with like ability kids and not get too frustrated with the competitiveness of most sixth grade teams. The fact that they learn biblical principals and win awards for Christ Like Behavior is just an added bonus!!

A few weeks ago, I was unable to attend the game due to a crabby little girl and a tired momma. My husband came home and shared a story that not only grabbed at my heartstrings, but made me cheer for the team even louder at the next game.

It seems that on C's team there is a player who is "special" as he wears two hearing aids and lives in his own world much of the time. He's friendly and warm to the other kids and gets very excited when his father the coach cheers the team on . In this particular game, our team was ahead by a few points and C was trying over and over again to pass the ball to the coach's son. My husband said C would keep trying to get the ball set up for a basket and hand it off to the other boy. Meanwhile, our considerable lead was slipping. Hubs confessed that at this point that he was starting to get agitated and yelled for C to make a basket. He wanted him to get more aggressive and start taking shots. Come on, lets focus on winning was the thought that kept floating through his mind.

As the minutes ticked away, C continued along with another teammate to try to pass off the ball to their "teammate" .

At some point my husband said he had what you call a light bulb moment. He realized that his son had the concept of sportsmanship foremost in his mind. C wanted his new friend to feel good about the game. He wanted him to have every opportunity to make a basket and feel apart of the team. Winning wasn't the first thought in his mind, it was having fun and being a part of the team.

When C walked off the court at the end of the game, he was beaming. Not because his team had won, even though they did, but because the coach's son had gotten the ball a few times. No baskets for him, but lots of cheers, hoops and hollers.

It's true sometimes as parents that our children teach us some of the most profound life lessons by their actions. C's caring heart and sensitive spirit have inspired him to do some great things. They might not be life changing or cause the sports writers to feature him on the front page, but they've showed his true character. As a parent, could I ask for anything more?