We have somewhat intentionally always kept sports and extra curricular activities pretty low key at our house. We've decided to quit things that were too demanding of our time together as a family (karate) and have limited activities during seasons when we like to travel together (two seasons of baseball in the summer were more than enough for us!). The boys know that they need to chose one sport season a year and that has always been basketball. Again, we've try to keep this simple. We've only played basketball with local community rec centers or the YMCA. The boys have always had fun and the practice/game schedule is manageable even with four kids. Last year they were even on the same team!
Things have the potential of changing a little after Sunday night. Riley has been invited to try out for a Mount Vernon basketball team that travels and focuses on preparing for the Middle School team. He attended a basketball camp at Kenyon this summer and the coach recognized his ability and sent the invitation to Riley at school on Thursday. It seems like we have entered a new phase of parenting in two ways. First, there is no way around it...our lives will get significantly busier as they get older. Whether they choose to be involved in athletics, art or music...the older they get the more demanding their schedules will be. Their homework alone is more demanding already! Second, we are entering the phase of their lives (at least with the older two) where there is the potential for great disappointment. The thought of this already breaks my heart. I would love to think that because Riley was specifically invited to try out, that he is wanted on the team. But, what if he doesn't make it. We'll register him and Trey for Upwards this year and they will have a blast, but he will know his first real disappoint...he will feel rejected. I don't know how to parent him when he feels this way. This will all be very new...a part of growing up...but new.
Thursday night at dinner he was excitedly telling his dad about the tryout. Trey very bluntly told him that he might not make the team. Riley said, very calmly, "I already know that, Trey. I'm just excited that the Kenyon coach thought I was good enough to try out." At that moment I said a little prayer that mom's have been saying for hundreds of years...Lord, please let my baby make the team.
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