About three weeks ago, I experienced one of those perfect days that reminded me of what the youth sports experience is supposed to be all about. It was a weekend that saw the finish of our rec basketball season and the start of our youth lacrosse season, and my biggest takeaway from the weekend was that the fun of sports isn't always tied to winning.
That Saturday, my youngest son was excited because his basketball team had a semifinal game in the morning, and if his team won, it would play in the final in the afternoon. A last-minute lacrosse practice was scheduled for later in the afternoon, so a perfect day would involve two basketball games, followed by a quick change out of his sneakers and into his cleats for lax practice. And that's what happened. His team won the semifinal in a close game, and advanced to the final, where he got to guard one of his very good friends, who plays lacrosse with him.
His team lost the final, but there was no time to feel bad. He and his friend left the gym, raced over to the field for practice, and afterward, his friend invited him over to his house to play. This is a boy who doesn't go to his school, and if they didn't play lacrosse together, they wouldn't even know one another.
My other son also had lacrosse practice that afternoon. And he also ended up hanging out with one of his teammates after practice. In his case, this particular teammate is an old friend, going all the way back to pre-school. They went to different grammar schools, so they grew up in different circles, and though they go to middle school together now, they don't hang out with each other most of the year. But in the spring, during lacrosse season, they're the best of friends.
That day, I was reminded that, for a young athlete, it's not the wins, or the trophies, or even all those life lessons sports provide that are the best reasons to play.
It's the friendships they make.
