Walking away from a sport you love can be hard, but it's something everyone will have to do at some point. The best case scenario is that you get to do it on your terms -- like after a Hall of Fame professional career, or after a National Championship, or something. But for the vast majority of us, the end of our athletic careers won't be nearly so romantic.
My son isn't ready to stop playing yet. He's in college now, and while he's having the time of his life reinventing himself away from home, making new friends, and enjoying all types of new experiences, he just doesn't want to let go of playing organized sport right now. So, last weekend, he tried out for the college's club lacrosse team.
To be honest, my wife and I weren't happy he did that.
He was never a good athlete, which kind of broke our hearts, because he so badly wanted to be. And what made it even more poignant was that his younger brother turned out to be a really good athlete -- the kind of kid who could play any sport he wanted, and be a star in all of them.
Sports were never so kind to our oldest son, though.
It wasn't all bad, to be fair. He had one coach in junior football who took a liking to him and went out of his way to make certain he had a good experience. But in the years he played for other coaches, it wasn't so good, and finally, after he had the worst year of his life as a member of the high school's freshman football team, he gave up the sport and switched to rec soccer, which he liked a lot.
Sports were never so kind to our oldest son, though.
It wasn't all bad, to be fair. He had one coach in junior football who took a liking to him and went out of his way to make certain he had a good experience. But in the years he played for other coaches, it wasn't so good, and finally, after he had the worst year of his life as a member of the high school's freshman football team, he gave up the sport and switched to rec soccer, which he liked a lot.
Lacrosse was, overall, better to him than football. He played JV two years and varsity two years and while he didn't play as much as he probably expected to his senior year, he did get to play with his brother, and really seemed to get closer to him. He scored a couple goals on the season, the team did well, and he generally seemed at peace with how his high school career finished up.
To me, that seemed like a good way to go out. After all, only a few of his high school classmates are playing sports in college at the varsity or club level, so, if he doesn't play a sport in college, he'd be just like most people. And he'd have more time to explore all the things that college has to offer.
But he just wasn't done with sports yet. He loves being on a team, and he loves lacrosse. So the way he saw it, why not give this a shot, just like he's giving lots of other stuff a shot? He promised his mother that he'd be OK if he didn't make the team, and I suppose if he really will be OK with whatever happens, then we'll have to be OK with it, too.
Good and bad, sports have meant a lot to him over the years, and yes, eventually, someday he will have to stop playing. But if he can make a team, then that day doesn't have to be today.
To me, that seemed like a good way to go out. After all, only a few of his high school classmates are playing sports in college at the varsity or club level, so, if he doesn't play a sport in college, he'd be just like most people. And he'd have more time to explore all the things that college has to offer.
But he just wasn't done with sports yet. He loves being on a team, and he loves lacrosse. So the way he saw it, why not give this a shot, just like he's giving lots of other stuff a shot? He promised his mother that he'd be OK if he didn't make the team, and I suppose if he really will be OK with whatever happens, then we'll have to be OK with it, too.
Good and bad, sports have meant a lot to him over the years, and yes, eventually, someday he will have to stop playing. But if he can make a team, then that day doesn't have to be today.
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