Many of you might know I grew up in Indiana; the basketball mecca.  I grew up when high school gyms were at capacity every Friday night of the basketball season.  You had small, rural schools, playing the mighty metropolitan giants.  It was organized sports at it’s finest.  It was the heyday of Indiana high school basketball.  Now, I will tell you, I did pick a side in the controversial move to class basketball.  I was not for it.  But, I don’t live there and hadn’t lived there for awhile, so really didn’t have a dog in the game.  Just the memories.

So as I sit here, writing today, I can’t help but wonder if my view on organized sports would be different if I was raising my kids in Indiana instead of North Carolina during the basketball heyday?  Never will I know.

Growing up, I was shuttled to more AAU basketball tournaments and all-star baseball games than I care to remember to watch my brother.  Although I had height on my side, I was not athletic.  I’m sure I had this fear of breaking a nail or even worse breaking a sweat!  I made it through because I always had a Babysitter’s Club book in tow.  I had to have read that whole series with the sounds of a bouncing ball in the background.

This leads me to today.  The pressures, demands and expectations we put on our kids around sports, is this really the priority God has for us in life?  Our lives are so busy!  I mean out of control busy.  Does anyone ever just sit around and play with their kids anymore?  I know we rarely do.  My boys are growing up so fast.

Today was the baseball try-outs for my 9 year-old.  He’s been hemming and hawing about if he is going to try-out.  He started baseball when he was 4 years old; pre-ball, tee-ball, coaches pitch.  He has been so excited for this year.  This was the year he was going to try-out for kid pitch.   He is a decent baseball player.  He has a lot of upper body strength because he rides motocross and you have to be strong to do that.  So last night he says to me “Mom, life is about making decisions and I’m not going to do baseball tomorrow.”  I won’t lie, my heart sank a little.

Jason and a lot of church guys were going dirt bike and 4 wheeler riding today after church.  Warren chose to play with his Dad.  And you know, I’m going to be ok with that. Sure, he’s going to have kids make comments and make him feel bad about his decision.  But in the end he is figuring out what his priorities are in life.  In the bible Haggi 1:5 & 7 says: This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.”  Maybe my son is being careful in in thoughts?  Or maybe he is just 9 and wanted to ride his dirt bike today.  Either way, I’m proud of him.

Next time you are at a sporting event, be it in the NBA or your kids church league ball, give careful thought to your ways.  Are you yelling at the player or the coach?  Or maybe even the referee or umpire?  Be kind and set a good example for those around you.  My kid might be watching you and the way you behave.  I’ll guarantee when we get in the car, they will call you by name and ask me what your problem was?

Maybe I’ll have something funny to tell you when they get home this afternoon.  And a lid on your drink at lunch is never a bad idea!