I don’t write very often on this blog – but here I am again, two times in just as many weeks. Don’t worry, Becca will be back shortly. Once again, I am writing because this is definitely a subject that Becca has no interest in. I started the week by filling in my bracket for the 2009 NCAA College Basketball Championship (commonly referred to as “March Madness”). Becca’s response to this was one of surprise, as she exclaimed, “You actually filled one of those out?!” Yes, I did and it hasn’t gone too well.
It all started with the BYU game. I understand that the Cougars have always had a difficult time advancing past the first round, but I thought this year would be different. However, I don’t want to get ahead of myself – basketball is only a snippet of this post. The real reason is to share a father’s experience that will last much longer than the memory of a lost game.
Life on the East Coast provides us with many advantages; however, exposure to BYU athletics is not one of them. It is important to instill Blue and White pride in a child at an early age, which we have tried to do through the Internet. So, when BYU was scheduled to play Texas A & M in Philadelphia I made sure to get tickets to the game. I remember while I was ordering the tickets earlier this week that images flashed through my mind of Caleb and I sitting together in our BYU shirts, cheering on the Cougars to victory. As I explained to Becca that I thought we would get the tickets she said, “Oh, that’s great. I think Emma will have a fun time with you.”
Allow me to explain something before I go on. I have nothing against my daughters and sports, in fact, they are all active in different types. I have to admit though, at that moment I had a strong desire to experience an NCAA championship game with my son. It just felt instinctive. However, one thing that I have learned after many years of marriage is that once Becca had spoken those words the decision was made. Granted, I feebly tried to claw my way back by muttering something like, “Don’t you think Caleb would really enjoy the game?” To which she said, “Probably just as much as Emma. Besides, Emma has never been to a game.” I had to admit that she was right (which is always the case, but for some reason I always try).
We all know the outcome of the game (as BYU did not advance to the second round), so I won’t bore you with the details. But, I will say that I had much more fun than I thought I would ever have – even with a loss. I had to explain everything to Emma, including the point system, fouls, free throws, basic concepts and why cheerleaders wear the outfits they do (although I didn’t have a great answer for the last question). I was surprised how attentive she was, as she caught on to the rules and strategy. We talked, laughed and cried (when at one point early on she looked at me and said, “Dad, I don’t think the Cougs can score enough points to win the game. We aren’t going to win are we?”) No, we weren’t going to win, and it didn’t take a sports expert to figure that out.
As I mentioned above, games are won and lost, but family ties are what bind. In the middle of all the madness my wife reminded me of that important lesson. I felt for a fleeting moment that I had let my son down by not taking him, but I think back to the time when I told Emma about the game and her eyes opened wide, her face brightened and she gave me a big hug. She had to ask which sport basketball is, but she was thrilled to be able to see it with her Dad.
Epilogue: What was the result of our game experience? Obviously a closer bond, but something else occurred that I could never have predicted. After writing this post last night I found Emma sitting in front of the computer flipping between on-demand games to keep up on the scores and highlights. When bedtime finally arrived she reluctantly pulled herself away, but made us promise that we would tell her who won the game in the morning. Who would have guessed?
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