Giving My Kids What I Didn't Have

I remember wanting desperately to play sports as a child. Specifically, baseball. I was given a pitch-back net for a birthday when I was younger. I used to set it up in the dirt field outside my Dad's t-shirt printing business and pitch into it for hours and hours and imagine that I was Fernando Valenzuela from the Dodgers. I got really good at being accurate and fast. I probably would have made a pretty good little league pitcher. But, life and circumstances dictated that I would never have the chance to realize my little league dreams.

I think every parent wants to provide things for their kids that they never received or experienced when they were kids. I'm the same way. I wanted for my kids to be able to play sports if they wanted to. When we lived in California, there was no way we could have accomplished this for our kids. I just didn't make enough money and the sports programs out there are really expensive. Colorado is a different story. I'm making more money here than I did in California and sports programs aren't very expensive. In fact, Gavin and Gage just started playing soccer at a church run league and it was only $35 each. This included a jersey and a trophy at the end. Not too shabby! They started practice last Thursday and had their first game on Saturday. They had a blast, but lost 7 to 1. Most of the kids on our team have never played soccer before, so there was room for improvement. They practiced again yesterday and they have their second game tomorrow. I expect them to do better after learning more of the rules and fundamentals in practice. Gage already looked so much more focused and determined in practice yesterday. He was trying really hard and soaked up the praise that he got from his coaches. Gavin has always been competitive and sporty, so this is right up his alley. Once he gets the fundamentals, he will be a force to be reckoned with. I can hardly wait for the game tomorrow. It's fun to see how much they enjoy this...and I am so happy to be able to provide them with experiences like this. I'll post some pictures next week...and maybe I'll put some video on Youtube for the Grandparents and family that can't come to Colorado to watch a game.