What Do You Want to Get Out of Sports?

The reality is, everyone retires from sports, and most people do it without playing professionally and most don't get college scholarships. Knowing this, it is important to keep our athletic experience in perspective.

Knowing that we all retire, what do you want to get out of sports?

Knowing that we all retire, what do you want your athletes to get out of sports?

When I was an athlete, I wanted to be a pro. I wanted to play basketball at North Carolina and then go to the NBA. I learned in high school that it would be hard enough to get a college scholarship to any school, and then in college, I realized that it would be even harder to play pro. But I got out of it what I wanted. I was able to travel around the country playing basketball, I met some great people, and I was able to get my school paid for in the process. I had a great experience that I look back on with pride and joy, I still love sports, and I still love them enough that I choose to share my love of sports with kids.

As a parent, my ultimate goal is that my kids have a great experience, I hope they maximize their potential, and I hope that they enjoy the process as much as I did. If they want to be division one athletes, I will gladly help them through the process while making sure that we are doing so in a healthy way. If they just want to play for fun, I will gladly create a fun experience for them (while teaching them how to have a goal and the importance of hard work, teamwork, and the other foundational things that I think are important to sports and life).

Bleacher Report did a great job documenting Cole Anthony and his journey through the COVID shut down and leading up to the NBA draft. The thing that stands out about him is his love for the game of basketball. In anything, we should have goals that drive us, and his goal is to be one of the best basketball players in the world. But the fuel behind that dream has to be a love for what you do. Roy Williams said that his favorite part about Cole's game was that he loves to play basketball. He said that he means love with a capital L-O-V-E.

Cole Anthony's father, NBA vet Greg Anthony, said that Cole has a purity and passion, and love for the game. He said that the true greats in the game have always loved the game. They don't fall in love with the lifestyle; they fall in love, and stay in love, with the game. 

There are so many articles and stories about the statistics of kids quitting sports and why. I would love it if one of my daughters played for the US National teams of their favorite sports. If that is their goal, I will help lead and guide the way. But my hope and dream are that when we are grown, my girls still love sports. I hope that they call us on Super Bowl night, and during the Final Four, or the World Series and want to talk about the games. I hope that when we are on the beach with my grandkids, all of my girls will come out and want to throw the football or kick the soccer ball with their old dad. I hope that when they come and visit me for Thanksgiving or Christmas, they will play a game of horse with their old man.

So we focus more on having fun and loving the game first.

What do you hope and dream for your kids, and what role do sports play in that?