Any One of Us at Any Time

My wife and I often split up due to our kids having events at different locations on the same day. It’s not uncommon for one of us to be several hours away supporting one kid while the other parent is doing the same thing in another time zone.

I sometimes ask myself if all of this is worth it? Would my family be better off if we didn’t traverse the southeast from one tournament to the next? I don’t know the answer, however, part of me longs for the days of my youth when whatever sport you played was decided on the season. In the fall, it was football, the winter was basketball, and the spring was baseball. We didn’t travel terribly far, rarely did we stay overnight anywhere and if we did, that was a treat. I’m not trying to be a ‘get off my lawn’ kind of dad, thinking the old days are better than what we have today, however, with all the travel are we forgetting what’s important? Family.

Yesterday, my wife and daughter departed to a tournament in St. Louis, Mo. They reached their hotel without an issue, however, two other players and their moms were not as fortunate as they lost their lives in a traffic accident while en route to a tournament in Kansas City. This event is in the shadow of another group of parents and kids perishing in a helicopter accident a couple of weeks prior while heading to a basketball tournament.

As parents, we want the best for our kids. The best equipment, competition, facilities, the list goes on and on. Do we need to redefine what is ‘best’? Perspective is something that isn’t always present at youth sports tournaments. If we focused more on family instead of having to play in tournaments near and far, would we be happier? Again, I don’t know the answer to the question and every family is different, what works for one may not work for another. But, I can’t help but think if the emphasis on playing in high profile tournaments across the country was non-existent, would the young ladies and their moms headed to St. Louis, still be with us? Would Kobe and his daughter still be with us?

God has a plan for each of us and his will determines how long or short of a time we’ll spend on this earth. Our time can happen at any moment. Appreciate and love those around you.